Frequently Asked Questions

Django is a high-level Python web framework that encourages rapid development and clean, pragmatic design. We use Django because it provides a secure, scalable foundation with built-in features that accelerate development while maintaining code quality. Its "batteries-included" philosophy means we can deliver robust websites faster without compromising on security or performance.

Django is an excellent choice for business websites of all sizes. It offers the flexibility to create anything from simple company sites to complex web applications with user authentication, e-commerce capabilities, and custom dashboards. Its admin interface gives you easy content management, while its scalability ensures your site can grow with your business.

Compared to other frameworks, Django stands out for its completeness, security, and developer productivity. Unlike minimalist frameworks that require additional components, Django includes most features you'll need out of the box. It offers better security than many alternatives with protection against common vulnerabilities. Django also provides excellent documentation and a mature ecosystem that other frameworks may lack.

Django was designed with security as a priority and includes protection against many common web vulnerabilities like SQL injection, cross-site scripting, cross-site request forgery, and clickjacking. Its security team actively monitors for threats and releases regular updates. Django's ORM (Object-Relational Mapping) also promotes safe database interactions. This focus on security has made it a trusted choice for organisations handling sensitive data.

Yes, Django is highly scalable and capable of handling significant traffic and data volumes. Many high-traffic sites like Instagram, Pinterest, and Disqus run on Django. The framework separates different components of your application, making it easier to scale specific parts as needed. With proper architecture and deployment strategies, Django applications can efficiently serve millions of users.

Django excels for content-driven sites, web applications with complex business logic, e-commerce platforms, social networks, and data-driven applications. It's particularly well-suited for sites requiring user authentication, personalized experiences, and content management. Django's flexibility means it can handle most web projects, though for extremely simple static sites, lighter alternatives might be more appropriate.

Absolutely. Django's scalability makes it appropriate for projects of any size. For smaller sites, Django offers quick development and built-in features that eliminate the need for custom coding. For enterprise applications, Django provides the robust architecture, security, and scalability required for complex, high-traffic environments. The framework grows with your needs, making it an excellent long-term investment regardless of your starting scale.

Django provides excellent performance fundamentals, but site speed depends on multiple factors including hosting, optimisation, and implementation. Django includes built-in caching strategies, database optimisation tools, and supports asynchronous processing for performance-critical operations. With proper development practices and infrastructure, Django sites can be extremely fast and responsive even under heavy loads.

Django is highly future-proof, with a commitment to backward compatibility and long-term support releases. The framework is actively maintained by a dedicated team and has a large, engaged community contributing to its development. Django regularly incorporates modern web standards and practices while maintaining stability. This balance of innovation and reliability makes Django an excellent choice for projects intended to grow and evolve over many years.

Django powers websites for organisations of all sizes across diverse industries. Notable users include Instagram, Pinterest, Mozilla, NASA, Disqus, Bitbucket, and The Washington Post. It's popular in sectors requiring robust security and data handling like finance, healthcare, and education. Django is also frequently used by tech startups that need to develop quickly and scale reliably as they grow.

We develop websites through a clear, efficient process divided into three weekly sprints. Each sprint focuses on specific milestones to ensure steady progress. We’re happy to arrange a meeting at the end of each sprint to show you the progress, hear your feedback, and make sure everything is on track before we continue.

Our development process typically involves these key steps: 1) Discovery and requirements gathering, 2) Information architecture and wireframing, 3) UI/UX design and prototyping, 4) Frontend and backend development, 5) Content integration, 6) Testing and quality assurance, 7) Client review and feedback implementation, 8) Launch preparation and deployment, 9) Post-launch support and monitoring.

We primarily create custom designs tailored to each client's specific brand identity and business requirements. While we may use frameworks like Bootstrap or Django templates as a foundation, the visual design and user experience are custom-crafted for your project. This approach ensures your website stands out from competitors and perfectly aligns with your brand vision rather than looking like a generic template.

We ensure brand consistency by starting with a thorough brand discovery session to understand your visual identity, values, tone, and audience. We collect your brand assets (logos, colours, typography, style guides) and incorporate them throughout the design. We create mood boards and style tiles for approval before full design development, ensuring every element from colours and fonts to imagery and interactions reinforces your brand identity.

