Frequently Asked Questions
Design
Are there different options for back-end structure?
While we don’t offer a variety of backend options, we do strive to make everything really easy for our clients to use, that is one of our core values.
Are there licenses or other fees we should know about?
We include the licenses in our project cost. We offer Care Plans that sit on top of the hosting, starting at $49 per month. See the full comparison here. If we need to use any additional special plugins that cost extra we will talk to you about it first.
Can you provide photography services?
We have an amazing photographer that we recommend: Elisa Cicinelli. You can work with her separately or we can wrap it into the full project.
Can you provide references?
Yes, happily! Please ask and we shall provide. Feel free to ask about any client in our portfolio: https://smackhappy.com/portfolio/web-design/
Do you design business cards?
Yes! We can provide all of your print collateral, including business cards, flyers, brochures, ads, banners, and more. Here are some examples.
Do you do all aspects of the design?
We don’t outsource our work. We’re very picky, and have very high standards, so we tend to keep everything within our team. However, we are 100% open to working with your team of marketers, designers, or developers.
Do you have any experience in our industry?
We have experience in many industries. Feel free to review many of our happy clients‘ companies or our portfolio to expand on the different industries we’ve worked with.
Do you use a pre-made templates (i.e. Squarespace) or custom coding?
Every site we build is custom made, we do not use templates. Anyone can go use a template, that’s not why you hire us. You hire us to stand out from the rest and build something that reflects who you are, rather than trying to put you into pre-existing boxes. All of our websites are built with WordPress using a bare-bones theme that we customize based your client’s needs.
How are advances in technology incorporated in the future?
Our Care Plans help us cover any future issues. By having us keep an eye on things we’ll notify you if there are big updates that might break the website. Otherwise, we make the updates and test and you never hear anything about it because most of the time things run pretty smoothly.
How do you ensure a consistent and usable user experience on all devices?
We do quality assurance and testing using Browserstack.
How is hosting, security and maintenance handled?
Care Plans! When you sign up for the Bones plan, which is $49 per month, that includes hosting, SSL, malware scanning, daily file and database backups, site uptime monitoring, WordPress and plugin updates (weekly), monthly reports and more.
How long will the project take?
Most website projects take 3-6 months. Content is always the hold-up. The sooner you get to work on your new content the more likely we will finish on time. If you are in need of a quick website, check out our Presso Website Solution.
How will you optimize the website for page speed and search engines?
We use tools like SEM Rush, GT Metrix, and WP Rocket to assess any technical updates needed to optimize the site appropriately.
Is stock imagery included in your price?
We include up to 10 stock images. Beyond that, we will pass the cost on to you without markup. We will always check first before making any purchases on your behalf.
We don't currently use Google Analytics. How can we incorporate this tool into our new website? And how do we manage the data?
We’d be happy to get this installed for you. The sooner you do it, the better for data comparison.
Care Plans
Are there licenses or other fees we should know about?
We include the costs of any premium licenses for applications that provide a wide range of services from spam protection to SEO optimization. Here is a list of plugins that we support.
If we need to use any additional special plugins that cost extra we will talk to you about it first.
Can I really cancel any time?
You betcha! We love our clients and always want to maintain a healthy relationship. We would hate to lose you but we know that sometimes financial needs have to be adjusted. In the case that you do need to cancel, send us an email and we’ll stop your next payment right away.
If you cancel your Care Plan and we host your website, we can discuss if you want to stay with us or migrate away to a new hosting provider.
Do I have to provide the content for my website?
No one knows your audience better than you do, so we’ll definitely want to periodically sit down with you to learn all about your customers and content goals. If you’ve hired us to write, we will develop the content for you and incorporate what you send to us as best as we can. While it is common for our clients to send us ideas as we go...things like news, interesting articles, videos, and other inspirations...we’re flexible.
Do you host websites?
Yes, we specialize in hosting WordPress sites. Our services provide excellent security, daily backups, critical updates, malware scanning, and more.
Can you host WordPress websites without ongoing support?
Yes! We specialize in WordPress sites. Our services provide excellent security, daily backups, critical updates, malware scanning, and more.
