Frequently asked questions

I do not register domain names for you, but I am glad to help walk you through the process? Why? Because it is critical to you to be the sole owner of your domain name. You can then assign to me the access I need to do all the technical work, but in the end, you are the owner with full control and final say over your domain name.

Registering a domain name involves using a domain name registration service. There are several to chose from. If you want a .pt domain name, we will need to use a Portuguese registration service. For other options, like .com, .biz, you will have several options. Again, I will coach you through the process. Depending on the type of domain name, you can expect to pay €5 or more. A .pt domain typically costs around €15 per year.

While site building platforms like Wix or Squarespace can simplify the process of building a website, there is still a lot of work you have to do in order to have a decent website. As of April 1, 2026, the entry-level plan for Wix still costs €14 per month, and you still have to do all the work of building and managing your website. Also, when you use a service like Wix or Squarespace, you are essentially tied to their platform, so if you want to leave, you have to start over. I build your site using standard HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. If you decide to take your website somewhere else, you will have thousands of options. You own your website.

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) uses WCAG version 2.1 AA guidelines for website accessibility. I build my websites to conform to the WCAG 2.1 AA guidelines. While I can not guarantee full compliance, I do my best to follow these guidelines, and will run a basic accessibility audit prior to launching the website. If any accessibility issue is discovered, I will fix the issue with no additional charge.

Yes, the standard website will comply with GDPR. The website does not use cookies. In addition, the contact form comes with a privacy statement describing what data is collected, where it is sent, how it is used. This data is then purged from the system 30 days after the contact form is sent. For website analytics, I use Matomo, a privacy-first web analytics system.

The standard plan website supports a single language. You can use Portuguese or English. The only translation I provide is machine translation using DeepL. If you want your site to have two or more languages, contact me and we can discuss a custom plan to support that.

No, not at all. All website maintenance plans are month-to-month. You only need to give me 30 days notice to end your maintenance plan. If you decide to go in a different direction, I will even provide full documentation of your website’s configuration and help with the transition to your new hosting provider.

Often, budget concerns will prevent an accessibility audit of every page on the site, especially for larger sites. For a quick accessibility audit, I will focus on these key pages:

• The home page
• A typical content page
• The primary contact form page

While this won’t provide a full accounting of the possible accessibility issues, it will find several repeated problems.

Track these key metrics: your position in local search results for target keywords, Google Business Profile views and actions (calls, direction requests, website clicks), organic website traffic from local searches, phone calls and form submissions, and ultimately new customer acquisitions. Google Business Profile Insights and Google Analytics provide most of this data. Measure month-over-month trends rather than day-to-day fluctuations; local SEO improvements compound over time.

You need a physical location where you serve customers, but it can be a service area business (SAB) where you travel to customers rather than having them visit you. Google allows SABs to hide their street address and instead specify service areas. Examples include plumbers, electricians, and house cleaners. You still need a legitimate physical address for verification, but you can optimize for the areas you serve.

The biggest mistakes include: neglecting or abandoning their Google Business Profile, having inconsistent business information across websites, ignoring customer reviews or not responding to them, using only generic keywords instead of location-specific terms, not optimizing for mobile users, and treating local SEO as a one-time task instead of an ongoing effort. Another common error is creating multiple listings for one location, which confuses search engines and splits your authority.

Local SEO services for small businesses typically range from $500-$2,000 per month, depending on your market’s competitiveness and the scope of services. One-time setup and optimization might cost $1,000-$3,000. DIY approaches cost mainly your time, though you might pay for tools or directory submissions. The investment usually pays for itself quickly as landing just one or two new customers per month from improved visibility typically covers the cost.

You can handle basic local SEO tasks yourself: claiming your Google Business Profile, ensuring consistent NAP information, requesting customer reviews, and creating location-focused website content. However, comprehensive local SEO involves technical website optimization, citation building across dozens of directories, review management, and ongoing adjustments. Many small businesses start with DIY basics and hire professionals as they grow or when they want more competitive results.

Reviews are critical for both rankings and conversions. Google considers review quantity, quality, and recency when ranking local businesses. Businesses with more positive, recent reviews rank higher. Reviews also influence customer decisions as 93% of consumers read online reviews before choosing a local business. A steady stream of authentic reviews significantly impacts your visibility and credibility.

Citations are mentions of your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) on other websites directories like Yelp, Yellow Pages, industry-specific directories, and local business associations. Consistent citations across the web tell Google your business is legitimate and help verify your location. Inconsistent information confuses search engines and hurts your rankings.

Most businesses see initial improvements in 3-4 months, with significant results by 6-12 months. Local SEO builds momentum over time as you accumulate reviews, citations, and optimized content. Quick wins like claiming and optimizing your Google Business Profile can show results within weeks, but comprehensive local SEO is an ongoing process rather than a one-time fix.

Your Google Business Profile is your free business listing on Google. It controls how your business appears in Google Maps and local search results. A complete, optimized profile shows your hours, phone number, photos, customer reviews, and services. It’s the single most important factor for local search rankings. Businesses without an optimized profile essentially don’t exist in local search.

Local SEO targets customers in your geographic area, while regular SEO targets broader audiences regardless of location. Local SEO heavily emphasizes your Google Business Profile, local citations, and location-specific keywords. It prioritizes appearing in the map pack (those three businesses that show up with pins on Google Maps) rather than just traditional search results.

Most customers find local service providers through online searches. Studies show that 76% of people who search for something nearby visit a business within 24 hours. Local SEO puts your business in front of these ready-to-buy customers exactly when they need your services. Without it, you’re invisible to potential customers searching in your area.

Local SEO helps your business appear in search results when people in your area look for services you offer. When someone searches “plumber near me” or “dentist in [city name],” local SEO determines which businesses show up in the map pack and local results. It focuses on optimizing your online presence for geographic-specific searches.

No.

I have uptime monitoring in place that will alert me by WhatsApp and SMS text should your website go down or take too long to load. To keep that from happening, I apply security updates weekly, and use the PatchStack security system to receive alerts for any critical, time-sensitive updates that might be needed.

I sure do. In fact, that is pretty much all I offer. I have a few standard packages available, but these are just to get the conversation started. While some projects might line up nicely with one of these standard packages, we will still review your specific business needs, goals, and budget in order to come up with a plan best suited for your business.

There are two key factors to consider:

1. How complex is the website? Most websites take between 4 and 6 weeks depending on the number of pages and revisions. Some sites will take longer if we need to have custom integrations with third-party services.
2. How quickly can you, the client, provide the content, photography, and feedback needed? You are the greatest expert on your business, so I rely on you to provide the content and photography needed for each page on the website. While I can provide plenty of guidance and coaching, ultimately I will need your help to deliver the website on time.