No question is a silly one!
Frequently asked questions
Our most commonly asked questions in one place.
Website Design Service FAQ
Commonly asked questions about our Web Design Service. For questions not answered below: info@aligndesigns.co.za
How much does a website cost?
There are 3 main costs to consider when launching a new website.
1. Hosting: This is the space upon which your website resides. Without hosting you cannot have a website. Cost can vary between R30/m – R160/m (or more) depending on the hosting provider and your website needs. NB: Make sure to select a hosting company that offers outstanding support – keep in mind that you get what you pay for.
2. Domain name: This is your .co.za needed for people to find your website online. Usually around R90 per YEAR – depending on where you buy it and the actual name of your domain.
3. Website design: This varies in price depending on many factors. Can be as little as R3500 for a single landing page to R30000 (or more) for large ecommerce websites and all the way to R180 000 for really large ecommerce websites. It really depends on what you need and want on your business website.
Do you offer hosting?
We don’t offer hosting. One company we recommend to all our clients is HostAfrica.
- Based in Cape Town
- Rated #1 ISP on Hello Peter
- Amazing customer support
Here’s a step-by-step video showing you how to easily setup hosting with them.
2022 Pricing is as follows from HostAfrica:
- Hosting = R110/m (1 month free if you pay for 1 year upfront)
- Domain = Free for first year. Then R89/YEAR (for a .co.za)
Warning: You can definitely find cheaper hosting but it’s not worth the headaches.
Should my website be maintained?
Website maintenance is optional and highly recommended.
Why?
The backend plugins (which make up your site’s design and functionality) are constantly being updated by the developers of those plugins. We need to manually update those plugins on the website. An outdated plugin may cause problems. If you choose not to maintain your site then it becomes vulnerable to malware, virus attacks, design issues, etc.
What’s included?
- Maintenance is 1 hour per month and completed once per month.
- Backup of your website (done before any updates are performed)
- Updates of all your backend plugins, themes, etc.
- Troubleshoot any issues/conflicts that may arise from the updating
- Backup after updates are completed (so we have the latest copy of the site)
More details: Website Maintenance Package
Will my new website be found in google?
Building a website is one service. Having that website show high in Google is an entirely seperate service called Search Engine Optimization. Read more about SEO here.
What other costs are involved?
Other costs to consider – separate from the costs mentioned above (Hosting, Domain, Web Design & Maintenance):
- SEO – helps your website get found higher on search engines
- Logo Design or any other custom graphics (icons, images, etc.)
- PPC like Google Ads or Facebook Ads
- Social Media Marketing
- Autoresponder setup & management (email list)
- Other marketing services to build brand exposure and get more leads and sales.
Do you offer website "packages"?
No we don’t – for a very good reason. Every single client has different needs & wants. This is only realized during the discover phase of the process. We have a series of questions to ask you before giving a quotation. Also, our process ensures we have a 100% success rate with our clients being completely satisfied with their website – because we deeply understand what they need and want.
Word of advice: I’ve had many clients come to me after a bad experience with a web designer that just ‘threw’ a price at them quickly without discussing their needs fully. This is a sign of desperation & lack of experience and often leads to results you don’t want – frustration with a waste of time & money.
What do you use to build websites?
WordPress – for 2 main reasons:
- Allows us to keep the costs more affordable than if we used a framework such as React.
- It’s much easier for clients to make edits themselves (if ever needed).
We use WordPress & Woocommerce for online stores.
What happens after my website goes live?
We are not here to simply “throw up” a website and run away. We understand that your company website is the beginning, and core, of your digital marketing system. Your website, while important, is actually a means to an end. That end may be…
- More leads for your business or
- More sales for your product/e-commerce business
This takes time and effort to achieve. We continue the journey with you and assist wherever we can.
Can I edit my website content by myself?
Yes you can. We build websites using WordPress and offer basic video training if needed. This gives you the option to login and make minor adjustments by yourself (if you want to do this). E.g. Adding/deleting images in your Gallery or being in full control of your Blog posts.
Can you edit my website content for me?
Of course! We here for the long term. Pricing can be discussed when we get to the quote stage.
Can you build a website for my type of business?
As shown in our portfolio we specialize in building…
- Brochure style websites – perfect for service based companies and
- Ecommerce websites (online stores) – perfect for selling your products online
We don’t do marketplace-type websites such as Amazon, Takealot, Ebay, Autotrader, etc.
Our passion will always be to help small – medium sized companies dominate on Google.
How can I get a website for free or very cheap?
The best solution would be to build it yourself. You can use this free tutorial I made on YouTube. It’s very basic but a good place to start. Just make sure to set the right expectations for yourself. Building a website with no real experience will most likely get very poor results because there’s a lot more that goes into building a successful website. If you choose to go this route then I’d suggest continuous learning and working on your website regularly over months to tweak and improve it. Good luck.
I have more questions about Website Design...
Send me (Zaid) your questions and I’ll get back to you with an answer: info@aligndesigns.co.za
SEO Service faq
Commonly asked questions about Search Engine Optimization. For questions not answered below: info@aligndesigns.co.za
What is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?
SEO is a series of ethical activities done to increase the authority of your website and brand in the ‘eyes’ of Google and other search engines. It includes tasks such as keyword research, content creation, on-page SEO, setting up analytics, citations, and much more. These activities are related too but separate from the task of building your website. i.e. two separate services.
What's the difference between a website and SEO?
They compliment each other for best long term results. Think of it like a car. You drive a car (website) and need fuel (SEO) to get where you want to go. We offer both SEO (‘Align’) and web design (‘Design’) because we want the best long term outcome for our clients.
What if I do not want seo?
