The Website Iceberg
A transparent approach to small business websites.
Above the surface you have a visually appealing design with some nice photos. The visible tip is where most agencies put all their efforts because it’s what you see. It looks good in a portfolio and they know it’s how most clients will judge their work.
But what about everything below the surface, the things you can’t see?
What lies beneath the surface?
A website is a complex system where the most critical components are completely invisible to a business owner. Getting these details right is the difference between a valuable digital asset and a costly failure.
- Code Quality & Structure: How clean and efficient the underlying code is, determining if the site is stable or breaks easily.
- Performance & Speed: Whether the site loads quickly on all devices or frustrates visitors and hurts search rankings.
- Technical & On-Page SEO: The structure that helps search engines find your site, including optimized titles, descriptions, and internal links.
- Accessibility (WCAG): The technical standards that allow people with disabilities to navigate and use your site effectively.
- Security & Backups: The protective measures and reliable backups that shield your site from digital threats and data loss.
- Hosting Infrastructure: The platform your website runs on, which dictates its speed, reliability, and ability to handle traffic.
- Ongoing Support: The plan for handling updates, fixing issues, and who to call when something goes wrong.
- True Cost of Ownership: The total cost beyond the initial build, including unexpected fees and maintenance charges for years to come.
How you can better evaluate providers.
Any professional agency or freelancer should be able to answer these questions with confidence and clarity. If they are vague, dismissive, or can’t provide direct answers, consider it a major red flag. They are likely hoping you won’t look below the surface.
Website Design & Development
- Do you use premade designs and templates?
- Will my website adhere to WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility guidelines?
- Will you use any third-party themes or plugins that require annual fees?
Web Hosting
- Does your company use a third-party hosting service?
- Are there any uptime or performance guarantees?
- If I have a hosting issue, do I contact you or different provider?
Search Engine Optimization
- Do you include any foundational or technical SEO when building the website?
- Do you rely on a plugin or other software to perform SEO?
- Will my website have proper Schema.org markup embedded?
Support and Maintenance
- What is your hourly rate for support and do you offer support packages?
- Do you have a guarantee for support response times?
- What is the process for requesting support?
Ending Service
- Do I own the website?
- Will I have to pay a fee to take my website to another provider?
- Do you have any minimum term commitments?
Our answers to the tough questions:
We believe a strong partnership is built on transparency. That’s why we encourage you to ask the tough questions; the ones that reveal the true quality and long-term value of a website service. An informed business owner is our ideal client. Here are our direct answers:
Website Design & Development
We do not use premade templates. Every site is custom designed, built to adhere to WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility standards, and uses our proprietary framework to avoid unreliable and costly third-party plugins.
Web Hosting
We do not white-label a third-party hosting service. Our hosting platform is custom built on Google Cloud and includes guarantee 99.9% uptime. You directly contact your dedicated Cemah account manager for any hosting issues.
Search Engine Optimization
Foundational SEO is included in every plan. We include comprehensive Schema.org markup, and don’t rely on third-party plugins for core functionality.
Support & Maintenance
Our plans include quarterly content updates with predictable costs, not surprise hourly bills. We guarantee a two-business-day completion time for requests, which are made by emailing your dedicated account manager.
Ending Service
You fully own your website after the initial 24-month term. There is no fee to leave, and we provide a full export. The website is fully portable to other web providers.
Your website should be a powerful asset, not a hidden liability.
Your business deserves a partner who is responsible for the whole iceberg. We’re fully dedicated to transparency and include everything, both above and below the surface as standard features.