What are the ongoing costs?
Your domain renewal, which is paid to the registrar in your own name rather than to me. Anything beyond that depends on whether you want me looking after the site once it is live — that gets settled in the quote, in writing, before any work starts. No standing charge appears without you agreeing to it first.
What am I actually buying?
A finished website and the ownership of it. That means the source code in a repository under your account, the domain registered in your name, the hosting account in your name, and the content. Not a licence to use something of mine — the thing itself.
What happens if I stop working with you?
Nothing happens. The domain is registered to you, the hosting account is yours, and the code is in a repository you own. Your site keeps running whether or not we ever speak again. That is the point — I would rather you stay because it is working than because leaving is painful.
Will I lose my Google rankings when I move?
Not if the migration is done properly. Every old URL gets redirected to its new home, so existing search results and any links pointing at your old pages keep working. Sites usually get faster in the move, and speed is a ranking factor, so the more common outcome is a small improvement.
How do I get changes made to the site?
You email me what you want changed and I do it. Hours, prices, photos, staff, a new page — send it however suits you, including a photo of something scribbled on paper. I deliberately do not hand over a content editor to learn and forget the password to; you would spend longer fighting it than it takes me to make the change.
How long does it take?
It depends on how many pages you have and how quickly copy and photos come back — that is almost always the long pole, not the building. You get a realistic timeline in writing with the quote, before you commit to anything.
Do you work with businesses outside Michigan?
Yes — I work with clients anywhere in the US, and already have them outside Michigan. The whole project runs over email, phone and video calls, and you see the real site on your own phone before it goes live, so distance changes nothing about the result. If you happen to be near Dexter, I am glad to sit down in person too.