Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Limited copywriting is included at no extra charge. We’ll learn about your business, then write clear, search-friendly text for your pages. You review everything and can change anything before it goes live.

Need a lot of new content written? That extra time is included in your quote, so there are no surprises.

The best results come from teamwork. You know your business best, so even a few notes, like your services, what makes you different and the questions customers ask, go a long way.

A custom 5-page website starts at $1,500. Your final quote depends on:

• How many pages you need
• Special features, like custom forms or photo galleries
• Whether you need significant help writing your content

You’ll get your quote before any work begins. Selling products online? See online store pricing.

Every website we build includes:

• A custom design that works on phones, tablets and desktops
• A contact form
• Licensed stock photos from Depositphotos, if you need them
• Limited copywriting, at no extra charge
• Full admin logins for your website and hosting
• A free SSL certificate
• Your first year of hosting free

Every website is also built to rank and load fast:

• Basic SEO: page titles and meta descriptions, properly structured HTML and descriptive image alt text
• Speed: built to score 90+ on Google PageSpeed Insights
• Redirects: replacing an existing website? Your old page addresses point to the new ones, so you keep your traffic

Optional extras include local landing pages, security plans and maintenance plans.

Most projects take anywhere from a couple of weeks to a couple of months. The timeline mostly depends on:

• The size of the website
• How quickly your content (text, photos and logo) comes together
• How many rounds of changes you’d like

On a deadline? Let us know up front and we’ll do our best to finish as quickly as possible.

Yes, 100%. When your website is finished, you get:

• The admin login to your website (WordPress or Magento)
• The login to your hosting control panel (cPanel)
• Your domain, registered in your name, with your own login

Some web companies register your domain under their own account, which makes it hard to ever leave them. We never do that, so your domain is never held hostage.

Yes. We’ll rebuild your website with a fresh, modern design and keep what’s already working, like your content, your domain and your Google rankings.

• No downtime: your current website stays live while we build the new one on our development server
• Watch it come together: you get a link to view our progress along the way
• No broken links: we redirect your old page addresses to the new ones, so visitors and Google land in the right place

See how long a redesign takes and whether a redesign will hurt your Google rankings.

No. Every website is designed from scratch around your business, your customers and your brand.

Templates and website builders like Wix or Squarespace can get you online fast, but:

• Your website looks like thousands of others
• You’re limited to what the template allows
• They often load slower, which hurts your Google rankings

Yes. Every website we build is responsive, which means it adjusts to fit any screen. We test on phones, tablets and desktops before launch.

That matters: most customers find you on their phone first, and Google ranks websites based on their mobile version.

• WordPress for most business websites. It powers more of the web than any other platform, and it makes it easy to update your own content.
• Magento for large online stores with big product catalogs.

Yes. If you’d like to update text and images yourself, we can build your website with an easy-to-use page builder.

Online stores work differently. You’ll manage products and orders from a simple dashboard, no page builder needed. We build every online store on WooCommerce or Magento, platforms made for easy store management.

That said, we only recommend a page builder if you plan to make changes often. Page builders come with real downsides:

• Extra code: builders wrap your content in layers of extra HTML, which makes your pages harder for search engines like Google to read and understand.
• Slower pages: that extra code, plus the scripts that come with it, can slow your website down a lot. Page speed affects both your visitors and your Google rankings.
• Lock-in: your pages are tied to the builder. Switching away later usually means rebuilding them.
• Ongoing costs: most premium page builders charge a yearly license fee.
• More maintenance: a page builder is one more large plugin to keep updated and secure.
• Easy to break the design: a few quick edits can throw off the spacing, fonts and colors across your pages.

Rather not deal with any of that? We’re happy to make updates for you.

No. We’re based in Oaklyn, NJ and work with businesses all over New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and with clients as far away as Florida.

• Meet in person: you’re welcome to meet with us in Oaklyn by appointment. If you’re within about an hour of Cherry Hill, we can often come to you.
• Work remotely: most projects run smoothly by phone, email and video calls, wherever you are

You’ll work directly with Jesse, the founder of Stack Media Design. No account managers or hand-offs, just one person who knows your project from start to finish.

The one exception is logo design, which we hand off to a trusted designer we work with.

Read our story

Of course. We love showing off our work! Our portfolio has full case studies of websites we’ve built for local businesses.

View Our Portfolio

There’s no set number. Every project is tracked by the hour, and your quote is based on the time we expect your website to take.

• Changes come out of the hours in your quote. As long as there’s time left, revisions don’t cost extra.
• Bigger changes take more time: a quick text tweak uses far less time than reworking a page layout.
• Going past your quote? The extra time is billed at our hourly rate.

