Faqs

Faqs

Pre Purchase

This is my first time purchasing a website. Will you help walk me through the whole process?

Absolutely! We have unique processes in place that will educate and help you make informed decisions along the way. The last thing we want is for you to be uncomfortable or overwhelmed.

Do you outsource your projects or send work overseas?

No. All of our work is performed by our in-house team based in Michigan, USA.

Do we own the completed website?

You always have full ownership over your website. Although we'd hate to see it happen, you're free to move your website to a third-party company. Since your website is built using WordPress, you can transfer it to just about any web host.

How long does it take to finish a website?

Each project is different, but on average we have a website launched within 4 to 6 weeks. This timeline can be longer or shorter depending on how proactive you are with assets and revisions.

Do I need to have all my content prepared prior to contacting you?

No. We can get started by using placeholder content while you work towards completing your content. We'll even provide you with a content outline to follow to make things easier. This gives you guidance on the type of text and images that would perform best on your website.

I've received quotes that are much higher than your prices. Are you cutting corners to offer lower prices?

Websites come in all shapes and sizes, just like cars. You'll find quotes ranging from a few hundred dollars all the way up to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Our websites are designed to be the perfect balance of features and price for small businesses. We've been able to keep our prices low by reducing overhead and streamlining our process. Our finished product often exceeds the quality of agencies charging ten times more than us.

I’m not local to your area. Can you still make my business' website?

Yep! We're great at communicating via phone and email and our clients come from all over the United States.

I have an idea for a website but it's not exactly a small business. Should I still contact you about my project?

Sure! We'll listen to your idea and let you know if we'd be a good fit for the project. If not, we'll even try and steer you in the right direction, free of charge.

Can you put together a proposal for my project?

In order to keep our prices as low as possible, we do not offer proposals or accept RFPs. However, we do start each project with a plan in place. Once you hire us, we outline content and design details prior to starting.

Can you revise my current or finish my incompleted website?

Our answer is typically no, but you can always contact us to discuss your exact situation. We've found it's cheaper in most cases to start over than it is to retrofit or complete an existing website.

I don't see any work examples from my industry. Do you work with all types of businesses?

Our primary focus is working with service oriented business-to-consumer (B2C) small businesses. We have experience with creating websites within almost every major industry. Contact us and we'll consult with you to see if we'd be a good fit.

Design + Development

Are your designs pre-made templates?

Nope! A lot of our competitors purchase "themes" or use pre-made templates to cut costs. We hand-code every website to the exact needs of each client.

I keep seeing the term "responsive web design". What does this mean?

Responsive web design is a technique used to build a website that adapts its layout to fit the size of any device. Instead of having to build an additional website for mobile devices, you can lower initial costs by only needing a single website. Since responsive web design is really only a classification, each company has their own interpretation and implementation.

Do your website designs work on mobile devices (phones, tablets, etc.)?

Yes. We believe our solutions are some of the best you'll find. Some of our clients see a majority of their traffic from mobile phones. We put a high emphasis on making sure the website experience on a phone is second-to-none.

How many design revisions do you allow for?

Our starter plan allows for 2 revision rounds, standard allows for 4 rounds, and our premium plan allows for unlimited revisions. We ask that you give us a comprehensive list of changes each time to make the process quick and smooth. Revisions only become an issue if it's obvious we're moving in circles. If this happens, we'll work with you on ways we can get the project back on track.

Do your website include content management system (CMS) software?

Yes. We exclusively use WordPress, the leading CMS currently in use on the Internet. We believe it provides the right balance of customization and usability for small businesses.

Payments + Guarantees

Are there any recurring costs involved with owning a website?

Yes. Many design companies won't mention recurring costs before starting your project. At a minimum, you'll need monthly web hosting and an annual domain name registration. Our website plans are a single-rate solution which include monthly hosting, domain name registration along with managed maintenance to keep everything running smooth.

What forms of payment do you accept?

We accept all major credit cards. Our payment processing is handled by Stripe, and we never store payment information outside of their secure system.

Do you offer a satisfaction guarantee?

We offer a sixty day money back guarantee. If you're unhappy with our service for any reason within the first sixty days, you are free to terminate your contract with us and we'll refund your payments.

Do you offer a warranty?

Absolutely! Bug fixes are included with each of our monthly website packages. We'll keep your website running in the same condition it was as the day it launched. This is one of the biggest benefits of being on a monthly plan.

What is your refund policy?

If you're unsatisfied and want to terminate your contract within the first sixty days, we'll refund your payments. We do not offer refunds for any services after the first sixty days.

WordPress

What is a content management system (CMS)?

A content management system (CMS) is software that allows you to update and manage your website through an easy-to-use interface. Think of it like Microsoft Word but for your website. Without this software, you'll need to hire a web developer to make modifications to your website. We use WordPress, the most popular CMS in the world, as our content management system.

What is WordPress?

WordPress is content management system (CMS) software that allows you to edit and manage the text and images on your website. It's open-sourced and community developed, meaning anyone is free to build their website on top of the software.