SEO is totally optional i.e. you can own a website without any SEO. Just be aware that no SEO means zero results in the search engines. So you’ll have a pretty website but you’ll miss out on tons of future (free) leads that come via Google search. And trust me, there’s nothing better than consistently having people reach out to you for your services/products.
When do you perform the SEO activities?
Firstly, how your site is built absolutely matters. Keyword research is done BEFORE the website is built…because the keywords are used to build the structure of the site. On-page SEO is done DURING the process of building the website. Most of the actual SEO activities are done AFTER the site is created and gone live.
What is the 'Foundational SEO' Service?
- This is a once-off service done immediately after launching a new website. (Keyword research before building).
- These are basics needed for Google to know that your website exists and understand what your site is about.
- Without this foundation Google won’t even know your website and brand exists.
how long will it take for my website to appear on Google?
A brand new website won’t show on Google at all for the first 1-3 months. Longer or indefinitely if the Foundational SEO has not been done. The first step is called being indexed by Google. This is 100% up to Google. All we can do is be patient during this time.
Will your 'foundational seo' service make my website show high on google?
No. These are the basic steps every new website needs for Google to know that it exists and to understand what the site is about.
To show higher on Google you need to build the AUTHROITY of the brand in the ‘eyes’ of Google. So you’d need more advanced SEO activities – this takes time.
How long will it take for my website to show high on google?
It takes time and regular SEO activities to get found on the first page of Google. It also depends heavily on what you’re up against – your competition online matters because to get past them you need to be better than them in the eyes of Google.
If you are in the following niches then it will take longer with more investment to win in the search engines: attorney, insurance, debt review, real estate, etc. simply because these types of companies invest over a long period to get great results.
For less competitive niches it may take anything from 9 months to 2 years depending on many factors.
Nobody can (ethically) guarantee you first page results. Run away from those that make such a promise.
That being said, we have helped many clients show on the first page of Google…and stay there! See SEO case study below.
For best results you’ll need to be willing to do your part too… Eg: asking your clients to post reviews for your services/products on your Google Business Profile.
How can I get my website higher on Google faster?
We recommend Google Ads to all our clients who want to diplay their brand in front of people on Google quicker (while waiting for the SEO to show results).
What are Citations?
Citations are strategic listings of your business details on other websites. Think Yellow Pages. The key is accuracy of your business details and volume – many listings i.e. adding your business details to a dozen directories won’t be enough. The purpose of Citations is to increase the authority of your website/brand online which may lead to higher search results.
I have more questions about SEO...
Shoot me (Zaid) your question and I’ll get back to you with an answer: info@aligndesigns.co.za
Google Ads Service faq
Commonly asked questions about our Google Ads Service. For questions not answered below: info@aligndesigns.co.za
How much does Google Ads cost?
There are 2 main costs to consider when running Google Ads.
1. Our Service Fee: We setup, manage, improve and report on your Google ads.
2. Google Ad Spend: You pay this directly to Google. The amount spent is controlled and totally up to you. All our clients start on R50/day. This allows you to ‘dip your toe’ and is a good start for Google to work it’s Ai magic. Naturaly you would want to increase that amount based on your budget.
How does this service work?
Simple and easy…
- We setup, manage and improve your Google Ad/s on a month to month basis.
- We charge a set monthly rate for the service (payable before work commences for the month).
- Payment for your Google ads is directly between you and Google.
- We send you bi-weekly results of your ads performance.
Why do I need Google Ads?
One word – INTENT.
When done correctly Google Ads allows you to display your product/service directly in front of people who are looking for exactly what you have to offer.
Also, if done correctly, can have a great ROI.
when is Google ads not suitable for my business?
- If you are spending more on Google ads than the revenue you earn from it then Google Ads may not be suitable for your type of product or service.
- In the case of really low margin products.
- Or in the case where your life time value of a client is really low.
There are cases where I have clients request Google Ads purely to run targeted traffic to their website. This is especially useful for brand new sites who want to get people “roaming” around on their site (Google sees this activity).
Can you guarantee results?
Nobody can ethically guarantee results. We recommend starting small for the first couple months to test the results. You can then decide if you want to continue or not. We have very satisfied clients paying for this service.
How much ad spend will get the best results?
It really depends on several factors. Your competition i.e. other companies bidding on the same keywords will affect the price you pay per click. This cost per click will determine how many clicks you get per day – based on your daily budget. All of this can only be assessed once we have your ads running.
If done correctly, the more you invest in Google ads the more results you should get. More traffic, more conversions, more leads, more sales.
It’s best practice to start smaller and increase the ad spend while we test, improve, test, improve and repeat the process until we have a great ROI.
Do I have control over the Ad spend?
Yes 100%. We set the daily ad spend based on what you want to spend.
E.g. if we set it to R50/day and run it for one month then Google will bill you R1500 (30 days). It might be less or more than R50 on any given day but it averages out to R50/day.
Is this a fixed contract or month to month?
- Mont to month
- No refunds
- Cancel any time
- We do request that you inform us at least a week before the next due payment (for the coming month)
Do you have proof of results?
- No because our clients do not want this information exposed to their competitors.
- All our Google Ad clients started as web design & SEO clients. They then requested our Google Ads service because they trust us.
- They are all extremely happy with their ROI with our Google Ads Service.
What will negatively affect the cost of my Google ads?
Many factors including the following…
- How your Google Ad is setup, maintained & optimized is big factor.
- Your landing page/website i.e. the place where you send people after they click on your Google Ad.
– This is why we offer Google Ads to our SEO and Web Design clients. We’ve already optimized their websites for Google Ads.
– If you have a poorly optimized website you’ll spend more on Google Ads.
I have more questions about Google Ads...
Send me (Zaid) your questions and I’ll get back to you with an answer: info@aligndesigns.co.za