Question 1

What does it cost, and what's included in the monthly?

Accepted Answer

What you see is what you pay: a one-off $199 to get set up, then $59 a month. That monthly covers everything: hosting, SSL, security, content updates whenever you need them, ongoing support, getting you found on Google, and a monthly report on how your site is performing. Think of it like your phone plan, a small monthly cost instead of a big invoice. Your standard domain is included while you're a client (premium domain names at cost), and if you ever leave, the domain goes with you. No surprises, no fine print.

Question 2

What's included in the build?

Accepted Answer

A proper, professional website built from scratch, no templates. That covers custom design, mobile-friendly layout, a working contact form, basic on-page SEO, Google Maps integration, and getting your site live on your domain. Standard domain registration is included free while you're a client (premium domain names at cost). It's a full website, not a half-done job.

Question 3

What's the difference between the plans?

Accepted Answer

Every plan gets you a proper website: designed and built for your business, with your content, photos, contact form and Google Maps, kept live and secure, with a real person to call. Basics ($29/month) is that site, kept online and looked after, and that's the whole plan: once it's live it stays as it is. Complete ($59/month) is where I do the ongoing work that actually grows your business: actively getting you found on Google, local SEO and your Google Business Profile, analytics and a monthly report, content updates whenever you need them, and in-person catch-ups if you're local to Largs North. For about a dollar a day more it's all handled for you every month, and for almost everyone, Complete's the obvious choice. Advanced (from $99/month) is for sites that do heavier lifting (an online shop, booking system, a blog you post to yourself, or customer logins) with their own dedicated database, scoped and quoted to exactly what you need.

Question 4

Why monthly instead of one big upfront payment?

Accepted Answer

Because it's easier on your cash flow and it keeps your site properly looked after. Think of it like your phone plan: a small monthly fee covers hosting, updates, support and getting you found, with no big invoice to find up front. Just $199 to get set up, then $59 a month.

Question 5

Why is there a 12-month minimum term?

Accepted Answer

A website is a long game, not a quick fix. Google takes a few months to properly index and rank a new site, and the monthly fee covers building it, hosting it, and looking after it across that first year. The 12-month term is what lets me build it properly for a low monthly price instead of a big cost up front.

Question 6

What if I already have a website, or need something bigger?

Accepted Answer

No worries. The standard plans cover most small businesses, but if you've got an existing site to rebuild, need a stack of pages, or want something more custom like a shop or online bookings, that's the Advanced plan, typically from $99 a month. I'll scope it with you in our first chat and confirm the setup and monthly before we start. No hourly billing, no surprises.

Question 7

Can you build me an online shop?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and I'll tell you straight which kind you need. If you sell a fairly steady set of products or services (things that don't change every week), I build the shop right into your site on the Advanced plan, from $99 a month, payments included. If you're running a bigger store with lots of products, stock levels and regular inventory management, the right tool is Shopify: I set it up and design it, and the Shopify subscription is billed to you directly at cost, the same way domains work. Running the store day to day (products, stock, orders) stays with you, it's your business, and I stay in your corner as your web designer whenever the site side needs work.

Question 8

My business is already busy, why do I need a website?

Accepted Answer

Because people search online before they decide who to call. If they can't find you, they'll usually find your competitor instead, often without even realising there was another option. A website makes sure the next customer lands on you.

Question 9

How long does it take, and how much of my time will it need?

Accepted Answer

Very little of your time: I just need a few basics about your business, then I build it for you. No learning software, no fiddling with tech. A straightforward site can come together surprisingly fast, often with a working version live within days, sometimes the same day if we're both moving quickly. Bigger projects take longer, and we'll agree a realistic timeline when we chat. I'm a solo operator, so nothing gets stuck in agency pipelines.

Question 10

Will I have to manage it afterwards?

Accepted Answer

No. Hosting, security and software updates are looked after for you on every plan. From Complete up, content changes are included too: new hours, new photos, a new service, just send it through and I'll handle it, and I keep actively getting you found on Google. For bigger additions or redesigns down the track, we quote that separately. The site evolves with your business while you get on with running it.

Question 11

Is my website safe from being hacked?

Accepted Answer

Much safer than most. A lot of small-business sites get hacked or quietly filled with spam because they run on WordPress with a stack of add-on plugins, and an out-of-date plugin is the usual way in. I build differently: no plugins to go out of date, and no vulnerable admin login sitting on your site for anyone to break into. Every site is served from an enterprise-grade network with SSL and security headers as standard, and the contact form has built-in spam protection. If your site needs a database (for a shop, bookings or logins on the Advanced plan) it runs on a locked-down, enterprise-grade database with strict access rules, not the exposed setup that catches those other sites out. Either way, the whole category of attack that hits WordPress sites simply doesn't apply.

Question 12

Do I own my website?

Accepted Answer

Your content and your domain are yours, always. The website itself runs on your monthly plan (a bit like your number stays active while you're with a phone carrier). If you ever want to move on, I'll help you take your content and domain with you. No traps, no hostage situations.

Question 13

I'm not very tech-savvy. What's the support actually like?

Accepted Answer

You're in good company, that's most of my clients: tradies, cafe owners, local operators who are great at what they do and just want a website that works. I handle the technical side and explain everything in plain English. And support is me, a local person, not a call centre: urgent things, reach out and I'll get back to you as soon as I can; everything else, within a business day.

Question 14

What makes 12 Bar different from a bigger agency?

Accepted Answer

You get me directly: one person who designs, builds, and supports your site. No account managers, no hand-offs, no junior staff learning the ropes at your expense. It means things move faster, cost less, and you always know who you're dealing with.