That doesn’t happen often. When it does, the final cost typically stays within 10–20% of your original quote, and we’ll always give you a heads-up before going over.

1. Free consultation: we talk about your business, goals and budget
2. Quote: you get a written quote, usually within 24 hours
3. Design: we design your homepage first, and you share feedback
4. Build: we build the rest of your pages and add your content
5. Review: you check everything and request changes
6. Launch: your website goes live, and we make sure everything works

Curious about payments along the way? See how payments work.

Contact us with a short description of your business and what you need. We’ll set up a quick call if needed, then send you a written quote, usually within 24 hours.

Quotes are always free, with no obligation.

Get a Free Quote

Typically:

• Your logo and brand colors (color codes, if you have them)
• The text (copy) for your pages
• High-resolution photos of your business, team or work
• Access to your current domain and hosting accounts, if you have them
• A few websites you like, so we get a feel for your style

Missing something? That’s normal. Let us know and we’ll work it out together.

That’s normal, and we can help:

• Photos: we license professional stock photos through Depositphotos
• Text: we can write it for you, or start the design with placeholder text while you finish yours
• Logo: we can have one designed for you by a trusted logo designer

Real photos of your business, team and work always perform better than stock, so send them when you can.

Before work begins, you’ll get a detailed PDF that spells out everything about your project, including:

• What’s included
• The price
• The payment schedule

Questions about anything in it? Just ask before we get started.

Projects are usually split into three payments:

1. Down payment: due before work begins
2. Second payment: due partway through the project
3. Final payment: due when your website is finished

We accept credit cards (through Stripe), PayPal, Zelle and Venmo. Every invoice lists all of these options, so you can pick whichever is easiest for you.

Yes. After a qualifying down payment, we can set up a plan to pay the rest of your balance in smaller payments. Plans are set up case by case and are subject to approval.

See how payments work for the standard payment schedule.

Yes. If you’re unhappy for any reason, you can request a partial or full refund on work that’s still in progress.

Example: you’ve made the down payment and the second payment, then decide you no longer need the website. We’d refund part of the second payment, prorated for the work that hasn’t been done yet. The down payment isn’t refundable, and you wouldn’t owe the final payment.

Online stores start at $3,000. The final cost depends on:

• How many products you sell
• Whether products have options, like sizes or colors
• Whether we add products by hand or you provide an import file (like a spreadsheet)
• Payment and shipping setup

• WooCommerce: best for most small and mid-size stores. It runs on WordPress, so your store and website are managed in one place.
• Magento: built for large catalogs with thousands of products, complex pricing or multiple stores.

Not sure which fits? We’ll recommend one based on your products and plans, and we’re happy to show you examples of stores we’ve built on both.

As big as you need. For large catalogs we build on Magento, a platform designed to handle hundreds of thousands, even millions, of products.

Yes. We build online stores on WooCommerce or Magento. Both come with an easy-to-use dashboard where you can:

• Add new products with photos, prices and descriptions
• Edit prices, stock levels and options like sizes or colors
• Delete products, or hide them when they’re out of season

Lots of products? You don’t have to add them one at a time. Both platforms can import products in bulk from a spreadsheet, like one made in Excel. We’re happy to help you set up your spreadsheet and run the import.

Yes. If your website runs on WordPress, we can add WooCommerce to it and match the store to your current design.

Is your website on another platform? We’ll talk through your options, like a redesign with the store built in.

Yes. Along with physical products, your store can sell:

• Services and bookings, like appointments or classes
• Digital downloads, like PDFs or software
• Gift cards
• Subscriptions and memberships, with automatic recurring payments

Some of these need an extra plugin with a yearly license, and we’ll let you know up front.

Your store can accept credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal and more. We work with all the major payment processors:

We’ll set up your payment processor and test checkout before launch.

We don’t charge any. Your payment processor charges a small fee per sale (usually around 3%), the same as a card reader in your shop.

WooCommerce and Magento don’t add any platform fees on top, so more of every sale stays with you.

Yes. We can set up:

• Shipping rates: flat rate, free shipping over a set amount, or live rates from USPS, UPS and FedEx
• Sales tax: calculated automatically for the states you sell in

We don’t give tax advice, so check with your accountant about where you need to collect sales tax.

Yes. Most platforms, including Shopify, Wix and Etsy, let you export your products to a spreadsheet (CSV) file. We convert that file to fit WooCommerce or Magento and import everything at once:

• Products, prices and descriptions
• Product photos
• Options like sizes and colors

We’ll also redirect your old product links, so you don’t lose Google rankings or send customers to dead pages.

SEO (search engine optimization) is the work of helping your website show up when people search Google for what you offer. For a local business, that means showing up when nearby customers search for your service, like “plumber near me.”

