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Is content entry included?
We input only enough content to thoroughly test the site. This might look like 2-3 sample posts on your blog and 2-3 portfolio items just to make sure everything is working properly.
We are more than happy to add full content entry into the scope of our work for an additional fee. But there’s no need to feel daunted or intimidated! Our sites are very easy to update and we provide you with a personalized training video to make the content management incredibly easy.
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What if I need to make content changes to my site after it’s launched?
Our websites are built to be completely user-friendly and intuitive without you needing any coding experience whatsoever. You’ll be given a detailed, personalized training video to show you exactly how to make content changes. If you find yourself needing more detailed changes or additions in the future, we offer hourly support services to all past clients.
YOUR SITE, DONE RIGHT.
Let us breathe functionality, practicality, and optimization into a custom WordPress theme so you can run forward with a truly inspired new website.
A custom WordPress theme might be the right fit if...
- You desire a highly-customized site that’s tailored to your business.
- You have a long wish list that a premade theme just can’t handle.
- You want a team of WordPress experts to handle all tech support.
- You have a budget of $5-8k for development (designer fees excluded).
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Start the conversation
Fill out our simple contact form below or have your web designer reach out on your behalf so we can learn more about your project. Don’t have a designer yet? We can help you find the perfect match (our Resource Index is a great place to start!)
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02
Make it official
Once we’ve connected with both you and your designer to assess the scope of the project, we’ll send over a customized proposal with your full development specs, contract, invoice, overview of the payment plan, and a link to clear the initial deposit.
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03
Time to code
When the final design files have been prepped and delivered, we’ll set an official development start date and begin developing your custom theme via a demo site on our private server (to make sure your current site goes uninterrupted). Your second payment will also be due at this time. Once your demo site is ready, it will be sent to your designer for any corrections or detail finessing before we pass it over to you for final approval. This is your chance to click around the site as if it were live to test the functionality on different browsers, provide feedback, ask questions, and prep the site for installation.
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Ready, set, launch
After the demo site has been finalized, the final payment is due before we schedule an installation time and date that works well for both of us. During the install, we’ll put up a simple “coming soon page” on your site so your followers can still find you! When the install is complete, we’ll email you a personalized video walkthrough of your shiny new site with directions on how to use it and make changes.
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Ongoing Support
Once launched, you’ll receive a free one-month trial of our Level 1 Monthly Maintenance Plan, and beyond that, you'll have access to our regular support services on an as-needed basis.
What They're Saying
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Jessica, An Indigo Day
"Investing in Made To Thrive to bring my website to life was the best thing I ever did for my business. Lindsay's team was hands-on, attentive and super-efficient. As someone who does not feel comfortable with all the complicated techy stuff for a website, it was a relief to have them as the experts to ensure a smooth transition and handle all the scary things. Could not be happier with my new beautiful and super user friendly, website."
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Alyssa, Simply Quinoa
"I absolutely LOVE working with the Made to Thrive team. I can't even tell you how much it's helped me and my business. Now not only do I have a gorgeous website that is functional and fast, but the back end is easy for me and my team to use. Also, their customer support is incredible! I've worked with other development teams who make me feel like a burden, but never with Made to Thrive! They're always very prompt and I can tell they really value me."
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Becky, Cella Jane
"The Made to Thrive team has been amazing to work with! They delivered everything I needed on time, was so thorough and responsive. Lindsay was also very accommodating, working with me to complete my website under a time constraint. I'm so happy with how my site turned out and they continue to help and manage any site changes- which is SO helpful!"
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Sarah Ellefson
"I hired Made to Thrive for my new website project because I wanted a solid infrastructure for my web platform. Lindsay's customer service, attention to detail, fast response time, and cheerful attitude blew me away during our time together. She and Sam truly went above and beyond in the customer experience aspect of all of this AND they left me with a stunning new website that gets endless compliments on its functionality from fellow professionals and clients."
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Lisa, Linnaea Floral
"The whole process of building my new website was so easy and Lindsay was excellent to work with! She sent me lots of update emails to keep me in the loop and was patient with my many 'stupid questions' when it came to web terminology. The outcome is beyond anything I could have imagined, and I still can't believe she coded this beautiful site into existence! I honestly couldn't have created something so perfect on my own!"
