FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
Straight answers about working with us. If yours is not here, call (360) 450-3711 or send us a message.
GeneralGetting StartedWeb Design & DevelopmentSEO & VisibilityHosting, Maintenance, & SupportBranding, Content, & PrintOwnership, Access, & Practical Questions
General
What types of businesses do you typically work with?
We work with businesses of every size, from growing local companies to larger firms, organizations, and marketing agencies, across a wide range of industries. That includes industrial and manufacturing companies, contractors and trades, professional services, legal firms, churches, food and beverage brands, real estate, and more.
Many of our clients are established businesses that have outgrown their current website or marketing setup and want something more professional, easier to manage, and built to perform long term.
You can view real examples in our portfolio.
Where are you located and who do you serve?
We are based in Longview, Washington, and work with clients throughout the United States. A large portion of our work is for businesses in Southwest Washington and the Pacific Northwest, but we also support companies nationwide.
What makes Graticle Design different from other web design companies?
We have been building websites and brands since 2009, and we focus on long term partnerships, not one off projects.
Everything we build is custom, fast, and organized. You get clear communication, a clean process, and a site that is built to last. We also manage and grow it for you, with no long-term contracts.
Do I have to sign a long-term contract?
No. There are no long-term contracts and no pressure to stay. Your website, domain and content stay yours, and if you ever leave we hand everything over.
How quickly will you get back to me?
Within one business day, and often sooner. You can also call (360) 450-3711 and a real person answers.
What does "fully managed" mean?
It means we handle your website for you: hosting, security, updates, everyday changes, and proactive SEO and Google Ads work to bring you customers. You get one team to call and one monthly price. See how it works.
Do you work with marketing agencies and larger teams?
Yes. We manage websites for businesses of every size, including firms, organizations and in-house marketing teams, and we also work openly alongside marketing agencies on their clients’ sites.
Do you have examples of your work?
Yes. You can browse a wide range of real client projects here: View our portfolio.
Do you have customer reviews?
Yes. We have 100 plus client reviews and long term client relationships. You can read them here: Reviews.
Do you work with businesses outside Washington?
Yes. We work with clients across the United States. Most of our work is remote, with simple, clear communication and an organized process.
Are you a good fit if I just need a quick, cheap website?
If you are looking for the cheapest option available, we are probably not the right fit, and that is okay.
Our clients come to us for quality, reliability, and a website that supports real business goals.
Getting Started
What does it cost?
One clear monthly price, set after we look at your website and what you need. We tell you before anything starts, with no surprise fees and no long-term contract, and we will say plainly if you do not need something. The best first step is a free website audit.
How do I request a quote?
The fastest way is to send us a message through our contact page. Tell us what you do, what you need, and any links or examples you like.
What do you need from me to start a project?
Usually we start with a short call, then we gather essentials like your goals, services, service area, competitors, content, photos, and any login access that is needed.
If you do not have everything ready, that is normal. We will guide you step by step.
How long does a typical website project take?
Most website projects take between 6 and 10 weeks from kickoff to launch. Larger or more complex projects may take longer.
We give you a clear timeline upfront so you always know what is coming next.
Who will I communicate with during the project?
You will work directly with our team. We keep communication straightforward, and we do not shuffle you around between departments.
Do you help plan the site structure and pages?
Yes. We help map out the pages, navigation, and content flow so the site makes sense to real visitors and search engines.
What if I do not have photos or content yet?
No problem. We can help you plan what content you need, write content if you want, and recommend photo options.
If you have a photographer, we can also give guidance on what shots will be most useful.
How does billing work?
Most projects start with a 50 percent deposit. The remaining balance is due when the project is complete and ready to launch.
For larger projects, we can split payments into milestones.
What are your business hours?
We are available Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm Pacific Time. We are closed on weekends and major holidays.
Web Design & Development
What platform do you build websites on?
We choose the platform that fits your business. Most of our new websites are custom-coded with no templates or page builders, so they load fast, stay secure and are simple to manage. We can also build on WordPress when a project calls for it. We do not build on do-it-yourself site builders. Most clients have us handle everything through our website management.
Will my website be mobile friendly?
Yes. Every website we build is designed to work well on phones, tablets, and desktops.
Can you redesign or improve my existing website?
In most cases, yes. It depends on how your current site was built and what you want to change.
Send us your site and we will tell you what is realistic.
Do you build custom designs or use templates?
Custom, every time. We design your site around your business, your goals and your customers, and we code it ourselves. No templates, no page builders, and no swapping colors on a pre-made layout.
Can you add online payments, e commerce, or a shop?
Yes. We can build online ordering and e commerce features depending on what you sell and how you deliver.
If you are not sure what you need, we can recommend a simple first version that can grow over time.
Can you integrate my website with third party tools like a CRM or email marketing?
Yes. We regularly integrate websites with CRMs, email marketing tools, booking systems, and other platforms.
Will my website load fast?
We build websites with speed in mind. That includes clean structure, performance focused hosting options, and smart optimization.