Absolutely! We believe client collaboration is essential for project success. We involve you at key decision points throughout the process, from initial concept approval to design reviews and functionality testing. We use collaborative tools for sharing progress, gathering feedback, and maintaining transparent communication. Your input is vital, and we structure our process to incorporate your feedback at strategic milestones.

Yes, regular progress updates are a core part of our development process. We provide access to a staging environment where you can see your site taking shape in real-time. We schedule regular check-in meetings to demonstrate new features and functionality. Additionally, we use project management tools that give you visibility into completed tasks, upcoming milestones, and overall project status to ensure transparency throughout development.

Our comprehensive pre-launch testing process includes: functional testing of all features and interactive elements, cross-browser testing across major browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge), responsive testing on various devices and screen sizes, performance testing for page load speed and optimisation, security testing to identify vulnerabilities, content review for accuracy and formatting, and accessibility testing to ensure compliance with web standards. We use both automated testing tools and manual review to ensure quality.

Definitely. Our Django expertise allows us to create virtually any custom functionality your business requires. Whether you need e-commerce capabilities, user authentication systems, advanced search functionality, custom dashboards, third-party API integrations, payment processing, or unique interactive features, we can build it. We'll work with you to understand your requirements and implement solutions that enhance your website's capabilities while maintaining performance and security.

We employ responsive design principles from the ground up, ensuring your site adapts beautifully to all screen sizes. Our development includes extensive cross-browser testing on Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge, plus device testing on various smartphones and tablets. We use modern CSS practices, progressive enhancement, and feature detection to handle browser differences. For critical applications, we can implement automated browser testing to verify compatibility across platforms.

Custom website costs vary based on complexity, features, and scale. Basic informational websites typically range from £3,000-£8,000, while feature-rich web applications may cost £10,000-£30,000+. E-commerce sites generally fall between £8,000-£25,000 depending on complexity. Rather than providing one-size-fits-all pricing, we create custom quotes based on your specific requirements to ensure you only pay for what you need. We're transparent about costs and provide detailed proposals with optional features clearly identified.

We primarily work with custom quotes to ensure each client receives exactly what they need without paying for unnecessary features. However, we do offer fixed-price starter packages for specific industries like restaurants, professional services, and small businesses. These packages include predefined features common to those industries, with the ability to add custom features at additional cost. For most complex projects, we develop custom quotes based on detailed requirements to provide the most accurate pricing.

Our standard website creation service includes discovery and planning, custom design, responsive development, content integration, SEO foundations, browser testing, and a 30-day support period after launch. You'll also receive basic training on content management, Google Analytics setup, secure hosting setup, and standard forms and integrations. Additional services like custom functionality, e-commerce features, third-party integrations, and content creation can be added based on your needs. All websites include our security best practices and performance optimisation.

Pricing varies significantly based on website type. Informational brochure websites are our most affordable option, starting around £3,000. Business websites with custom functionality like appointment booking or member areas typically range from £5,000-£15,000. E-commerce sites start at £8,000 for basic stores and increase based on product complexity, payment options, and shipping integrations. Custom web applications with complex logic and user roles generally start at £12,000. The biggest price factors are complexity of functionality, amount of custom design, and integration requirements.

Yes, advanced features like API integrations, custom dashboards, payment processing, and specialised functionality do increase project costs. These features require additional development time, testing, and often ongoing maintenance. We price these features transparently based on estimated development hours. When possible, we'll suggest existing Django packages or third-party services that can reduce costs while meeting your requirements. All advanced features are clearly itemised in our proposals so you can make informed decisions about what to include.

We offer three hosting tiers: Standard (£50/month) includes shared server hosting, weekly backups, and basic monitoring. Professional (£100/month) provides enhanced resources on VPS hosting, daily backups, staging environment, and enhanced security. Enterprise (£250/month) delivers dedicated resources, continuous backups, priority support, and comprehensive security. All plans include SSL certificates, server maintenance, and security updates. We also accommodate clients who prefer to use their own hosting with a one-time setup fee and optional maintenance packages.

Our hosting tiers differ in several key areas: Standard provides essential hosting with weekly backups and standard support. Professional includes faster servers, daily backups, priority support, and monthly maintenance. Enterprise offers dedicated resources, continuous backups, 24/7 premium support, and weekly maintenance. Each tier is designed to match different website needs, from small business sites to high-traffic applications.