Good SEO covers three areas:

• Your website: fast, mobile-friendly and clearly organized
• Your content: pages that answer what customers are searching for
• Local signals: your Google Business Profile, reviews and consistent business info across the web

Learn about our SEO services

Yes. Every website we build comes with an SEO-ready foundation:

• Fast loading and mobile-friendly
• Clean, properly structured HTML that Google can read
• Page titles and meta descriptions for every page
• Detailed, descriptive alt text for every image
• Structured data (schema) that helps Google understand your business
• Google Search Console and Google Analytics, set up and connected

Ranking for competitive searches takes ongoing work, which is what our SEO services are for.

Most businesses start to see movement in 3 to 6 months, and stronger results in 6 to 12 months. It depends on:

• How competitive your industry and area are
• How old and established your website is
• How many reviews and local listings you have

Local searches in a smaller area often move faster. Anyone promising first-page results in a few weeks is a red flag.

No, and you should be careful with anyone who does. Google decides rankings, and nobody controls them.

What we guarantee is the work: a fast, well-built website, content that answers what your customers search for, and honest reports on how it’s going.

Not if it’s done right. Most ranking drops after a redesign come from broken links and lost content. We protect your rankings by:

• Redirecting every old page address to its new page
• Keeping the content that already ranks
• Checking Google Search Console after launch for errors

A faster, better-built website often ranks better than the old one.

Yes. Your Google Business Profile is what shows up in Google Maps and the local “map pack.” We can:

• Set up or claim your profile
• Fill out your services, hours, photos and service areas
• Help you get more reviews
• Post updates to keep your profile active

• SEO: helping your website rank in Google searches
• Local landing pages: pages built to rank in the specific towns you serve
• Google & Bing Ads: campaign setup and ongoing performance monitoring
• Email marketing: campaigns to your current subscribers

Yes. We set up and manage Google Ads and Microsoft (Bing) Ads campaigns. Ads put you at the top of search results right away, while SEO builds traffic over time. Many businesses use both.

• Your ad budget is yours: you pay Google and Microsoft directly for your ads
• Management is quoted based on your goals and campaigns

Contact us for a quote

Yes. Contact us and we’ll be happy to share search terms our clients rank for and the results they’re getting.

Yes. We design and send email campaigns to your current subscribers:

• Beautiful custom designs that match your brand
• Fully responsive, so your emails look great on phones and computers
• All we need is your email list. Already using an email platform? We’ll work right inside your existing account.

Not directly. We partner with local marketing companies that specialize in social media for businesses, and we’re happy to introduce you.

A domain is your website’s address: the name people type to find you, like yourbusiness.com.

The ending is called the extension. The most common ones are:

• .com: the most popular and trusted choice for businesses. Go with .com if it’s available.
• .net: originally meant for networks and tech companies. Today it’s a common backup when the .com is taken.
• .org: mostly used by nonprofits and community groups.
• .us: for U.S.-based businesses and people. Most countries have their own, like .ca for Canada.
• Industry extensions: newer endings like .shop, .law or .design that describe what you do.
• .edu and .gov: restricted to schools and government agencies.

Yes, every website needs one.

• Don’t have one yet? We’ll help you pick one and register it in your name, so you always own it.
• Already have one? We’ll connect it to your new website. We just need access to the account where it’s registered (GoDaddy, Namecheap, etc.).

No. Domains are billed separately, once a year, through Stack Media Hosting. A .com is $19.95 a year and renews at the same price every year.

Your domain is always registered in your name. See Do I need to purchase a domain?

Hosting is the computer (called a server) where your website’s files live. It’s connected to the internet 24/7, so your website is there any time someone visits.

Think of it this way: your domain is your address, and hosting is the building at that address.

Yes. Every website needs hosting. Without it, there’s nothing for your domain to show.

Good hosting affects how fast your website loads, how often it goes down and how secure it is. We can set it up for you through Stack Media Hosting, our own hosting service, so your website and hosting are handled by the same team.

We offer three SSD shared hosting plans through Stack Media Hosting, starting at $11.99 a month. Every plan includes:

• The cPanel control panel
• A free SSL certificate
• A 30-day money-back guarantee

Pay monthly, or pay yearly and save about 17%. Not sure which plan fits? We’ll recommend one based on your website.

Running a busy website or a large online store? Ask us about VPS-powered hosting.

Usually, yes. If your current host is fast and reliable, we can build your website there. If it’s slow or outdated, we’ll tell you and help you move.

Yes, and it’s free. We’ll move your website files, database and email to the new host, then switch your domain over with little to no downtime.

Moving to Stack Media Hosting? You’re still eligible for promotions like your first year of hosting free.

You just need to give us access to your current hosting and domain accounts.

