Frequently asked questions
Common questions about websites for trade businesses
Process, pricing, technology, visibility and support: thirty answers grouped by topic. Written for people who read up in the evening, after a long day.
In short and in plain language
This page answers common questions about a website for your trade business.
You can read how the process works. You also learn what a website costs and what is included.
It also covers technology and where your data is stored. And it explains how people find you online.
We also explain how we look after your site later. The support is optional.
Is your question missing? Write to us or give us a call. The first conversation is free of charge.
Process: from the first question to going live
- How long until the site is online? Usually a few weeks pass between the order and going live. Most of that time goes into copy, photos and your feedback rather than into the technology. If material arrives…
- How much work is it for me? Expect a conversation of about ninety minutes, half a day for photos and two rounds of corrections on screen. Everything in between runs on our side. We get in touch when a…
- Do we have to write the copy ourselves? No. We write the drafts based on the first conversation and your existing material. You correct the technical substance, because you know what your trade can do and where it…
- Do you come to our premises? Within reach of Söhlde near Hildesheim we come to your premises or to a site for the first conversation and the photo session. Further afield we hold the conversation by phone or…
- What do you need from us at the start? Your services, your catchment area, opening hours, the details for the legal notice and access to domain and mailbox if a site already exists. Everything else comes out of the…
- What if I want to change something mid-project? Changes to copy and images are part of the project and cost nothing extra. If the scope changes fundamentally, for example because six pages turn into twelve, you receive a quote…
Pricing: what a website costs and what is included
- What does a website for a trade business cost? A site with a home page, services, team, references and contact starts at a fixed price of 1,490 euros net. That covers the build, draft copy, on-site photography, setup and…
- Why a fixed price instead of hourly billing? Because you do not hand your own customers an open-ended invoice either. The price is in the quote before the project starts and only changes if you change the scope. That makes…
- What does a relaunch of the existing site cost? A relaunch starts at 2,900 euros net. The difference comes from reviewing, sorting and moving existing content and from redirecting old addresses so the visibility built up so far…
- What does running the site cost per month? Website support with updates, backups and availability checks starts at 49 euros per month, cancelable with one month's notice to the end of the month, no minimum term. Hosting in…
- Does the on-site photography cost extra? No, the photo session is part of the project price. We spend half a day on a site or in the workshop so that your own work appears on the page rather than bought imagery. What…
- Are there grants or instalment payments? Digitalisation grant programmes change by federal state and funding period. Your chamber of skilled crafts will tell you more reliably than we can which ones are currently open…
Technology, hosting and data protection
- What is the site built with? Depending on how much editing you need, with WordPress, TYPO3 or Contao, or as a lean, directly delivered site with no content management system at all. All of these are open and…
- Who owns the domain, content and credentials? You do, after acceptance and full payment. The domain is registered to your firm, copy and photos remain your property, and the credentials are handed over in writing. If you…
- Where is the data stored? On servers in Germany, with backup copies also in Finland and therefore within the EU. Hosting from 15 euros per month, cancelable with one month's notice to the end of the month…
- Does the site work on a phone? Yes, and it is built for the phone first. Most enquiries in the trades arrive from a mobile (project experience). So we check every page on a real device: readable type sizes…
- How fast does the site load? We aim for the largest visible content in under 2.5 seconds, including on a mobile connection on the way to a site. To get there we leave out heavy galleries, externally loaded…
- Does the accessibility obligation apply to us? The German Accessibility Strengthening Act exempts micro-enterprises that offer or provide services, meaning firms with fewer than ten employees and an annual turnover or balance…
Being found in your own catchment area
- How quickly is a new site found in search? A new site is usually indexed within a few days. Competing for contested local terms takes several months in our experience (project experience). Nobody can responsibly promise a…
- Do we need a business profile in map search? Yes. 88 per cent (Bitkom) of German trade businesses are listed in online directories; a firm that is missing does not appear on the map at all. We offer ongoing upkeep with…
- What is the point of a page per town? If you work across several towns, a page that genuinely says something about the work there wins: projects, how to reach you, who to ask for. Empty town pages with the name…
- Are customer reviews worth it? 72 per cent (Bitkom) of firms see online customer reviews as a major opportunity to win new orders and build trust. We set up the path to them: a short link your fitters can pass…
- What does ongoing visibility work cost? SEO support starts at 490 euros per month, cancelable with one month's notice to the end of the month, no minimum term. It covers analysis of search queries, expansion of the town…
- Does the website help with recruiting? 75 per cent (Bitkom) of firms see the skills shortage as a central problem, and 80 per cent (Bitkom) use digital channels to reach young talent specifically. A careers page with…
Support, contracts and cancellation
- Do I have to take out a support contract? No, after acceptance and full payment the website is yours either way. Without support, however, updates, backups and availability checks are down to you, and in our experience…
- How long am I tied in? Website support from 49 euros per month, hosting from 15 euros per month, local visibility from 290 euros per month and SEO support from 490 euros per month are each cancelable…
- What happens if I cancel? You receive a complete copy of the data, all credentials and, if you want it, help moving to the new provider. The domain is registered to your firm anyway and stays that way.
- Who changes opening hours or adds a new project? We do, as soon as you send a short message; small text changes and new project images are included in the support. If you would rather edit yourself, we set up an account and walk…
- What if the site goes down? The alert reaches us automatically and we look into it. In most cases a service restart or restoring the last backup is enough. We do not promise a fixed recovery time, because it…
- Can I extend the site later? Yes. Additional town pages, a careers page, a reference gallery or a form that pre-sorts enquiries can be added at any time. You receive a fixed price for that before any work…
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