FAQ

Fair questions, straight answers.

What owners want to know before they hire a web agency. Can’t find yours? Email contact@porchlightdev.com, and we’ll reply as soon as we can, usually within one business day.

Getting started

What’s the free demo, and is it really free?

Yes, it’s really free. We build a demo of your new website with your business name, photos and services, then show it to you on a video call, or in person when we can. If you like it, we talk about next steps. If not, you owe us nothing.

Get a free demo
You’re new. Why should I trust you?

Fair question. We’re a new agency, so we don’t have a long list of past clients, and we won’t fake one. Here’s what we offer instead: you see your own website before you pay, our prices are published, your domain and content are yours, and our sample work is right here on this site.

See our work
What kinds of businesses do you work with?

Local businesses whose customers look them up before they call, book or visit: restaurants and cafés, home services and trades, salons, barbers and spas, auto repair and detailing, and other storefront businesses.

Who we help
Do you work with businesses anywhere in Canada?

Yes. We build and run your website online, so it doesn’t matter where your business is. We show you your demo on a video call, or in person when we can.

How long does it take to launch?

Your site launches within 14 days of us receiving your content. We agree on a launch date together. If a few things are still missing by then, we still launch on that date and add them later as a monthly change.

How it works
What do I need to give you?

Your logo, photos, services or menu, opening hours, service area, any booking or ordering links, and access to your domain account if you have one. It all goes in one simple content form. You don’t have to write anything. We write the words and fill any gaps from your Google and Instagram.

Pricing and payments

How much does a website cost?

The launch package is $490, one time. After launch, you’re on a monthly plan: Care at $39 a month or Growth at $59 a month, with a 12-month minimum. Prices are in Canadian dollars, plus applicable taxes.

See pricing
When do I pay?

You pay $245 when you sign up and $245 when your site launches, plus applicable taxes. Your monthly plan starts at launch, and it’s charged to your card automatically.

Is there a contract or a minimum term?

Yes. You sign a service agreement, and monthly plans have a 12-month minimum. After that, you can cancel with 30 days’ notice. Pay yearly and get one month free. That’s $429 a year for Care or $649 for Growth, plus applicable taxes.

Why is there a monthly fee?

Your monthly plan keeps your website online and up to date. It covers hosting, a security certificate, backups and uptime monitoring, plus minor changes every month: 1 on Care, 2 on Growth. You never have to deal with hosting or certificates yourself.

Are there any hidden fees?

No. Our prices and our price list for extras are on our pricing page. Bigger jobs are quoted before any work starts, so you know the price first. Booking and ordering platforms charge their own fees, separate from ours. Your domain’s yearly fee is paid separately, to the company you register it with.

See the price list
Do you offer any discounts?

Pay yearly and get one month free. Refer a business that signs with us, and you get a free month.

See pricing

What’s included

What’s included in the launch package?

Up to 5 pages, built from our template for your type of business. Your site is fast, mobile-friendly and secure (HTTPS), and we write the copy. You get tap-to-call, directions, a contact form and your opening hours, basic search setup linked to your Google Business Profile, and buttons for the booking, reservation or ordering accounts you already use. You also get 2 rounds of revisions, and your site launches within 14 days of us receiving your content.

See all services
How many pages do I get?

Up to 5. A typical site has Home, Services or Menu, About, Gallery and Contact. Need another page later? It’s $150, plus applicable taxes.

Why not build it myself with a website builder?

You can, and some owners do. But it takes time: writing, photos, setup, connecting your booking or ordering, and keeping it all current. We do all of that for you, and when you need something, a real person answers.

Will my site look like everyone else’s?

No. We start from our template for your type of business, so the layout already works for how your customers call, book or order. Then we build it with your name, logo, photos, menu or services and hours, and we write the words. It ends up looking like your business, not like a sample.

See our sample sites

Changes and care

What counts as a minor change?

Small updates: editing text, swapping photos, updating hours, prices or menu items, or adding a promotion or announcement banner. New pages or sections, redesigns, new integrations and rewriting a full menu or services list are bigger jobs, and we quote them separately.

Minor changes explained
How do I ask for a change?

Use our change request form. It keeps every request in one place, so nothing gets lost in a text or a voicemail. We don’t take change requests by text or phone.

Request a change
What if I need more changes than my plan includes?

Extra minor changes are $35 each, and a new page is $150. Larger changes are $75 an hour, and we quote them before any work starts. All prices are plus applicable taxes. Unused changes don’t carry over to the next month.

What’s the difference between Care and Growth?

Both include hosting, a security certificate, backups and uptime monitoring. Care ($39 a month) includes 1 minor change a month. Growth ($59 a month) includes 2, and your requests are handled before Care requests. All prices are plus applicable taxes.

Ownership and cancelling

Who owns my website and domain?

Your domain is registered in your name, and you pay its yearly fee to the company you register it with. Your content is yours, including the words we write once your launch package is paid. Your site is built from our templates, which stay ours, but you get a permanent right to use, change and move its files. If you ever leave, we hand them over on request.

My old web designer has my domain. Can you help?

Often, yes. Our content form asks how to get into your domain account. If a past designer or company still controls your domain, we’ll help you work through getting access back. It can take a while, so tell us early.

Can I cancel?

Yes. Monthly plans have a 12-month minimum. After that, you can cancel with 30 days’ notice, and we hand over your site files on request. Your domain is already in your name. Our service terms have the full details.

Read our service terms
What happens if a payment fails?

Monthly fees are charged to your card automatically. If a payment fails, we try the card again. If your account stays unpaid for 30 days, your site is paused until it’s paid.

Booking, ordering and other tools

Can customers book or order online?

Yes. We connect the platform you already use: OpenTable or Resy for restaurant reservations; Square Online, Toast Online Ordering or Clover Online Ordering for online ordering; Square Appointments, Calendly, Fresha, Vagaro or Booksy for appointments; Jobber or Housecall Pro for quotes and job booking; Stripe Payment Links or Square for deposits and payments. Using something else? Tell us which one, and we’ll connect it. We don’t build our own booking or ordering systems.

Everything we connect
I don’t have a booking or ordering system yet. Can you set one up?

Yes. We can set one up for you, including entering your menu or services. Tell us what you need, and we’ll quote it before we start. The platform charges its own fees, separate from ours. For restaurants, we match your online ordering to your POS.

Google and security

Can you get me to the top of Google?

No one can honestly promise that, and we won’t. We set up the search basics and link your site with your Google Business Profile, so customers who look you up find what they need. We don’t sell SEO campaigns, ads or social media management.

Is my website secure?

Every site we build uses HTTPS, with a security certificate we keep active. Our sites are simple, so there are fewer moving parts that can go wrong. No website is completely risk-free, so we also keep backups and monitor your site.

Still have a question?

Ask a real person. We’re happy to help, even if you’re not ready to buy.

We reply as soon as we can, usually within one business day.