Frequently Asked Questions

In most cases, yes. Local customers research online before they call or visit. A clear website builds trust, shows your services and service area, and makes it easy to contact you, especially when paired with local search visibility.

A website mainly presents your business and helps people take action (call, form, book). A web application is software people use to complete tasks such as member portals, custom tools, internal workflows. Most local businesses start with a website and add app-style features only when they need them.

If you need a clear digital presence (services, proof, and contact), a standard business site is usually enough. Bookings, e-commerce, multi-location tracking, or custom workflows mean a larger scope. We sort that out on a free discovery call before quoting.

Business basics (name, services, contact info, service area), goals for the site, branding if you have it (logo, colors), content and photos when available, and examples of sites you like. If pieces are missing, we can help plan content during the project.

Yes. We can help with copy, structure, and photo guidance. For photography we can recommend local options, give you a shot list, or use professional stock when that fits. Scope is confirmed in your project quote.

Most projects have two parts: a one-time design/build cost, and a monthly managed hosting plan. The monthly plan covers hosting, maintenance, security updates, backups, support, and the content updates listed for your tier (Creative and Local). eCommerce also includes CDN where applicable, monitoring with automated alerts, a monthly performance report, and priority support for checkout-critical issues.

We’ll help you transition the site if you leave. You keep ownership of your domain and content, and we don’t trap clients on mystery platforms. Ongoing hosting, maintenance, security updates, and support end when the subscription ends.

No surprise fees. Setup/design and monthly hosting are listed on our pricing page. Optional services (Local SEO, Google Ads, email marketing, larger feature work) are scoped and approved before we start. Platform fees (Shopify plans, Stripe processing, apps) are billed by those providers. See /pricing for current numbers.

Yes. We can split the design/build cost into milestone payments (typically 2–3). Larger projects can use a schedule that fits the work, confirmed before kickoff.

Three managed plans: Creative ($29/mo, design from $799+) for simple portfolio/brochure sites with 1 content update/month and light product selling (buy buttons/payment links); Local ($79/mo, design from $2,499+) for most single-location lead-gen sites with GA4, local SEO foundations, bookings/payments options, and 2 updates/month; eCommerce ($299/mo, design from $7,999+) for online stores on Shopify, WooCommerce (managed AWS), or Stripe Checkout, with purchase tracking, CDN where applicable, daily backups, monitoring/alerts, monthly performance report, and priority support. Full details are on /pricing.

Typical timelines by plan (from kickoff, depending on content readiness and revisions): Creative 2–4 weeks (portfolio/brochure sites); Local 4–8 weeks (lead-gen sites with common integrations); eCommerce 8–16 weeks (Shopify, WooCommerce, or Stripe Checkout stores). Custom portals or complex workflows are scoped separately and may take longer. We confirm a timeline on your project plan and keep you updated as work progresses.

Yes. You’ll get progress updates and a private preview link to review work in progress before launch. Larger changes after launch are planned and reviewed the same way so nothing ships blind.

Design review is part of the process. After we present designs, we refine based on your feedback. Major direction changes after approval may affect timeline and cost. We’ll flag that before proceeding.

Yes. Sites are built mobile-first so they work well on phones, tablets, and desktops. That matters for local search and real-world use.

Often, yes: scheduling tools, payments (Stripe/PayPal), forms, email platforms, Google Analytics, and similar tools. Integrations are scoped to your stack during planning so nothing is assumed.

Yes. Training and handoff are part of launch so you know how the site works, how to request updates, and how any admin tools fit in. Written notes or a short walkthrough are included as needed.

Managed plans include technical support, security updates, backups, maintenance, and the content updates listed for your tier (Creative and Local). eCommerce adds store-focused care: CDN where applicable, daily backups, monitoring with automated alerts, a monthly performance report, and same-business-day priority (checkout issues first). Support is during business hours (8:00am–4:30pm). Response priority: Creative: next business day; Local: same or next business day; eCommerce: same business day priority. Emergency after-hours support is available as an upgrade.

Creative includes 1 content update per month (text/image swap). Local includes 2 updates per month (content plus minor layout tweaks). eCommerce is a store care plan (hosting/platform ops, monitoring, monthly report, priority support), not a monthly content-update allowance. Day-to-day product edits often happen in Shopify or WooCommerce admin after we train you; new pages, new features, and larger redesigns are scoped and quoted separately on every tier.

Plans include SSL, security updates, and ongoing maintenance. We follow solid development and hosting practices and keep backups available. eCommerce adds daily backups plus monitoring with automated alerts for faster issue detection, important when checkout is on the line.

We aim for high availability and keep backups for recovery. eCommerce includes monitoring with automated alerts. On other tiers we respond during business hours based on your plan priority. Emergency after-hours support can be added for critical incidents.

Most Creative and Local clients send us updates and use the included monthly allowances. When a project includes a CMS, Shopify admin, or WooCommerce tools, we train you on what’s safe to edit yourself. Design and technical changes should still go through us so security and quality stay intact.

