Six phases. One fixed price. Zero scope-creep surprises.
Every Upcoming Brand WordPress project moves through the same six phases — Discovery, Quote, Design, Build, Launch, and 30-day Monitoring. Async by default. Schema-led. Lighthouse 90+ on every page or we don't invoice the final milestone.
Discovery
A focused conversation about what you actually need — not a sales call disguised as one.
- Competitive set audit (top 5 SERP results)
- Schema map for your vertical (LocalBusiness, FAQ, Service, vertical-specific types)
- Local Pack gap analysis (city + service combinations)
- Conversion architecture review of your current site
Show up. Talk about the business honestly.
Listen. Document. Send a written summary within 24 hours.
Fixed-scope quote
One PDF. One price. Every milestone, deliverable, and dependency mapped before we start.
- Full project scope document with deliverables per milestone
- One fixed price — no hourly billing, no scope-creep retainers
- Timeline with explicit review windows
- Care plan options scoped from day one
Read the quote. Ask anything. Sign or walk away.
Hold the price for 30 days. No upsells.
Design rounds
Async design reviews on a private staging URL. Comment threads beat conference calls every time.
- Wireframe and design system on staging URL within 5 days
- Two structured review rounds with comment-thread feedback
- Mobile + desktop reviews per page
- Final approval gate before development begins
Click around. Leave comments. Approve or request specific changes.
Reply within 4 business hours. Iterate visibly on staging.
Build & schema
Schema goes in first, then blocks, integrations, and content. Performance is monitored from week one.
- Vertical-specific schema (LocalBusiness, LegalService, Dentist, etc.) mapped to every page
- Custom WordPress blocks built for your specific content patterns
- WooCommerce / IDX / booking integrations as scoped
- Weekly written status update with staging URL preview
Review weekly progress. Provide content as the build map directs.
Build. Test. Audit performance every week of the build.
Launch
Performance audit, redirect map, DNS cutover, post-launch verification. No surprises on launch day.
- Pre-launch performance audit with 90+ Lighthouse on every page
- Complete 301 redirect map from old URLs
- Zero-downtime DNS cutover scheduled in your timezone
- Post-launch verification report (forms, schema, tracking, sitemap)
Approve the cutover window. Test the live site.
Watch the cutover live. Fix any anomaly within hours.
30-day monitoring
Search Console watch, ranking baseline, Core Web Vitals checks. A written report at day 30.
- Daily Search Console index status checks for first 7 days
- Weekly ranking + impression baselines for target keywords
- Core Web Vitals field data tracking
- Day-30 launch report with next-90-day recommendations
Read the report. Ask about anything you don't understand.
Catch any post-launch issue before it costs you traffic.
Four numbers we put on every contract.
What clients actually ask.
Six questions that come up in nearly every discovery call. If yours isn't here, mention it on the call — we'll add it to the list.
01 What happens before discovery?
You fill out a short intake form on the contact page or send a brief email. We respond within 4 business hours and either propose a discovery time or, if your project isn't a fit, point you toward a studio that's better suited. We turn down about 1 in 4 inquiries — usually because the timeline is unrealistic for the scope or the brief asks us to violate one of our four operating principles.
02 How do design rounds actually work without meetings?
We post a private staging URL. You click around, leave comments directly on the design (we use a tool that lets you comment on specific elements), and submit your feedback whenever it's convenient. We respond within 4 business hours during business days. Most clients tell us this is faster than the typical 'schedule a 60-minute call to walk through changes' dance — and it leaves a written record neither side has to remember.
03 What if I want changes after design approval?
Small content tweaks during build are part of the project. Larger design changes after final approval are scoped as a change order with a fixed price you approve before work resumes. We don't quietly absorb scope changes and then surface a 'we ran over' surprise at the end. Every change is visible, scoped, and signed off in writing.
04 Do you handle hosting and DNS?
We don't host, but we have three hosts we recommend (one budget, one mid-tier, one enterprise) and we handle the entire setup, migration, and DNS cutover for you. You own the hosting account so you keep control. Care plans cover server-level monitoring and backups regardless of which host you choose.
05 What if the site doesn't perform after launch?
If the site ships below 90 Lighthouse, we don't invoice the final launch milestone until it's green. If rankings drop in the 30-day window because of a technical issue we caused, we fix it under the original scope. If rankings move because Google's algorithm shifted, we send a written analysis with recommendations — that's separate work but we explain it before billing for it.
06 Can we hire you for an audit only?
Yes. Audit-only engagements are scoped at $1,500 and include a full Lighthouse + schema + Core Web Vitals + Local Pack analysis, with a prioritised action list you can take to any developer. We'll quote a build separately if you decide to come back, with the audit fee credited toward the build.