If speed is a priority, ask us about our speed optimization service.
Do you set up analytics and tracking?
Yes. We can set up GA4, Google Search Console, and other tracking so you can measure traffic and leads.
Do you help with spam protection on forms?
Yes. We set up form spam protection and security best practices so your inbox does not get flooded.
SEO & Visibility
Can you help with SEO?
Yes. We offer SEO services and one time audits to help your site rank better and attract more of your ideal customers.
Learn more here: SEO Services.
Do you help with local SEO?
Yes. Local SEO is a major focus for many of our clients. That includes service area targeting, location pages, and Google Business Profile support.
What is GEO and how is it different from SEO?
GEO stands for Generative Engine Optimization. It focuses on how your brand shows up in AI answers, not just traditional search results.
In practice, GEO often includes the same fundamentals as great SEO plus content structure, clear entity signals, and structured data so AI tools understand and trust your business.
How do you optimize a website for AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity?
We focus on clarity, structure, and trust signals. That includes strong service pages, helpful FAQs, consistent business information, internal linking, and schema markup.
We also help you publish content that answers real customer questions in a way that is easy for both people and AI systems to understand.
Do you add schema markup to help SEO and AI discovery?
Yes. When it makes sense, we add structured data like Organization, LocalBusiness, Service, Breadcrumb, Article, Product, and FAQ schema.
Schema helps search engines and AI tools interpret your content more accurately.
Do you guarantee rankings?
No. Any company that guarantees a specific ranking is not being honest about how search works.
What we do guarantee is a strong foundation, clear strategy, and quality execution that improves your odds over time.
How long does SEO take to show results?
SEO is not instant. Many businesses start seeing movement within a few months, but the biggest gains usually come with 6 to 12 months of steady work.
Timelines depend on your competition, your market, and how consistent the effort is.
Will you help improve my Google Business Profile?
Yes. For local businesses, your Google Business Profile is often a major lead source. We can help you improve categories, services, content, and overall visibility.
Hosting, Maintenance, & Support
Do you offer website hosting?
Yes. We offer high performance cloud hosting with backups, security monitoring, and speed optimization.
Learn more about our hosting here: Website Hosting.
What is included with your hosting?
Hosting typically includes daily backups, security monitoring, malware scanning, performance optimization, and support.
Details can vary by plan, so we will recommend what fits your site and budget.
What happens after my website launches?
We keep going. After launch we host, secure, update and improve your website, make the changes you ask for, and can grow it with SEO and Google Ads. Most clients stay with us for years because it works for them. See how website management works.
Can I update my website myself?
You can, if you want to. We never lock you out, and we can show you how to make common updates safely. Most of our clients prefer to have us handle changes for them, which is part of our website management.
Once my website is live, how do updates and maintenance work?
Most of our clients have us handle it. Tell us what you need, like new photos, text, links or a new page, by email or phone, and we make the change. Everyday changes are part of our website management, and bigger projects like a new feature or a major upgrade are quoted first, so there are no surprises. Many updates are completed within one business day.
Do you handle WordPress and plugin updates?
Yes. If your site is on WordPress, we handle core updates, plugin updates and ongoing security checks as part of managing it. Learn more here: WordPress Updates and Plugin Maintenance.
Can you help if my website goes down or gets hacked?
Yes. If your site has an issue, we can help investigate and fix it. If you are on a maintenance plan, you get faster support and proactive monitoring.
Branding, Content, & Print
Do you design logos and brand identities?
Yes. We design logos, brand systems, color palettes, typography, and supporting brand assets.
Branding details here: Branding and Identity.
Do you provide content writing services?
Yes. We can write website content that is clear, helpful, and optimized for search visibility.
Do you offer graphic design and print design?
Yes. We provide graphic design and print design for business cards, brochures, flyers, and more.
Explore options here: Print Design and Printing.
Ownership, Access, & Practical Questions
Will I own my website when it is finished?
Yes. You own your website and your content. We build it for you. We are here to support you long term, but you are not trapped.
Can you keep my domain name and email the same?
In most cases, yes. We can usually rebuild or replace the website while keeping your domain and email working normally.
Can you work with my existing hosting or do I have to switch?
We can sometimes work with existing hosting, but we may recommend a move if it is slow, unreliable, or insecure.
If you want hosting we fully support, view our hosting service.
Why invest in professional web design instead of going with a cheaper option?
Cheaper websites often come with slow performance, poor structure, limited flexibility, and little to no support.
A professionally built website is easier to manage, performs better in search engines, and grows with your business over time.
What services does Graticle Design offer?
We build, host and manage websites, and grow them with SEO and Google Ads. We also design logos and brands, graphics and print materials, so everything matches. Explore our services here: Services.
How will my website perform on Google and other search engines?
We build every website with SEO fundamentals in mind. That includes clean structure, fast load times, mobile friendly design, and clear navigation.
If you want ongoing growth, we also offer SEO services after launch.
Still Have a Question?
Call or send us a message. The first step is always free.