Local includes Google Analytics 4 setup with key events (calls, forms, bookings as applicable). eCommerce includes purchase conversion tracking (GA4 e‑commerce events) and a monthly performance report with traffic, product-view, and purchase-funnel highlights. Creative can add analytics/reporting when scoped. Recurring reporting on lower tiers can be added as an upgrade.

We use modern tools suited to the project, often Astro, React/Next.js, Node.js, and similar frameworks, with managed cloud hosting. Online stores may use Shopify (theme or API/headless), WooCommerce on AWS, or Stripe Checkout. Every site includes SSL and performance-minded builds. CDN is included on eCommerce and can be scoped for other projects when traffic or delivery needs call for it.

You own your domain and content. We don’t lock you into a platform you can’t leave. If we part ways, we help with a fair transition. Ongoing hosting and support are optional services, not a hostage situation.

We build with performance in mind: optimized images, clean code, and hosting matched to your plan. Exact speed depends on content and third-party tools, and we treat Core Web Vitals seriously (especially on eCommerce storefronts).

Every new site includes foundational SEO at launch (structure, titles/meta, sitemap, mobile-friendly design, performance basics). Local plans include local SEO foundations and GBP guidance. Ongoing ranking work is available on Local SEO ($350/mo) or full-service Growth SEO ($999/mo, including content and social media posting). See /services/seo-services for details.

Yes. Beyond the build, we offer Local SEO, Google Ads management, email marketing, and conversion-focused improvements. The strongest results usually come from a solid site first, then visibility and tracking layered on top.

We work with many local industries: home services, healthcare and clinics, professional services, retail, restaurants, contractors, nonprofits, artists, and more. Sites are tailored to how your customers actually hire or buy.

Often, yes, by being clearer and easier to choose. We focus on trust, local relevance, mobile usability, and conversion paths so nearby customers can pick you without friction.

You don’t need to be technical. Most owners send update requests and use the included monthly allowances. We’ll show you what you can handle yourself when tools are part of the build, and we stay available for the rest.

A strong site makes it easy to understand what you do, trust you, and contact you. Combined with local SEO and optional ads, it becomes a lead channel, not just a brochure.

Especially then. Local buyers still search online first. A solid site plus Google Business Profile alignment helps you show up and convert “near me” demand into calls and form fills.

Yes. Local plans support bookings or payments/donations integrations (for example Calendly, Stripe, PayPal). Full online stores with product catalogs and checkout belong on the eCommerce plan (Shopify, WooCommerce, or Stripe Checkout). Exact tools are scoped to your workflow during planning.

Local SEO helps you show up when nearby people search for your services, including Maps and local Google results. In Peru, La Salle, Ottawa, and beyond, most customers start online even when the work is local. If competitors appear and you don’t, you miss demand at the decision moment.

Foundation work (GBP cleanup, technical fixes, better service pages) can help sooner. Competitive ranking movement usually takes a few months of consistent work. We don’t promise page-one for every keyword in two weeks.

Often both, in the right order. SEO builds durable visibility. Ads can produce leads while organic grows. Neither works well if the website can’t convert. We usually fix conversion and tracking first, then layer SEO and/or ads based on budget and urgency. Google Ads management is 20% of ad spend with plan minimums and setup fees listed on the Ads page.

Websites are the core. We also offer Local SEO (from $350/mo), Google Ads management, email marketing (Starter $199/mo or Growth $399/mo), and related growth work, so site and marketing aren’t handled by vendors that never talk to each other.

Yes. We check whether traffic can convert, whether tracking is accurate, and whether local visibility is weak. Sometimes ads are fine and the site is the leak; sometimes the site is fine and discovery is the problem. We diagnose before recommending more spend.

Agencies can be strong at multi-channel campaigns. Viridian is a website-centered studio: you work directly with the people building and optimizing the site, and marketing is planned around a foundation that can convert. If you need a large multi-channel team, a bigger agency may fit better. If you want technical ownership plus practical growth support, we can help. More detail: /about/why-viridian.

Design matters, and we take it seriously. We also prioritize performance, local SEO, hosting, tracking, and conversion, so the site works after launch, not just looks good. Comparison: /about/why-viridian.

Yes. Peru is home base. We regularly work across La Salle, Ottawa, Spring Valley, Streator, Princeton, and the wider Illinois Valley. We’re also open to Midwest and remote projects when it’s a good fit. In-person meetings are easy nearby; remote collaboration works well farther out.

Start with a free website health check or discovery call. Sometimes the highest return is fixing forms, service pages, speed, or local SEO on the site you already have. When that’s the better path, we’ll say so.

You should own your domain and content. We don’t trap clients in mystery platforms. If we part ways, we help with a fair transition. Hosting and support are ongoing services you choose to keep, not a lock-in.