So yes, we can host your site and not provide the monthly maintenance, if you wish.
Do monthly support hours rollover?
Our support packages are set up like retainers, every month time slots are set aside for our priority clients. When requests come in, they go into the queue and are taken care of. Time does not roll over due to resource limitations.
Are meetings included in the support hour plans?
Typically, no, meetings are not included. They are billed in 15 minute increments along with the work we do.
While some meetings are included, we try to be as mindful as possible of the monthly support tasks needed each month. If the plan includes two hours of support, and we have 1.5 hours of meetings - little time is left to put in work. Email is usually the best form of communication because we can respond quickly, however, we know some clients prefer a phone call or video call.
On the other hand, some clients will utilize meetings as strategy sessions. These sessions are intended to help form a path for growth and improvements to your website and online presence. Many clients use this time for screen-sharing to make small updates or training.
I got an email my website was hacked. What do I do?
If you received an email about your website files being compromised, make sure it is legit by calling your web hosting company and forwarding the email to our support team at support@smackhappy.com.
Our next step, as webmaster, is to reach out to your webhost about their protocol for a compromised website and a scan on their end to confirm where the compromised files are on the server. Under your website care we will restore a clean backup of WordPress, and then take note from the webhost about where the issue arose if outside of WordPress. This may mean the webhost recommending a third-party service to clean up the compromised files or additional security.
The best way to prevent a compromised website is to keep WordPress and plugins up-to-date, which we do for you monthly under website care, as well as keep daily backups to restore in the event of an issue. Unfortunately just updating won’t prevent a hack 100% which is why we help work with the web host and third parties to restore your website on the event of a hack and institute security measures to prevent most known methods by hackers.
My website is down! What do I do?
If your website is not loading, first check to make sure this is the same experience for everyone at https://www.isitdownrightnow.com/
If the website is down just for you, try clearing your browser history (cache and cookies) and reload, also checking your internet connection.
If the website is down for everyone, shoot us a support ticket email, even though chances are that our website uptime monitor has already alerted us.
If this happens outside office hours, call the web host directly and see what they can do to get the website back online. Chances are most likely it’s related to the following issues:
- Your web hosting, domain or SSL certificate has expired and bill is due for payment
- The web hosting is experiencing maintenance issues
Anything outside of those we will investigate to bring the site back online.
If you host with us, or we manage your website please email support@smackhappy.com.
My website is loading slowly, is there anything I can do?
Yes! We have a shortlist of go-to clean-up solutions from plugin conflicts to image optimization that will improve your website from turtle speed to loading times under 2 seconds in just a few hours. Contact us to find out more about our WordPress Speed Optimization services.
My website was not built by Smack Happy, can I still sign up?
Yes, we are happy to inherit websites built by others, though we don't accept everyone.
First we’ll want to do a website evaluation to get familiar with your website and how it was built so we can save it in a pinch. During the evaluation, we’ll run through our list and make suggestions for improvements in order to proceed with a monthly plan. Contact us for more details about getting an evaluation.
Should I be updating my WordPress and plugins?
Please leave the updating to us. Website maintenance is an integral part of updating and keeping your site working properly. At Smack Happy Design (SHD) we take great care to first backup the website, check the website, update, then check the website again for any changes. Our software keeps a record of plugins we update so if there is ever an issue we see what plugin version was changed and revert back.
If you just update from your WordPress admin, SHD wouldn’t have that record. We update the client’s site once a month so we can take the time to devote to checking your website thoroughly (either the 15th or the 30th). Also included on our monthly maintenance report are the performance and security scans. If in the event we ever catch a plugin issue, it becomes a support ticket and we address it before you. We also take care about which plugins we are updating and single out large updates (like WooCommerce) as its own task for additional quality control.
What browsers and devices do you test?
We test in all the latest major browsers, plus one version behind, unless you have specific audience requirements. This includes smart phones and tablets.
What do I get when I hire you?
You’re hiring professional and pleasant people, with whom others simply love to work. You’re getting a business partner, one who truly cares about you and your customers.
We will lay the process out in front of you clearly. We’ll move along at your pace.
