Question 1

How does the process work?

Accepted Answer

Every project follows the same core structure: discovery, strategy, design, development, and launch. We start by learning about your business, your customers, and what you need the site to achieve. Then we plan the structure and content hierarchy before any design work begins. You review and approve designs before we write a line of code. The whole process typically takes around 20 business days from kickoff to launch.

Question 2

Who will I be working with?

Accepted Answer

You'll work directly with Sarah, Sonder's founder and creative director, from start to finish. There's no account manager or handoff to a junior team. The person you speak to on the discovery call is the same person designing and building your website.

Question 3

What does the discovery call involve?

Accepted Answer

The discovery call is a 45 to 60 minute conversation where we learn about your business, your customers, what you're trying to achieve, and what's not working about your current situation. We come prepared with questions. By the end, we'll have enough to give you a clear scope and quote.

Question 4

How long does a project take from start to finish?

Accepted Answer

Our standard website timeline is 20 business days from kickoff to launch. Branding projects typically run 10 to 15 days. Larger or more complex builds with custom integrations, ecommerce, or CMS setup will take longer and we scope these individually. We give you a clear timeline before we start, not partway through.

Question 5

Do you work with businesses outside Australia?

Accepted Answer

Our core focus is Australian small businesses, but we've delivered projects internationally, including a bilingual government procurement platform in Chile. If you're outside Australia and the project is a good fit, we're happy to chat.

Question 6

What's your availability like?

Accepted Answer

We take on a limited number of projects at a time so every client gets our full attention. If we're booked out, we'll let you know upfront and give you a realistic start date rather than rushing or double-booking.

Question 7

What do you need from me to get started?

Accepted Answer

For most projects, we need access to your brand assets (logo files, brand colours if you have them), any content you already have or want to carry over, and a clear sense of what the site needs to do. We guide you through the rest during discovery. You don't need to have everything figured out before the call.

Question 8

How much does a custom website cost?

Accepted Answer

Websites start from $3,000 for a standard business site. Branding starts from $1,500. Digital marketing retainers start from $800/month. The final price depends on the scope, number of pages, and any custom features or integrations. We provide a detailed quote after the discovery session so there are no surprises.

Question 9

What is included in the base website price?

Accepted Answer

Every website we build includes custom design, hand-coded SvelteKit development, mobile-first responsive layouts, on-page SEO setup, basic GEO schema markup, Google Analytics and Search Console configuration, XML sitemap, robots.txt, and 30 days of post-launch support. Copywriting, photography, and ongoing SEO are scoped separately if needed.

Question 10

Do you offer payment plans?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We typically split payments into milestones: a deposit to begin, a mid-project payment after design approval, and a final payment before launch. We're flexible and happy to discuss a structure that works for your cash flow.

Question 11

Are there any ongoing costs after launch?

Accepted Answer

Hosting is minimal for the sites we build (usually under $20/month on Vercel). We offer an optional website care plan at $60/month that covers hosting, security monitoring, and one round of minor edits per month. There's no lock-in and no mandatory ongoing fees.

Question 12

Why don't you charge hourly?

Accepted Answer

Fixed project pricing means you know exactly what you're paying before we start. Hourly billing creates an incentive to take longer, which doesn't align with how we like to work. You're paying for the outcome, not the clock.

Question 13

Do you offer discounts for non-profits or small community organisations?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We believe good design shouldn't be out of reach for organisations doing important work. We evaluate these on a case-by-case basis, so reach out and tell us about your organisation.

Question 14

Why do you build custom instead of using templates?

Accepted Answer

Templates are designed to work for everyone, which means they're optimised for no one. A custom-coded site is faster, lighter, and built around your specific business needs. It gives us complete control over the design, the user experience, and the SEO structure. No bloat, no limitations, no shared code with thousands of other sites.

Question 15

What is SvelteKit and why do you use it?

Accepted Answer

SvelteKit is a modern web framework that produces exceptionally fast, lightweight websites. Unlike WordPress or other CMS platforms, there's no database to maintain, no plugins to update, and no security vulnerabilities from third-party code. Your site loads faster, ranks better, and costs less to host. It's the same technology used by major tech companies but sized for small business.

Question 16

Can you build on WordPress or Webflow if I need it?

Accepted Answer

We can, but we'll tell you honestly if we think it's not the right choice for your project. WordPress makes sense when you have a large team who needs to manage content frequently. Webflow suits certain design-heavy marketing sites. For most small businesses, SvelteKit is faster, cheaper to maintain, and more performant. We'll recommend what actually fits your needs.

Question 17

Will I be able to edit my website myself?

Accepted Answer

It depends on your needs. For sites that need frequent content updates, we can integrate a headless CMS that gives you an easy editing interface without touching code. For sites that rarely change, it's often more efficient and cheaper to have us handle updates as part of a care plan. We'll recommend the right approach during discovery.

Question 18

Do you design for mobile?

