Everything you should know before you hire us

We remove the usual risk and confusion. You get a custom preview first, then decide. Pricing is fixed, scope is clear, and there is no forced monthly contract after launch.

No. You pay for the build you approve. Ongoing support is optional. If you want us to host and maintain, we offer low-cost plans, but you are not locked in.

Fixed pricing gives businesses control and confidence. You know exactly what you are buying, what outcomes to expect, and what the next step costs.

Service businesses that want more qualified leads, clearer positioning, and a faster site without the monthly agency trap.

Next.js is a modern React framework built for production websites and applications. It supports server rendering, static rendering, smart routing, and strong performance defaults.

Because it gives tighter performance control, cleaner architecture, fewer plugin dependencies, and better long-term maintainability for growth-focused business sites.

Next.js was introduced by Vercel in 2016 to make React production-ready with routing and server rendering built in. It has grown into one of the most adopted frameworks for serious web products.

Examples often cited include Nike (performance-optimized product and marketing pages), Hulu (server-side rendering for SEO and speed), Twitch (parts of its web experience), Netflix (certain marketing and landing experiences), IBM, Uber, McDonald's, and Starbucks.

No. WordPress can work well with the right architecture and maintenance. The problem is many installs become plugin-heavy and hard to optimize over time. We choose the stack that protects performance and business outcomes.

Yes. We can integrate a CMS or structured admin workflow when needed. You get modern performance with practical content editing.

It means your site does not have to stop at brochure pages. With Next.js, we can move from a high-converting marketing site into custom tools like quote flows, client portals, dashboards, gated content, and API-driven workflows on the same foundation.

For business websites, almost anything is possible with the right scope and budget. If a feature is complex, we phase it: launch fast with core lead-generation pages, then add advanced functionality without rebuilding from scratch.

SEO is the process of making your website easier for search engines and people to trust, understand, and choose. Better SEO increases relevant visibility and lead opportunities.

Search engines crawl pages, interpret structure and content, evaluate quality signals, and rank results by relevance and authority. Strong SEO aligns your pages with real search intent and technical best practices.

Because high-intent customers search when they need help now. If your site is slow, unclear, or poorly structured, better competitors capture those leads.

Core technical and on-page foundation: crawlability, metadata, indexability, page structure, internal linking logic, and baseline schema where relevant.

No. Every build includes SEO-ready infrastructure and technical baseline optimization, but ongoing SEO growth services are optional add-ons based on your goals.

No ethical agency should guarantee exact rankings. We do guarantee a strong technical and conversion-ready foundation plus a clear roadmap for growth work.

Nothing for the initial preview. You review the concept first, then decide if you want to purchase and launch.

You pay nothing. The preview is archived and ownership remains with us.

During the risk-free preview, there is no charge, so there is nothing to refund. Once you approve the preview and commit to the build, we keep working on look and feel within the agreed scope until you are fully satisfied before final handoff, but the main site build fee is non-refundable after commitment because delivery capacity, design/development time, and project allocation are already reserved. For subscriptions, payments are also non-refundable for the active billing period because infrastructure and operations are committed in advance for that cycle. Most billing periods are 30 days unless you selected a longer term commitment.

No for one-time builds. Monthly support is optional there: Care is $99/month and Care Plus is $199/month. In subscription builds, Care is already included by default and Care Plus is optional.

Yes. We offer a $0 upfront build when you host with us on a minimum 1-year term: Launch Site is $229/month, Growth Site is $329/month, and Authority Site is $479/month. Subscription pricing includes Care (hosting + security updates). Care Plus is optional. Longer initial commitments get lower pricing: 25% off for 2 years and 33% off for 3 years.

You own the delivered site IP and code and can take it elsewhere. If you stay with us, you can either renew the same contract length at 20% off or switch to month-to-month at regular pricing. Month-to-month can be canceled anytime, but we do not prorate refunds inside an active billing period because infrastructure and operations for that cycle are already committed. Most billing periods are 30 days unless you selected a longer term commitment.

Because we separate build economics from support economics. You should not be forced into inflated retainers just to maintain a site that is already built correctly.

No hidden fees. Scope, price, and optional add-ons are transparent.

We can scope a custom package around your exact requirements when your project needs deeper workflows, integrations, or product-style functionality. You still get clear scope, fixed pricing, and milestone-based delivery, and custom timelines are explicitly defined during scoping.

Yes. We offer 15% off when you bundle 2 add-ons and 25% off when you bundle 3 or more add-ons. Bundle discounts apply when add-ons are scoped together before build kickoff.

If a package shows '/month', it is recurring monthly. If it does not show '/month', it is a project/setup charge. The calculator separates SEO setup/project totals from SEO monthly totals so pricing is clear.

No. SEO packages are already priced aggressively and are excluded from bundle discounts, term discounts, and pay-upfront discounts.

No. You choose one cadence at a time: either 1 piece/month or 2 pieces/month.

Yes. It is included with the Authority Package. If selected separately, it is available as a standalone audit.

Yes. We can convert existing sites from WordPress, Ruby-based stacks, and most other platforms into Next.js quickly. Flat refactor pricing is $950 (Launch), $1,450 (Growth), and $2,250 (Authority), plus add-ons if needed. We also offer refactor subscriptions at $198, $278, and $408/month, and the refactor itself is included at $0 upfront in that subscription model. Care is included in refactor subscriptions, and Care Plus is optional. Multi-year discounts are the same: 25% off for 2 years and 33% off for 3 years.

Because refactors are WYSIWYG conversions with less design discovery overhead. We are not inventing a brand-new visual direction from zero, so budget can focus on migration quality, SEO improvements, performance hardening, and production-ready delivery.

Yes. We build online stores with product setup, cart and checkout configuration, shipping and tax logic, and conversion-ready mobile UX.