Depending on your marketing or graphics needs, you could get a logo, a website, print collateral, and social media items. Basically, everything you need for establishing your full brand identity. We’re a one-stop-shop, in a way.
In addition to the above, you’ll get clear communication… and you’ll likely witness a quirky sense of humor in all of its cheesy glory.
And here are your Client Bill of Rights.
What happens if my website goes down, is hacked, breaks, etc?
The purpose of our support plans is to prevent such things from happening, so ideally this won’t be the case. However, software as a whole is imperfect and things do break, servers do go down. In that situation, we’ll be notified and investigate as soon as humanly possible. We can’t promise that you won’t get hacked, but we do everything we can to prevent that and will be ready to restore your site to an unhacked state and boot the nasty hackers.
What if I have an website emergency?
We handle urgent matters as quickly as we can. Depending on how urgent your request is, you have options. You can send an email with the word “urgent” in the subject line. That gets our attention pretty fast. If email is not fast enough, then try texting. And if that still isn’t fast enough, then you should call. More details here.
All About WordPress
What is WordPress?
About WordPress – Here’s a quick overview of WordPress from WordPress.org.
Why Do We Love WordPress?
Why We Love WordPress – Our clients have tried other platforms, and weren’t happy with their results, and came to us for help. We always recommend WordPress.
Why is WordPress Maintenance Necessary?
Why WordPress Maintenance Is Necessary – Some folks may argue that WordPress is not secure. To those people, we say that’s simply not true. If you have a professional manage the maintenance of your site, there’s a very slim chance anything crazy would ever happen.
Do You Offer WordPress Coaching?
We do offer personalized coaching sessions to cover the basics of WordPress to learn more about your site, and to answer any specific questions you may have. Please contact us to inquire.
WordPress Glossary
WordPress Glossary – A glossary that lists the most commonly used terms in WordPress.
Website Checkups
Communications I've had with design firms haven't always been the best experience, how is your support?
As a Smack Happy client, you will receive clear guidance through the entire process, screen shots and directions clearly explaining answers to your questions, and a response to your email, text, or phone calls within 48 hours excluding weekends, holidays, and vacations. Read more about how we can support you: Smack Happy Website Support.
Do you offer other design & marketing services?
We mostly focus on web design (mostly WordPress) and items surrounding that such as search engine optimization, user experience, and responsiveness. Outside of web design—we also do offer many other website services, from graphic design to strategic marketing planning. Another on-going service we like to offer all of our clients is WordPress Support Plans. These plans help to maintain your website health and ensure everything runs smoothly with no interruptions, day to day.
If we are using a slow host and want to improve page speed, can you help us with domain names & hosting services?
Yes! When you work with us you benefit from everything we offer at a Premium level. We choose to work with premium hosts, because of their highly-managed WordPress web hosting service includes enterprise-grade capabilities that guarantee superior security, performance and scalability.
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If we need your help to make the suggested updates, would you work with our developers & designers?
We don’t outsource our work. We’re very picky and have very high standards, so we tend to keep everything within our team. However, we are 100% open to working with your team of marketers, designers, or developers.
My website is just cooked. How long would it take to create a new one?
We can cater to your timeline and work as progressively or laid-back as you’d like. In a perfect world, where we are getting back to each other very quickly, we could potentially finish your project in a month or so. Realistically [however] most website projects timelines are between one to three months. Additionally, if it’s a larger site with many components, it could take six months.
What happens after the checkup?
If you did need assistance implementing any of our suggestions and would be interested in joining our wonderful group of happy clients—we’re here to support you in any way we can.
Support
Do you offer IT services?
Yes, when you sign up for one of our Care Plans you can add this on to any level. Our IT Package is designed for small businesses that don’t have an IT person on staff. We’ll help you strategize infrastructure improvements, provide security for your devices and network, and offer proactive protection in various areas. Provided by BH Tech Connection.
Do you offer on-going services?
No one gets left behind! When our first projects finishes, we can move to an hourly contract or monthly Care Plan. In either case, you would ask for things as you need them. All work is billed in 15-minute increments. You would receive an automatic invoice on the first of the month. Plus, you can always ask questions, which are answered at no charge. We usually provide answers with screen shots labeled with instructions, arrows, and highlighting.