Nothing happens right away. You get a grace period of at least 3 months after a missed payment before your website goes offline.

• Need more time? Extensions are available. Just ask.
• Leaving for another host? We can give you a full backup of your website to take with you.

Your domain renews separately, also through Stack Media Hosting. As long as it stays renewed, your domain stays yours. See domain pricing.

Yes. We can set up email on your own domain, like name@yourbusiness.com, through Stack Media Hosting. Plans start at $6.89 a month.

A professional address looks more trustworthy to customers than a free Gmail or Yahoo address. Every plan includes:

• Webmail, plus the mail app on your phone and computer
• Spam and virus filtering
• Help moving your existing mailboxes over if you’re switching providers

Pay monthly, or pay yearly and save about 15%.

Your website’s own emails, like contact form notifications, need a little extra help to reach the inbox. See What is an email relay?

Your website sends emails on its own, like contact form notifications, order receipts and password resets. Most websites send them straight from the web server, and inbox providers like Gmail and Outlook don’t trust those messages. They often land in spam or never arrive, so you could miss a customer who tried to reach you.

An email relay sends your website’s email through a dedicated delivery service, signed for your own domain, so it reaches the inbox.

Email Relay from Stack Media Hosting is $29.95 a year:

• 1,500 emails a month included, then $1.50 per 1,000
• Works with any email provider, including Google Workspace and Microsoft 365
• We’ll set it up and connect it to your website’s forms

Is your contact form going to spam? Let us know and we’ll take a look.

Yes. We don’t disappear after launch. We still work with clients we’ve had for more than 10 years.

Need an update, a new page or a fix? Just reach out.

No. Maintenance plans are optional, and there’s no pressure to sign up. A plan is a good fit if you’d like someone keeping an eye on your website:

• Wordfence security, with Wordfence Premium on Business and Pro
• Backups before major updates and after significant changes
• Uptime monitoring, so we know when your website goes down
• Discounted rates on edits and updates, 10% to 30% off

Not sure if you need one? Ask us and we’ll give you an honest answer.

Every website we build starts secure:

• A free SSL certificate, so your website shows the padlock
• Fewer plugins: we only use the plugins your website really needs, and only well-established, top-tier ones
• Automatic updates that keep WordPress and those plugins patched

Want more protection? Our WordPress maintenance plans include Wordfence security, with Wordfence Premium on the Business and Pro plans. For any website, SiteLock scans for malware every day, starting at $49.99 a year.

Your website is missing an SSL certificate, or it isn’t set up correctly. SSL encrypts the connection between your website and your visitors. It’s what puts the padlock and https:// in the address bar.

• Without it, browsers like Chrome warn visitors that your website is “Not Secure”
• It protects what visitors type into your forms, like names, emails and phone numbers
• It’s required if you sell online

Every website we build is set up with SSL, and it’s included free with our hosting plans. Seeing this warning on your current website? Contact us and we’ll fix it.

WordPress and its plugins release updates often, and many of them are security fixes. Leaving them out of date is one of the most common ways small business websites get hacked. We keep it simple:

• Automatic updates: we usually set WordPress and its plugins to update on their own
• Fewer, better plugins: we use as few plugins as possible, and only top-tier, well-established ones, so updates rarely cause problems

Want someone keeping an eye on it? Our maintenance plans add security, backups and discounted help.

Yes. We make a full backup of your website:

• After significant changes to your website
• Anytime you ask for one

Want automatic backups? We can set up scheduled backups for you with All-in-One WP Migration or cPanel’s Backup Wizard.

On a maintenance plan, we also make a backup before every major update.

Edits, updates and fixes are billed at our regular rate of $50 an hour.

A WordPress maintenance plan lowers that rate:

• Starter: $45/hr (10% off)
• Business: $40/hr (20% off)
• Pro: $35/hr (30% off)

We respond to most requests within 72 hours. Clients on a maintenance plan get faster, priority support:

• Starter: within 2 business days
• Business: next business day
• Pro: same business day

Contact us right away. We’ll:

• Take the infected files offline and clean your website
• Restore a clean backup if needed
• Change passwords and close the hole the attackers used
• Get your website removed from Google’s warning lists

Cleanup is billed at our hourly rate. It’s included with the Pro maintenance plan and discounted on Starter and Business.

Need help immediately? SiteLock Emergency starts work on your website within 30 minutes.

Accessibility makes your website usable for everyone, including people who use screen readers or navigate with a keyboard. We follow accessibility best practices on every website we build:

• Readable text and strong color contrast
• Keyboard-friendly navigation
• Descriptive alt text for images
• Clear, well-organized headings

Need a full accessibility review? By request, we can test your website against the WCAG guidelines and fix the issues we find. This works for older websites too.