I've used WordPress in the past and had a bad experience. What is your philosophy behind using WordPress?

We believe WordPress is currently the best CMS available for small businesses. Unfortunately, not all WordPress websites are created equal. There are a lot of low-quality pre-made themes available that give the platform a bad reputation. We build each website from the ground up using our exclusive Cemah Framework plugin which adds more than 50 additional features to the software.

Do you use and/or purchase pre-made WordPress themes?

Never. We design and code each website by hand.

Do you use WordPress plugins to create your websites?

We have designed and developed our own collection of plugins to extend WordPress for small businesses. The only third party plugin we use is Yoast SEO. While there are many WordPress plugins available, they often cause issues with maintenance and security down the road.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

What is search engine optimization (SEO)?

Search engine optimization, or SEO, is the process of improving a website's rank on search engines like Google or Bing. Having your website show up higher than your competitors on these services often leads to more visitors and customers. While there are industry standard techniques used to help improve your rank, SEO techniques are subjective and can be thought of as an artform. Our SEO features are designed to provide the biggest impact at prices that make sense for small business.

Does my website need search engine optimization (SEO)?

Yes, in some form. Many people are surprised to learn SEO isn't a single process that takes place. Google has thousands of different factors it weighs in order to rank your website. How fast your site loads, ease of use on mobile, how long people stay on your site, and more are all taken into consideration.

On-page search engine optimization is almost always a good idea. This ensures your website is coded to correct standards and the content on your website is structured properly. This makes Google happy and gives you a boost within their rankings.

Off-page search engine optimization is more complex and primarily involves something called "backlinks". These are links on other websites pointing to your website. Getting authentic quality backlinks is very time consuming and difficult. Some agencies will try to "game" the system by creating fake backlinks. Google is getting very good at figuring out if a backlink is fake. If you're caught, you can be completely delisted from Google searches. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is.

Does Cemah offer search engine optimization services?

Yes. All our websites are coded using search engine optimization best practices.

Our premium plan includes SEO Content Optimization and is perfect for small businesses looking for an extra marketing push. We'll perform industry keyword analysis and make content modifications monthly to help improve your ranking. The premium plan also includes Local Search Optimization where we'll list your business on "Google My Business" and other major directories. This can also be a good way to gain visibility if your business operates within a small geographical area.

Can you help me to get my website to show up on Google?

Yes. It's almost always possible to get your website to show up for "branded" searches, meaning someone typing in your business name. It can be much more difficult to compete on industry keywords if your market is oversaturated.

Can you guarantee my website will show up first on Google?

No. If someone is making you this guarantee, be very careful. There are bad actors who claim this is possible. They typically use techniques that can penalize your website or even get you removed from Google. Every business's circumstances are unique and the outcome of every SEO strategy is different. A more realistic goal is to have your website show up on the first page of Google results.

Support + Maintenance

What happens if my site is inaccessible or displays incorrectly?

Contact us immediately. If your site is hosted with us, we can almost always resolve the issue with a single phone call or email. If you're hosted with a third-party, it's possible the issue could be on their end. In these instances, we'll let you know the source of the problem so you can contact the third-party host.

Do you charge for technical support?

As long as you're on a monthly plan with us, there is no charge for technical support.

How long does it take for someone to respond to an email?

We try our best to respond to all emails within 2 hours. If you have an emergency, we recommend calling us at (800) 948-4988. If it's outside of our normal business hours, leave a message and we'll be notified immediately and we'll return your call.

Hosting + Domains

What is web hosting?

Web hosting refers to the server which responds to requests to view your website. It's simply another computer connected to the Internet for the sole purpose of transmitting your website to users. Any time you visit a website, there is another computer somewhere in the world you connect to in order to view it.

Do I need web hosting?

Yes. This is what makes your website accessible through the Internet. All of our plans include web hosting at no extra charge.

Do you offer website hosting services?

Yes. "Fully-managed" web hosting is included with all of our plans. Simply put, we take care of everything for you.

Do you offer email accounts with your web hosting?

No, but for very good reason. Most web hosts that bundle email service into web hosting give you a barebones email system. There often isn't spam controls or fraud and virus protection and you're given a very limited amount of storage space. We recommend both Google Apps for Work and Microsoft Office 365 as they provide a level of service almost nobody can match. We'll set you up on either of these services for no additional charge.

What is a domain name?

A domain name is a memorable phrase used to access your website, often "yourbusinessname.com". Every computer connected to the Internet has a long string of unique numbers used to identify itself called an "IP address". Without a domain name, you would need to remember the IP address in order to view a website.

Domain names are purchased using a "registrar" which acts like a phonebook. When someone types in your domain name, behind the scenes your registrar will look up your domain for them and return your IP address back. Their computer will then know where to find your website.

How do I purchase a domain name?

If you don't have a domain name and our on our standard or premium plan, we can purchase and register one on your behalf at no additional charge. As long as you’re on one of these plans, we will automatically renew your domain for you annually.