Website Design FAQs – Mullen Web Design Suffolk & Norfolk

I believe in being completely open about costs from the start. When you’re looking for a new website, it can feel uncomfortable contacting companies with no idea what they might charge. I don’t want anyone to feel hesitant to get in touch because they’re worried it could be out of their budget.

By clearly showing my packages and prices, you can immediately see what’s included and decide whether it feels right for you. If it does, great, we can have a relaxed conversation and take it from there. If it doesn’t, that’s absolutely fine too.

I’d much rather keep things simple and transparent than make you guess.

I run my business in a simple and straightforward way. I don’t have large agency overheads, sales teams, office costs or layers of management built into my pricing. When you work with me, you’re working directly with the person designing and building your website.

Because of that, I’m able to keep my prices fair and realistic for small and growing businesses.

I genuinely believe that every business, whether it’s a local coffee shop, a tradesperson, or a growing company should be able to afford a professional, modern website without it feeling like a huge financial risk.

My pricing reflects that mindset. You get a high-quality, bespoke website built properly, but without inflated costs or unnecessary extras.

When you decide to go ahead, I take a 50% deposit to secure your booking and begin work.

I will design your homepage first and send it over for you to review. Once you are happy with the overall style and layout, I will build the remaining pages using that agreed design.

When your website is finished, approved by you, and ready to go live, the remaining 50% is due.

I keep things simple and clear. There are no hidden extras and no unexpected charges.

Your 50% deposit secures your booking and allows me to begin work on your website.

If you change your mind very shortly after booking and I have not yet started work on your project, I am happy to refund your deposit. I believe in being fair, and if no time has been spent on the build, there is no issue.

Once work has started, the deposit covers the time and design work already completed. If at any stage you are unsure about anything, we will discuss it and resolve it before moving forward.

My goal is always to make sure you are genuinely happy with the final result. I will make changes and refinements as needed throughout the process so that everything looks and works exactly as you expect before the website goes live.

Yes, I do build e-commerce websites.

While my three main packages are focused on service-based business websites, I have set up online stores in the past and I am experienced with e-commerce builds.

I use WordPress along with WooCommerce, which gives you full ownership and control over your website and products. This setup allows you to manage stock, payments and orders directly through your own site.

Because every online shop is different, e-commerce websites are quoted separately. The cost depends on factors such as how many products you plan to sell and how complex the setup needs to be. A small shop with a handful of products is very different from a large store with hundreds or thousands.

The best approach is to have a sensible discussion about what you are looking to achieve, and I can then provide a clear and tailored quote.

If you are already using another e-commerce system, that can usually be integrated into a website I build, so we can look at that option too.

To do a really good job, I usually allow around two weeks. That gives me the time to design everything properly, test it thoroughly, and make sure it is working exactly as it should.

I do not rush builds just to hit a deadline. I would much rather take a little extra time and make sure you are genuinely happy with the final result.

I always start with the homepage first. Once that is designed, I will send it over to you so you can see the overall style and layout. We can tweak anything you would like to change before moving forward. When you are happy with the homepage, I then roll that same design style across the rest of the website, such as your About page, Services, Contact page and any others we have planned.

The project moves at a steady and comfortable pace, and I keep you involved throughout so there are no surprises.

Yes, absolutely. You do not need any technical knowledge at all.

All I need from you is a simple explanation of your business. Tell me what you do, who your customers are, what services you offer, and what makes you different. If you have a logo, some photos or examples of your work, that’s perfect. If not, we can source suitable images together.

From there, I take care of the technical side. I design the layout, structure the pages properly, organise the content and build everything so it works smoothly and looks professional.

You focus on running your business. I’ll focus on building your website.

Yes, I can certainly help with that.

I usually recommend that you start by telling me, in your own words, what you would like to say. It does not need to be perfectly written. It just needs to explain your services, your experience and what makes your business different.

From there, I will refine and shape the content so it reads clearly, flows naturally and represents your business in the right tone. I also structure the text carefully so it is easy for visitors to understand and properly optimised for search engines.

Every project is slightly different, so we will choose the approach that works best for you.

Yes, of course.