We support Stripe, Shopify Payments, PayPal, Square, Authorize.Net, Affirm, Klarna, and Afterpay based on your platform and business model.

Yes. We can configure live shipping rates and workflow automation for UPS, FedEx, and USPS, including policy and fulfillment logic.

Yes. We configure tax logic and automation settings based on your nexus requirements and product/shipping profile.

Yes. Coupon and discount rule setup is included in ecommerce implementation and can be extended for seasonal promotion workflows.

No. Guest checkout can stay enabled by default for lower friction. If you want account dashboards, order history, or member-only features, we add that as a Customer Portal add-on.

You provide product data, pricing, SKUs, photos, shipping/return policy details, and access to payment/shipping accounts. We handle implementation and go-live.

Yes. We offer one-time ecommerce build packages and product-tiered subscription pricing by catalog size and term length.

Yes. We can configure UTM-ready links and analytics tagging so you can measure channel quality, conversions, and revenue trends more accurately.

An add-on is optional extra functionality or growth support you can attach to your website package. You only buy add-ons you actually need. Each one is meant to solve a specific business problem, like capturing better leads, improving local visibility, or managing client data.

Lead Flow Pro improves how inquiries are captured and routed. It connects your form flow to follow-up logic so prospects do not fall through the cracks. The benefit is faster response time and more reliable lead handling.

This adds online appointment scheduling to your site. Instead of back-and-forth emails, visitors can pick a time directly. The benefit is lower friction and more qualified calls booked.

CMS means Content Management System. It gives you an editor-friendly area to publish or update content without changing code. The benefit is easier content updates and better long-term SEO publishing workflow.

Reviews Engine displays customer proof in a structured way on your site. The benefit is increased trust and stronger conversion confidence for new visitors.

This sets up measurement so you can see where leads come from and what actions visitors take. The benefit is better decision-making: you can invest in channels that actually produce revenue.

This adds a secure database layer for storing and managing structured business data. The benefit is that your site can support custom workflows instead of only static brochure pages.

This creates an internal management interface for your team. The benefit is operational control: you can manage records, submissions, and workflows from one place.

This gives your customers secure login access to protected content or account-specific information. The benefit is a more professional client experience and better information control.

This adds a private document area for sharing files like statements of work, invoices, and related records. The benefit is cleaner communication and centralized documentation.

This builds a structured local page framework for multiple towns or service areas. The benefit is better local discoverability when you serve more than one area.

This is ongoing monthly content creation aligned to search intent. The benefit is long-term authority growth and broader keyword coverage over time, not overnight ranking jumps.

This improves your Google Business Profile setup and activity for local visibility. The benefit is stronger map-pack presence and better local discovery behavior.

This is project-based local search architecture work: service-area expansion, structure cleanup, and local page rollout. The benefit is a cleaner local footprint that scales better in competitive markets.

This is ongoing monthly refinement after initial local SEO structure is in place. The benefit is steady optimization instead of one-and-done stagnation.

This reviews conversion flow, messaging, and performance friction so existing traffic converts better. The benefit is better ROI from the traffic you already get. It is included with the Authority Package.

Preview in 2-3 days. Standard delivery windows are capped at 1 week for Launch Site, 2 weeks for Growth Site, and 3 weeks for Authority Site. Custom project timelines are explicitly set during scoping.

Most refactor projects are delivered in under 1 week. On delivery, the site is SEO-optimized at a strong baseline, the code is fully turned over to you, and you can host anywhere or keep hosting with us.

Core service details, market/location focus, examples of sites you like, and access to brand assets if available.

Yes. We can manage hosting and deployment or hand off to your preferred infrastructure.

No. Your domain can stay at any registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare, Google, etc.). The only requirement is that someone on your side can access and update DNS settings so we can point records correctly at launch.

Yes. We include light and dark mode support by default in our builds so your site looks strong in both preferences from day one.

Yes. Once paid, the production deliverable is yours under the agreed scope and handoff terms.

If you choose a one-and-done build, we hand over your production code and deployment setup so you can host it anywhere you want. After final payment, you own the site IP for the delivered custom work.

No. We never advertise our name on your site. You will not see 'Created by Clear Oak Studio' or any other self-promotion on your website. Your site is your site. We rely on word-of-mouth referrals only if you are 1000% satisfied with your experience.

Yes. We support growth with add-ons like CRM flows, customer login portals, admin tools, booking systems, and database-backed workflows.

Because your website is part of your revenue pipeline. A hacked site can damage trust, disrupt leads, hurt rankings, and create legal or operational risk. Security is not optional if your site is supposed to drive business.

Every launch includes baseline protection at no additional monthly cost: HTTPS, production-safe deployment configuration, hardened form handling, and baseline bot/spam protection setup.

Your site runs on modern cloud infrastructure with encrypted traffic, managed DNS, SSL/TLS, and edge-layer protection. We deploy with a hardened production setup, keep security updates in place, and can layer stronger controls (WAF, advanced bot protection, load balancing, and routing controls) when your risk profile or traffic demands it.

Common edge-security tiers are available as optional upgrades. Typical ranges: Starter edge protection ($20-$25/month), advanced edge security ($200-$250/month), smart-routing add-ons (from $5/month plus usage), load balancing (from $5/month), and advanced certificate options (from $10/month).

For most local and small-business sites, our out-of-the-box baseline is enough. Advanced security is typically recommended when you have higher traffic, elevated abuse risk, stricter compliance requirements, or business-critical uptime needs.

Yes. We handle DNS/security configuration, SSL/TLS setup, caching behavior, WAF baseline, and bot protection strategy based on your traffic profile and risk level.

Advanced provider add-ons are usually billed as pass-through costs. We keep setup, monthly spend, and management scope transparent so there are no surprise markups.