Our hosting plans include basic technical SEO maintenance but not comprehensive SEO services. All plans include monitoring of SEO fundamentals like site speed, mobile responsiveness, and sitemap maintenance. Professional and Enterprise plans add regular SEO health reports and fixing of technical SEO issues as they arise. For content-based SEO, keyword optimisation, link building, and SEO strategy, we offer separate SEO packages starting at £500/month that can be added to any hosting plan.

...can change your hosting plan at any time with 30 days notice. Upgrades can usually be implemented immediately, while downgrades take effect at the next billing cycle. There's no fee for changing plans. If you upgrade mid-month, we prorate the difference. Our flexible approach ensures you're never locked into a plan that doesn't meet your current needs. We'll also proactively recommend upgrades if we notice your site is outgrowing its current resources, or downgrades if you're consistently under-utilising your plan.

Yes, websites require ongoing costs to maintain properly. At minimum, you'll need domain registration (typically £10-20/year) and hosting (starting at £50/month with us). For optimal results, we recommend a maintenance package (starting at £100/month) which covers updates, security patches, and minor content changes. Additional ongoing costs may include SSL certificates (free with our hosting), email services (£5-10/user/month), third-party service subscriptions, and content or feature updates. We'll clearly explain all potential ongoing costs during the planning phase.

Yes, we require a 50% deposit before beginning any project. This covers initial research, planning, and design phases and confirms your commitment to the project. The remaining 50% is typically divided into milestone payments, with the final payment due before the website goes live. For projects exceeding £10,000, we offer a three-payment schedule: 40% deposit, 30% at design approval, and 30% at completion. For long-term projects (3+ months), we can arrange monthly billing based on completed work.

Yes, we offer three tiers of website maintenance packages: Basic ($99/month), Professional ($199/month), and Enterprise ($349/month). Each package includes Django updates, plugin updates, security monitoring, regular backups, and technical support with varying levels of service. Our maintenance packages provide peace of mind knowing that your website is being actively maintained by Django experts who are familiar with your specific implementation. All plans are month-to-month with no long-term contracts required.

Yes, we offer flexible payment options including installment plans. Our standard payment structure already includes milestone-based payments. For clients needing additional flexibility, we offer monthly payment plans for up to 6 months on projects over £5,000. These plans typically require a larger initial deposit (30-40%) with the remainder spread over equal monthly payments. We also offer a 5% discount for clients who pay the full project fee upfront. All payment terms are clearly defined in our contracts.

Domain registration is not included in our standard project pricing. We can acquire and manage domains on your behalf at cost (typically £10-20/year depending on the TLD), or you can register domains yourself and grant us access. We recommend clients own their domains directly when possible. If we manage your domain, we'll register it in your name and provide access to the registrar account. For existing domains, we handle all technical aspects of pointing the domain to your new website.

Absolutely. We provide detailed proposals with itemized costs for each component of your project. Our proposals break down design, development, content, and feature costs separately, allowing you to understand exactly what you're investing in. We clearly distinguish between one-time project costs and ongoing expenses like hosting and maintenance. The proposal also identifies optional features that can be added or removed to adjust the overall budget. There are no hidden fees, and any potential additional costs that might arise during development are discussed proactively.

After your website launches, we conduct a thorough post-launch review to ensure everything is functioning correctly. We monitor the site for the first 48 hours to catch any issues that might arise. You'll receive a handover document with access credentials, documentation, and basic training materials. We also schedule a handover meeting to walk you through your new website and answer any questions. All websites include a 30-day warranty period during which we'll fix any bugs or issues at no extra cost.

Yes, we provide comprehensive post-launch support through our maintenance packages. These packages include regular updates, security monitoring, performance optimisation, content updates, and technical support. We believe a successful website requires ongoing attention, which is why we offer various support options to keep your site secure, up-to-date, and performing optimally long after the initial launch.

Absolutely. We offer various options for post-launch changes and updates. For clients with maintenance packages, a certain number of content updates are included each month. For more substantial changes or new features, we provide hourly rates or fixed-price quotes depending on the scope of work. Our development team is familiar with your site's architecture, making us the ideal partner for ongoing improvements and changes as your business evolves.

Yes, we offer three tiers of website maintenance packages: Basic ($99/month), Professional ($199/month), and Enterprise ($349/month). Each package includes Django updates, plugin updates, security monitoring, regular backups, and technical support with varying levels of service. Our maintenance packages provide peace of mind knowing that your website is being actively maintained by Django experts who are familiar with your specific implementation. All plans are month-to-month with no long-term contracts required.