I have access to a large range of fully licensed stock image libraries, which means I can source professional, high quality photographs suitable for your type of business. Whether you run a coffee shop, a dog grooming service, a construction company or anything in between, there are usually plenty of relevant images available that can represent your brand beautifully.

If you would prefer to use your own photographs, that is absolutely fine too. Modern phone cameras are more than capable of producing great images for the web. As long as the photos are clear and good quality, we can review them together and choose the best ones to use.

Many clients like to mix both, using professional stock images alongside real photos of their own work, premises or customers. We will choose whatever approach feels most authentic to your business.

Yes, I am always happy to help if you are looking to move your website over.

The process depends on how your current website has been built. There are many different platforms and hosting systems out there. In some cases, it is possible to transfer a website directly across to my hosting. In other situations, it may need to be rebuilt using my platform.

If a rebuild is required, that can often be a good opportunity to improve the design, update the layout and modernise the overall look and performance of the site.

The best thing to do is let me review your current setup. I will then give you clear and honest advice on the most sensible and cost effective way forward.

Hosting fees are what keep your website live and accessible on the internet. Think of it as the space your website sits on so people can visit it anytime, day or night. All of your hosting fees are included with all of my website packages for the first 12 months.

All my website packages include 12 months of hosting to get you started, with no monthly payments during that time. As your first year comes to an end, I’ll contact you in advance to see if you’d like to continue. Hosting then simply carries on as a rolling monthly service to keep your website online.

Hosting is very affordable at just £20 per month, this can be paid monthly by standing order to keep things simple and stress-free. All of your normal benefits are still included. My hosting fees have always remained the same & the cost has never increased. I aim to keep these as low as possible for as long as possible.

Your website includes the first 12 months of hosting and maintenance. Towards the end of that period, I will get in touch to see if you would like to continue.

If you do, the cost is £20 per month on a simple rolling basis. There are no long contracts and no requirement to pay a year upfront. You can continue month by month for as long as you need.

This keeps things flexible and affordable while ensuring your website remains secure, updated and online.

Yes, absolutely. Making sure your website works perfectly on mobile phones and tablets is one of my top priorities.

Most people now browse on their phones, so every website I build is carefully designed and tested to look clean, clear and easy to use on all devices.

Yes, every website I build includes SEO as standard.

That means your pages are structured properly, titled correctly and set up in a way that helps Google understand what your business does and where you are based.

For smaller local businesses with low competition, this is often enough to appear well in local searches.

If you operate in a more competitive area or want to target multiple towns or services, the Business and Business Plus packages allow us to create additional pages and focus more specifically on those search terms.

While no one can guarantee a number one position on Google, I always build your website with strong foundations so it has the best possible chance of performing well.

I always recommend that you purchase your own domain name so that you remain the official owner. This keeps everything clear and gives you full control over your business identity online.

It is very quick and straightforward to do. I usually suggest using 123 Reg, as the process is simple and reliable. A .co.uk domain is often a good choice for UK businesses, but you are free to choose whichever extension suits you best.

Once your domain is purchased, I will guide you through the small steps needed to connect it to your website.

From there, I handle the technical setup and hosting on my side, so everything runs smoothly.

When you work with me, you deal directly with me from start to finish.

I design your website, build it, test it and support it myself. That means I get to properly understand your business and what you are trying to achieve. There are no middlemen, no call centres and no support tickets.

If you have a question, you speak to the same person who built your website and knows it inside out.

Many clients prefer this because it keeps communication simple, consistent and personal.

Not at all.

I have worked in IT for over 25 years, including web hosting, infrastructure and technical support at a commercial level.

Your domain name is always registered in your name, and your website is not locked into any hidden system. Everything is structured so that it can be transferred if it ever needed to be.

Most clients actually prefer working with one consistent person who understands their business properly and looks after everything personally.

Yes, absolutely. If you are local to Eye or Framlingham or nearby, I am very happy to meet in person.

That said, many clients actually prefer a phone call or video call. It saves time and everything we need to discuss can be covered just as clearly that way.

I try to keep the process flexible and practical, so we can choose whatever works best for you.

I am based in Eye, Suffolk, close to the Norfolk border.

Because of that, I regularly work with businesses across both Suffolk and Norfolk. I also work with people across the UK & have a number of clients from all over the country.