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Questions, answered

Everything you
might wonder.

The honest answers to what people ask most — about how we build, what it costs, and how your site stays fast and looked-after. Still curious? A quick call clears up the rest.

The basics

Is my site built on WordPress?

No — and that's on purpose. We hand-code every site in clean HTML and CSS and serve it from Cloudflare's edge. That makes it dramatically faster than a typical WordPress site, far more secure (there's no database, admin login, or plugins to hack), and it never needs the constant updates WordPress demands.

How do I update my site if there's no login?

You just tell us. On a care plan, content changes — text, images, new sections, even new pages — are part of the monthly service. Email or call and we make the change, usually the same week. No dashboard to learn, nothing to break. If you'd rather take the site and run it yourself, there's the hand-off plan at $79/mo — hosting, HTTPS, backups and security, plus a change a month whenever you need one.

Do I own my website, and am I locked in?

You own your domain, content, and site completely. Because it's plain HTML and CSS, you can hand the files to any developer and host them anywhere — there's no proprietary CMS or platform to be trapped in. The care plan is a choice, not a cage.

How long does a build take?

Most sites launch in a few weeks, depending on size and how quickly we get your content. We'll give you a clear timeline at the discovery stage.

Speed & security

Why is it so fast?

Two reasons: the site is hand-coded with no CMS or plugin bloat, and it's served from Cloudflare's edge — 300+ cities worldwide — so it loads from a server near your visitor. The result is a near-perfect performance score and pages that arrive in a blink.

Is a hand-coded static site secure?

Extremely. There's no database, no admin login, and no plugins — so the things that get most small-business sites hacked simply don't exist on yours. Cloudflare also absorbs attacks at the edge before they ever reach your site.

Where is my site hosted?

On Cloudflare's global edge — included with your plan at no extra cost. Because the site is static files, it's served fast everywhere and there's no server for anyone to break into.

Care & support

What's actually in the monthly care plan?

Cloudflare edge hosting, automatic HTTPS, off-site backups, uptime and performance monitoring, security monitoring of your forms and integrations, and a monthly allowance of content edits and small improvements — all handled by us. The three care tiers ($199, $249, and $349/mo) scale with the size of your site — bigger sites send more changes — not with hidden usage limits. There's also the hand-off plan at $79/mo — hosting, HTTPS, backups, security and a change a month. The difference is that hand-off keeps your site running while a care plan grows it: new pages, new sections and new towns come with a care plan, and on hand-off they're quoted as they come up.

Is there a long-term contract?

No lock-in. Care plans are month-to-month and you can cancel anytime. Most clients stay simply because their site keeps working without them having to think about it.

What happens to my site if I cancel?

It's yours to keep. Because every site is plain HTML and CSS, we hand you the full set of files and help you point your domain at a new host — there's no proprietary platform holding your site hostage. Hosting is bundled into the care plan, so if you cancel you'll just arrange hosting elsewhere; your design, content, and domain stay entirely yours.

Can you take over an existing site?

Often, yes. We can bring a suitable existing site onto a care plan, or rebuild a dated one from scratch — most takeovers get dramatically faster overnight. We'll tell you honestly which makes sense.

Your project

Who writes the content, and what about photos?

We help with both. Most clients bring the raw facts and we shape them into clear, well-structured copy that reads well and helps you rank. For images you can use your own photos, or we'll source clean, appropriate stock and can point you to a good local photographer when original shots would sell the work better.

Do you handle my domain and business email?

You always own your domain — if you don't have one yet we'll help you register it (typically about $15/yr) and point it at your site; if you do, we handle the connection. We don't run email servers, but we'll help you set up professional email on a provider like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 so you're sending from [email protected].

How does payment work?

Simple and up front: a one-time build fee for the design and build, then your flat monthly care plan starting the day you launch. You'll get a clear written quote and a simple payment schedule before any work begins — no mystery hourly bills and nothing that starts billing before you've approved it.

Pricing & projects

How much does a website cost?

Builds start at $2,200 with a $199/mo care plan (Launch), up to $6,400 + $349/mo for a Growth build with payments, bookings, or events. If you'd rather handle your own content after launch, the hand-off plan is $79/mo and includes a change a month. Every plan includes fast Cloudflare hosting and HTTPS. See the pricing page for full details.

Can a hand-coded site have a blog or online store?

Yes. We build fast static blogs, and add secure checkout, bookings, or events through trusted tools like Stripe and Snipcart wired cleanly into your site. For a very large catalog we'll point you to Shopify, which is the right tool there.

Do you work with businesses outside Buffalo?

Absolutely. We're based in Buffalo and love the Twin Cities west metro, but we build and care for sites for clients anywhere — it's all done remotely.

Let's build something lasting

Still have a
question?

Ask us anything — tell us about your business and we'll give you a straight answer on a free discovery call.

StudioBuffalo, Minnesota
ServingTwin Cities west metro