Yes, all our maintenance packages include proactive monitoring. We use automated tools that check your website every 5 minutes for availability and performance issues. If any problems are detected, our team is alerted immediately and will begin investigating. For Professional and Enterprise maintenance clients, we provide real-time monitoring of server resources, database performance, and critical application functions to identify potential issues before they affect your users.

Yes, backups and security are core components of our maintenance packages. Our Basic package includes weekly backups with 30-day retention. Professional includes daily backups with 90-day retention. Enterprise features hourly backups with 1-year retention. All packages include security checks at varying frequencies, with automatic security patches, malware scanning, and firewall monitoring. We store backups in geographically separate locations for maximum data protection and perform regular restore tests to ensure your data can be recovered if needed.

Absolutely. We offer both one-time SEO optimisation packages and ongoing monthly SEO services. Our post-launch SEO services include technical SEO audits, keyword research and optimisation, content enhancement, local SEO setup, Google Business Profile optimisation, schema markup implementation, and performance optimisation. For clients wanting continuous improvement, our monthly SEO packages include regular content updates, link building, competitor analysis, and detailed performance reporting.

We welcome feature additions to existing projects. As the original developers of your site, we're ideally positioned to implement new features efficiently. For new feature requests, we follow a structured process: requirements gathering, estimation, development, testing, and deployment. We provide either fixed-price quotes for well-defined features or hourly rates for more flexible development work. Clients with maintenance packages receive priority scheduling and discounted rates on new feature development.

Yes, we provide comprehensive training options for clients who want to manage their own content. Our standard training package includes three one-hour sessions covering the Django admin interface, content management, media uploads, and basic site settings. We also offer advanced training for more technical users who want to learn about database management, custom views, and template modifications. All training sessions are recorded and provided to you along with detailed documentation customised for your specific website implementation.

Support availability depends on your maintenance package level. Basic maintenance clients receive support during business hours (9am-5pm, Monday-Friday) with a 48-hour response time. Professional clients get extended support hours (8am-8pm) with a 24-hour response time. Enterprise clients receive 24/7 support for critical issues with a 4-hour response time guarantee. Emergency support outside of these hours is available to all clients at an additional rate. All support requests are managed through our ticketing system for accountability and tracking.

Our hosting plans include different levels of basic support. Standard hosting includes server management and basic technical support. Professional hosting adds monthly software updates and regular performance reviews. Enterprise hosting includes weekly maintenance and priority support. For more comprehensive website support that includes content updates, feature development, and strategic consulting, we recommend adding a maintenance package to your hosting plan. This combination provides complete coverage for both your hosting infrastructure and website application.

Yes, we provide analytics setup and reporting as part of our post-launch services. For all clients, we set up Google Analytics 4 and Google Search Console during the launch process. Professional and Enterprise maintenance clients receive monthly performance reports covering website traffic, user behaviour, conversion tracking, and technical performance metrics. These reports include expert analysis and recommendations for improvements. We can also set up custom dashboards and automated reporting tailored to your specific KPIs and business objectives.

If you encounter an issue with your website, our support process begins immediately. Maintenance clients can report problems through our dedicated support portal, email, or phone for urgent matters. Our team will diagnose the issue, communicate the expected resolution time, and keep you updated throughout the fix. For critical issues that affect core functionality, we implement emergency protocols with accelerated response times. During the 30-day warranty period after launch, all bug fixes are covered at no additional cost.

Yes, we provide comprehensive security incident response for all clients. If your site experiences a security breach, our team will immediately isolate the affected systems, investigate the root cause, remove malicious code, patch vulnerabilities, and restore your site from clean backups. For maintenance clients, many of these services are covered by your plan. We also perform a post-incident security audit to strengthen your defences and provide recommendations to prevent future breaches. For the highest level of protection, our Enterprise security package includes proactive penetration testing.

Yes, content update services are available both through our maintenance packages and as standalone services. Basic maintenance includes up to 5 small content updates monthly, while Professional and Enterprise packages include 10 and unlimited updates respectively. Content updates typically cover text changes, image replacements, new blog posts, product updates, and minor layout adjustments. For clients without a maintenance package, we offer content updates at hourly rates or as pre-purchased bundles of update hours that you can use as needed throughout the year.