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Brittany, Eating Bird Food
"Lindsay and the Made to Thrive team made the development phase of my new site design such a breeze. Lindsay answered all my questions and worked diligently to get the site looking perfect and running smoothly before our go-live date. I highly recommend Made to Thrive and would certainly work with Lindsay again on future projects."
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Addie, Chickpea In the City
"I absolutely loved working with Lindsay/Made To Thrive as she made transitioning my old site to the new one so seamless and simple. I love that she provided a step by step video tutorial of how to navigate my new site to make it easy to understand. Not only did she upload my new site faster than I thought possible but got back to me so quickly whenever I had questions or comments. Working with her on my site helped me tremendously! 10/10 would recommend for any freelancer wanting to improve their blog/site."
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Frequently Asked Questions
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What does my investment include?
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- Communication & consulting time throughout the entire project
- Installation of the WordPress CMS & Genesis Framework
- Development of a custom base theme (as created by your designer)
- Development of a fully mobile responsive stylesheet
- Domain assistance & content migration (if needed)
- Installation/configuration of our recommend & premium plugins
- WordPress training specific to your new site via screenshare video
- Post-launch theme optimization and Google PSI report
- Access to our on-going Monthly Maintenance Plans & stellar support team
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Why do I need both a web designer and a developer?
Your web designer will create the look of your website by communicating your vision via the layout, color palette, and overall graphics. Your web developer (that’s us!) creates the functions of your website by writing in code and formatting each design element. We handle the “techy” side of things and hold your hand the whole way!
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What kind of support and maintenance is included with my Custom Theme?
Made to Thrive offers full support and maintenance for any theme we create! The best way to ensure your new site is backed up, up-to-date, and malware-free is to enroll in one of our Monthly Maintenance Plans. We also offer site maintenance and revision services on an as-needed basis for our past clients.
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How much will my website development cost?
Every project is quoted specifically based on your site needs but most projects fall in the $5-8k range for development. The full scope of your project will be laid out clearly in our detailed development proposal so there are no surprises, hiccups or misunderstandings along the way. Please note that this cost is for development only and excludes the cost of your designer.
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What is your project payment structure?
We split the payment process into three parts:
- 33% due at booking
- 33% due at start of development
- 34% due at project completion
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Are WordPress hosting costs included?
Unfortunately this is a small extra cost you’ll need to factor into your project. WordPress requires a third-party host to store your files, kind of like leasing space on the internet. Choosing the right host is crucial to the speed, security, and overall success of your website.
We highly recommend SiteGround, BigScoots, and WPEngine. All three of these hosts offer WordPress specific hosting, stellar customer support, and budget-friendly pricing. The majority of our clients only need the basic shared hosting plan with these providers, but if you’re confused on which plan/features to choose, let us know and we can advise.
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Do you guarantee your projected timelines?
4-6 weeks is our typical project length for development, but there are always exceptions to the rule with factors like:
- A very large or complex website.
- Design delays.
- Lack of communication and/or feedback.
- Change in project scope (Ex. Adding more pages or making major design changes after coding is complete).
- Failure to pay an invoice on time.
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What is the demo site review process like?
Since our development follows the exact, approved design files, most demo site revisions are minor. The tweaks usually involve simple technical fixes like, for example, a pop-up not working in Firefox. If design changes (differing from the original design proof) create a greater scope of work, they will need to be quoted and re-coded accordingly.
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Will my new site be mobile friendly?
Yes, 100%! Our sites are built with mobile users in mind and include a mobile stylesheet.
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Will my new theme be optimized for page speed?
Absolutely! We fully optimize and test all of our sites upon launch and send a detailed Google PSI report review. Note: Elements added to the site apart from our theme post-launch (ie, Adthrive Ads) will affect the PSI results and be outside of our control.
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Do you provide SEO services?
While we are not SEO experts, we do our best to set your site up for success by installing a premium SEO plugin and providing video training on how to use it throughout your site. If you want to dig in deeper, we have SEO specialists we trust and highly recommend. Check out our Resource Index!
Hire Us
If you're interested in a custom theme, fill out our contact form
below so we can meet you and dig into what you’re looking for.
If you need to get in touch for other reasons, shoot us an email at hello@madetothrive.com.