Accepted Answer

We design mobile-first, then scale up to desktop. Over 60% of web traffic is now on mobile devices, so the mobile experience is the primary design, not an afterthought. Every site we build is responsive and tested across screen sizes.

Question 19

How do you handle revision rounds?

Accepted Answer

We structure revisions around project phases rather than counting rounds. You review designs before development begins and give consolidated feedback. We build in time for two rounds of refinements during design. After that, any major direction changes are scoped as additional work. In practice, we rarely hit disagreements because we align on direction during strategy before any design is done.

Question 20

Do you write copy for websites?

Accepted Answer

We can help you develop or refine your copy as part of the project. We always review and shape the content strategy during discovery. If you need full copywriting from scratch, we scope that separately and include it in the quote.

Question 21

Do you handle photography or video?

Accepted Answer

We don't do photography or video production ourselves, but we work with photographers and videographers we trust and can refer you to. We'll tell you during the project if we think custom photography would make a meaningful difference to the result.

Question 22

What SEO is included in every website?

Accepted Answer

Every website we build includes on-page SEO setup: meta titles and descriptions, heading structure, structured data (schema.org), XML sitemap, robots.txt, Google Analytics and Search Console configuration, page speed optimisation, and clean semantic HTML. This gives you a strong technical foundation. Ongoing content and link-building strategy is available as part of a digital marketing retainer.

Question 23

What is GEO?

Accepted Answer

GEO stands for Generative Engine Optimisation. It's the practice of structuring your website and content so AI search tools, like ChatGPT, Google's AI Overviews, Perplexity, and Claude, can find, understand, and cite your business. While traditional SEO focuses on ranking in link-based results, GEO focuses on being the source AI systems reference when answering questions in your industry.

Question 24

Is GEO different from regular SEO?

Accepted Answer

GEO and SEO work together but serve different channels. SEO helps you rank in traditional search results. GEO helps AI tools understand and cite your content. A strong GEO strategy builds on good SEO foundations and adds structured data, topical authority, and content architecture designed for how AI systems process information. You need both.

Question 25

How long does SEO take to show results?

Accepted Answer

SEO is a long-term strategy. Most businesses start seeing measurable improvements in organic traffic within 3 to 6 months of consistent work. The exact timeline depends on your industry, competition, and the current state of your site. We set realistic expectations upfront and provide monthly reporting so you can see progress over time.

Question 26

Do you manage Google Ads or paid search?

Accepted Answer

We don't manage paid advertising campaigns. Our focus is organic visibility through strong site foundations, SEO, and GEO. If you need paid search management, we can refer you to specialists we trust.

Question 27

What does your branding service include?

Accepted Answer

Our branding packages typically include logo design (primary, secondary, and icon variants), colour palette, typography selection, and a simple brand guide covering usage rules. For businesses that need it, we also develop brand voice, messaging hierarchy, and a visual identity system that extends beyond the logo.

Question 28

Do I need branding before I can get a website?

Accepted Answer

Not necessarily. If you already have a logo and some sense of your brand colours, we can work with what you have. If your existing branding feels off or doesn't reflect where the business is now, we'll tell you. Sometimes a branding refresh before the website build produces a much stronger result.

Question 29

Can you redesign an existing brand without starting from scratch?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Brand evolution is often the right move rather than a complete reset, especially for businesses with existing customer recognition. We can refine, modernise, or extend what you have rather than replacing it.

Question 30

What happens after my site goes live?

Accepted Answer

Every project includes 30 days of post-launch support for bug fixes and minor adjustments. We monitor for any technical issues in the first week after launch. After the 30 days, you can manage the site yourself, bring us in for specific updates, or move to a monthly care plan.

Question 31

What does the website care plan cover?

Accepted Answer

The care plan ($60/month) covers hosting on Vercel, uptime and security monitoring, performance checks, dependency updates, and one round of minor content edits per month (text changes, image swaps, small copy updates). It doesn't cover new pages, feature additions, or design changes, which are quoted separately.

Question 32

What if I want to make changes to the site later?

Accepted Answer

We're always happy to do additional work on a project basis. Small changes are quick and affordable. Larger feature additions or redesigns are quoted as standalone projects. There's no lock-in and you're never stuck waiting for a care plan window to make urgent changes.

Question 33

Do you offer a content management system so I can update the site myself?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We can integrate a headless CMS (we typically use Sanity or Contentful) that gives you a clean, visual editing interface for your content. This adds to the project cost but is worth it for businesses that publish content regularly. For sites that change rarely, we recommend against it, as it adds complexity and cost without much benefit.

Question 34

What if I need to move to a different developer later?

Accepted Answer

We build on open technologies with clean, documented code. If you ever need to move on, another developer can pick up where we left off. We don't use proprietary systems or create intentional lock-in. We'd rather earn your ongoing business because we do good work.

Questions we hear all the time.

Working With Sonder

Pricing and Payments

Design and Development

SEO and AI Visibility

Branding

After Launch

Still have questions?