Flat-fee website for your dietitian practice? 7 questions to ask first

A flat fee means you know the price before you start. That's a real help when you're opening a practice. But a fixed price always comes with a fixed scope, so the question isn't "is it cheap?" but "what exactly does it cover, and what costs extra later?"

Here are seven questions to ask any flat-fee designer, ours included. Under each one, we give our own answer, so you can compare.

1. How many pages are included, and what does an extra page cost?

Most flat fees cover a set number of pages. If you later want a separate page for each specialty, a corporate wellness page or a team page, that may cost extra.

Ask: "Which pages do I get, and what is the price per extra page?"

Our answer: up to 5 pages, for example Home, About, Services (with a section for each specialty), FAQ and Contact. Extra pages are $57 each. You can write as many blog posts as you like yourself.

2. Who writes the words?

Low flat fees often expect you to write every word yourself. That can take weeks, and it's where many launches stall.

Ask: "Do you write any copy, or do I supply all of it? What does copywriting cost?"

Our answer: basic copy is included. We write it from your answers to our start questions (who you help, your approach, your story, words you like and words to avoid), and you check every word, especially credentials and anything health-related. A dedicated copywriter who writes only for dietitians and nutritionists is an optional extra, quoted before you decide.

3. Will you set up my booking and intake tool?

Your site's main job is to get the right person to book. If connecting Practice Better, Healthie, SimplePractice or Calendly costs extra, the "cheap" price isn't the real price.

Ask: "Is connecting my booking tool included? Will there be a booking button on every page?"

Our answer: included. Your booking link or widget goes where it helps on every page. Booking and intake stay inside your practice platform's own secure portal, so health details don't pass through a website form. If you haven't set up the platform itself yet, we can do it for $197 once.

4. How many rounds of changes do I get before launch?

Flat fees usually include a set number of revision rounds. After that, changes are billed by the hour.

Ask: "How many rounds of changes are included, and what does a change cost after that?"

Our answer: two rounds of changes before launch, then 30 days of free fixes after launch. Beyond that, $20 an hour, and we tell you the hours before we start.

5. What do I pay every month after launch?

A website needs hosting, security updates and backups. Some flat-fee services make their monthly plan compulsory.

Ask: "What are my monthly costs? Is your plan required? Is there a contract?"

Our answer: hosting and care is optional, at $47 a month with no contract. It covers hosting, updates, backups, security and up to one hour of small edits a month. You can host anywhere else instead. Your domain renewal is paid to your registrar, not to us.

6. What happens if I stop paying?

This is the question that shows lock-in. On some plans your site disappears when you cancel, because you only rented it.

Ask: "If I cancel, do I keep my website? In what form?"

Our answer: the website is yours once it's paid for. If you leave our hosting, you get a full copy and one free move to the host you choose.

7. Who owns the domain and the files?

Ask: "Whose account is my domain in? Do I get admin access to my site?"

Our answer: the domain is in your own name and account. You get full administrator access to your WordPress site.

Red flags in any flat-fee offer

• The page count or revision limit isn't written down anywhere.
• The domain is registered in the designer's account.
• "Unlimited" everything, with no explanation of how that's possible.
• A promise of rankings, clients or income. Nobody can promise those.
• "HIPAA compliant website" as a blanket claim. Compliance depends on your whole setup, including the tools you use and the agreements you sign with them.

Is a flat fee right for you?

A flat fee suits you if you want a professional site live soon, you know roughly who you help, and you'd rather spend your budget on getting clients than on a long brand project. A custom brand studio suits you better if you want weeks of brand strategy and are ready to invest several thousand dollars.

Either way, get the answers to these seven questions in writing before you pay. If you'd like to compare ours with someone else's, everything above is also on what's included and pricing, or you can ask Omar.