Frequently Asked Questions

I no longer offer this theme/service.

My new website packages are much more powerful. I don’t sell “themes” per se. I create custom sites, building my own custom child themes for each author and I only use powerful plugins that are well maintained so there’s no fear for the theme “breaking” when WordPress gets updated. There are no renewal fees on my theme/typical plugins, but your exact needs may differ (see Are there hidden costs? below).

If you just need me to change a color or add a newsletter sign-up form, I can update your website and make minor tweaks to it, and bill you hourly for it. Refer to my hourly consulting rate on the add-on services page.

If you want an overhaul of your site’s appearance and layout, my exclusive intuitive book interface, automated series pages and more, then the website packages would be more affordable and you’ll end up with a better, more powerful website.

The Professional Package includes incorporating your existing site but if you prefer the Basic Package, you can select an add-on service if you’d like me to merge your old site with my new design.

The websites I build don’t normally require recurring premium plugin costs or ongoing webfont licensing as I will license your premium plugins under my existing developer licenses. I typically use free, royalty-free fonts from Google. It’s possible that your exact needs would dictate otherwise, but such costs would be disclosed to you before the project begins.

That said, any and all websites require ongoing renewal of domain name registration and web hosting, which aren’t invoiced by me but by third-party services. My prices do not include those ongoing services, which you must purchase and renew. If you need help selecting domain name registrars and/or hosting company, we’ll do it for free as part of any of our website packages but the costs are yours to pay or you can have a look at the providers we recommend here.

I don’t offer free consultations. This website includes 30+ sample websites that I built as well as a detailed list of services that I offer. If you take the time to explore some of those sites and read the details on my add-on services, you can determine if you like my work or if I can help you with your specific needs.

If you’re still unsure that I’m the right fit for your website needs, then the 30-minute Zoom call that comes with the non-refundable $70 fee can be used to answer your questions. If we’re not a good match, I’ll recommend other providers and give you website advice, so you won’t go away empty-handed.

If we move forward working together, the $70 fee will be credited toward one of my packages or add-on services, whatever you hire me to do for you.

No. Coupon codes can be used toward any website package or add-on service that cost $99+.

For example, if you have a coupon code for 10% and hire me for a $140 service, then your total bill would be $126 (10% off the $140) – $70 (already paid as consult fee) = $56 balance due/invoiced.

Only one coupon code can be used at a time.

GoCreate.me is one of the recommended website resources in two courses made in the UK. If that rings a bell (and if you’re a paid student of one of those courses), check out your list of bonuses.

No. I only work with WordPress.

I can build you a custom site on either version, but please be aware that WordPress.com requires the “business plan” for me to upload premium plugins/themes and the “E-Commerce plan” for me to install WooCommerce. 

So if you’re currently hosted at WordPress.com on a free/personal plan, then you’d need to upgrade.

If you’re hosted on GoDaddy/SiteGround/HostGator/Bluehost/other self-hosted WordPress service, then my answer is irrelevant. As long as you’re not using GoDaddy’s website builder (different from WordPress), your current plan should work fine.

I don’t typically do this. My goal is to build intuitive websites that authors will be able to easily update on their own as long as they are computer literate. You’ll have video tutorials explaining how to update your website, add new books, run backups, update plugins, etc.

If you are short on time and would like me to populate all your books and/or be available to update your website on an ongoing basis, extra costs would apply. Refer to the add-on services to calculate the extra costs based on the number of pages/posts/products/books/series you need me to populate for you beyond what the packages include.

If you want to hire me to add new books to the site beyond the initial website project, it will depend on your publishing frequency. You could hire me hourly, pay based on the number of books, or we can agree on a retainer.

It depends. We will go about it in one of two ways, depending on your hosting situation.

• Less ideal (and the only option if using WordPress.com): I will work on your live site. That means the site may appear “a little glitchy” for a couple of hours as I overwrite the site with the new design that you will have already approved. By that, I mean the “styling of it” may be a little off and the navigation won’t necessarily point to your new book pages yet (because you’ll have to populate them). But depending on your existing set up, we should be able to leave whatever existing “book pages” you have there, and when your new book pages/series pages are ready for prime time, we will modify the nav bar to point to those, and you could then delete your older book pages.
• Typical: Separate demo/staging site: We create a duplicate of your site (hidden from prying eyes, inside a subfolder, with password protection). Your hosting needs to support a second WordPress installation, not all plans allow it. You can populate your books and take your sweet time. Change your navigation, do whatever you need. Test and tweak until everything is perfect. Once you’re ready, we overwrite your existing WP installation with the new one we worked on. That means you will have to temporarily “put a hold” on posting anything on your real site (or post the same posts/pages on your hidden site) because we’ll overwrite the database (any new pages/posts/comments will be deleted when we do that).

No. My packages are based on a maximum of two revisions and/or until my hourly rate becomes unacceptable. If we reach this stage, you will be notified. It’s very rare.

My time is spent creating the functionality and design that you want. As part of my packages, you will receive step-by-step videos that will guide you on how to update text, pages, add new books, etc. 

If the project scope increases after you review my initial design mock-up, additional costs could apply, based on my hourly rate.

Many factors impact website speed. Things like website hosting, images, fonts, and extra functionality/plugins greatly impact how long a website takes to load. I will optimize all the images I use for the web and only use up to two webfonts, which will help, but you will need to be careful when adding new images. I provide instructions on how to optimize images for the web here.

In general, the more “widgets” needed, the slower the site. That’s why I normally keep my sites pretty simple in design/functionality and avoid unnecessary bells and whistles.

Website optimizations to meet tests like the Google PageSpeed test and others are NOT included in my packages. I recommend a paid service for Website Optimization here (see last section on Website Speed Optimization). Most people should use a caching plugin to help speed up their WordPress site.

This is beyond the scope of my packages. Additional costs would apply.

This is beyond the scope of my packages. Additional costs would apply.

This is beyond the scope of my packages. Additional costs would apply.

Sure thing. Invoices are created manually for each client. Because I’m registered as a Canadian business, I will need to charge GST to Canadian authors, but we’ll agree on a CAD price that includes GST, and you can pay me via e-transfer instead of PayPal. (If I can save on fees, I’ll pass those savings to you.)

If you have specific requirements for your site and are not sure whether or not I would charge extra for those (or if my packages meet all your needs), please contact me using this form.