Do you offer social media services?
We offer an add-on package in our Care Plans. The Social Media Package is ideal for businesses that have a limited budget but want to take advantage of social media to promote their brand, product and services.
What browsers and devices do you test?
We test in all the latest major browsers, plus one version behind, unless you have specific audience requirements. This includes smart phones and tablets.
What do I get when I hire you?
You’re hiring professional and pleasant people, with whom others simply love to work. You’re getting a business partner, one who truly cares about you and your customers.
We will lay the process out in front of you clearly. We’ll move along at your pace.
Depending on your graphics needs, you could get a logo, a website, print collateral, and social media items. Basically, everything you need for establishing your full brand identity. We’re a one-stop-shop, in a way.
In addition to the above, you’ll get clear communication… and you’ll likely witness a quirky sense of humor in all of its cheesy glory.
And here are your Client Bill of Rights.
What if I have an emergency?
We handle urgent matters as quickly as we can. Depending on how urgent your request is, you have options. You can send an email with the word “urgent” in the subject line. That gets our attention pretty fast. If email is not fast enough, then try texting. And if that still isn’t fast enough, then you should call. More details here.
Sales
Can you help our company hire employees?
As a small business owner working alone it's easy to get overwhelmed and suddenly have your business blow up. Things start to fall through the cracks and your quality starts to slip. You start to wonder if it's time to hire someone to help out, but that’s such a scary idea. View our creative services for more information on how we can help you achieve the growth you want through hiring the right team.
Do you design business cards?
Yes! We can provide all of your print collateral, including business cards, flyers, brochures, ads, banners, and more. Here are some examples.
Do you host websites?
Yes, we specialize in WordPress sites. We provide excellent security, daily backups, critical updates, malware scanning, and more.
Do you offer IT services?
Yes, when you sign up for one of our Care Plans you can add this on to any level. Our IT Package is designed for small businesses that don’t have an IT person on staff. We’ll help you strategize infrastructure improvements, provide security for your devices and network, and offer proactive protection in various areas. Provided by BH Tech Connection.
Do you offer on-going services?
No one gets left behind! When our first projects finishes, we can move to an hourly contract or monthly Care Plan. In either case, you would ask for things as you need them. All work is billed in 15-minute increments. You would receive an automatic invoice on the first of the month. Plus, you can always ask questions, which are answered at no charge. We usually provide answers with screen shots labeled with instructions, arrows, and highlighting.
Do you offer social media services?
We offer an add-on package in our Care Plans. The Social Media Package is ideal for businesses that have a limited budget but want to take advantage of social media to promote their brand, product and services.
Do you provide SEO services?
Yes. All of our websites are set up with search engine optimization (SEO) in mind. We can provide you with guidance as you create your content, and give you tips on how to track your rankings. We also partner with a trusted resource who provides organic SEO packages, tailored to your specific needs.
How much does a website cost?
Every project is different. We tailor each website to our client’s needs. That means that cost varies a lot: nothing we do is cookie-cutter. However, we can tell you that someone who needs a simple brochure website will pay less than someone who needs a site chock-full of features like e-commerce, an events calendar, or a portfolio. It really depends on what you need and what you’re trying to accomplish.
What do I get when I hire you?
You’re hiring professional and pleasant people, with whom others simply love to work. You’re getting a business partner, one who truly cares about you and your customers.
We will lay the process out in front of you clearly. We’ll move along at your pace.
Depending on your graphics needs, you could get a logo, a website, print collateral, and social media items. Basically, everything you need for establishing your full brand identity. We’re a one-stop-shop, in a way.
In addition to the above, you’ll get clear communication… and you’ll likely witness a quirky sense of humor in all of its cheesy glory.
And here are your Client Bill of Rights.
What type of clients do you work with?
We enjoy working with clients who are prepared to embark on a collaborative partnership who generally identify as a Small Business, or Solopreneur.
Who are some of your clients (success stories)?
Our clients love us. Seriously. Here is a whole page full of people bragging about us.