Questions and answers

A custom theme is written for your business, while a template is a ready-made design sold to thousands of sites. Templates ship with code for features you will never use, which slows pages down and can break when plugins update. A custom theme is leaner, faster and looks like your brand, not everyone else’s.

A Rusted Web site takes 1 to 2 weeks for a Starter package, 2 to 4 weeks for Business and 4 to 8 weeks for Custom. The biggest factor is how quickly we receive your content and feedback. After final approval, the site goes live within 12 to 48 hours when we handle hosting and domain.

Yes, you can edit text, images, pages and blog posts yourself in the standard WordPress editor. Every handover includes a short training video. If you would rather not touch it, the Care Plan from R449 a month includes 30 minutes of content changes each month.

We can, but it is not included in the Starter and Business packages. You can supply your own text and we will tidy it for SEO, or add copywriting from R1 200 per page. The Custom package includes copywriting for your key pages, such as home, about and main services.

Yes, Rusted Web rebuilds existing sites on a new custom theme and keeps your current URLs or sets up 301 redirects so you do not lose Google rankings. Redesigns are priced like new builds, starting from R5 900, and we move your existing content across as part of the quote.

If you need logins, a client portal, a dashboard or other app-like features, a Next.js build is often a better fit than WordPress. Rusted Web builds these in-house from R16 500 for websites and R45 000 for apps. See React and Next.js websites, or ask us which option suits your project.

Choose WordPress if you want a fast, affordable site your team can edit easily, which suits most small businesses. Choose Next.js if you need an app-like product such as a portal, dashboard or logins, or very custom behaviour. Both can rank well. If you are unsure, tell us what the site must do and we will recommend the simpler option.

A React website is good for SEO only if its pages are rendered on the server. A plain client-side React app sends a nearly empty page, so crawlers may miss content. Next.js renders finished HTML for every page, so Google and AI tools can read it immediately. We add titles, schema, sitemaps and clean URLs on top.

A Next.js marketing site usually takes 3 to 6 weeks, and a web app or portal 6 to 12 weeks, depending on features and how quickly we receive content and feedback. You review a private preview link throughout the build, so there are no surprises at launch, and we handle the deployment to Vercel for you.

Yes, but how depends on the build. We can connect Next.js to a headless CMS or to WordPress, so you edit text, images and posts in a familiar editor while the site stays fast. For apps, we build simple admin screens for the things you change often. Anything else, we change for you on request.

You own the website and its code once the build is paid. The project lives in a repository under your own account, and it deploys to your own Vercel and Supabase accounts, so you are never locked in. Rusted Web can host and manage it for you from R750 a month, or hand everything over.

Rusted Web sets up PayFast, Yoco, Ozow, PayGate and Stripe on WooCommerce stores. PayFast and Yoco suit most South African shops, Ozow adds instant EFT, and Stripe or PayPal suit international customers. You open the merchant account in your business name, and we connect and test it.

WooCommerce is usually the better fit for South African small businesses because it has no monthly platform fee and works directly with local gateways like PayFast and Yoco. Shopify is easy to run but charges a US dollar subscription and an extra fee when you use a third-party gateway, which South African stores have to do.

A Rusted Web WooCommerce store takes 3 to 6 weeks, depending on the number of products and how quickly we get your photos and descriptions. Payment gateway approval can take a few days, so we ask you to apply for your merchant account at the start of the project.

Yes, you can add products, change prices, manage stock and process orders yourself from the WooCommerce dashboard. Every store comes with a training video. If you want help, our Care Plan covers updates and small changes, and bigger product uploads are quoted separately.

Hosting keeps your site online, while the Care Plan also keeps it updated and secure. Hosting from R199 a month covers the server, SSL, backups and SEO checks. The Care Plan from R449 a month adds WordPress and plugin updates, security scans and 30 minutes of content changes every month.

Yes, Rusted Web moves existing WordPress sites to our hosting, usually with no downtime. We copy the site, test it on a temporary link, then switch your domain when everything works. Migration is free for clients on a 12-month hosting or Care Plan agreement, otherwise it is quoted from R750.

You can move your site to any other host whenever you like, with 30 days notice. You own your website and domain, and we send you a full backup and help your new host with the transfer at no charge. There are no exit fees.

Email on your own domain can be added to your hosting. Ask us for the options. For teams that need shared calendars and large mailboxes, we set up Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, billed by those providers per user. Either way you get an address like hello@yourbusiness.co.za, which looks far more professional than a Gmail address.

Yes, but not on this plan, which is for WordPress sites only. For Next.js, React apps and other non-WordPress projects, Rusted Web offers separate managed hosting on Vercel and Supabase from R750 a month, with monitoring, backups and support. See Next.js and app hosting for the details and a quote.

Yes, we host and manage React and Next.js apps, static websites and other non-WordPress projects, including sites built by other developers. We review how the project is built first, then confirm the best platform and a fixed monthly fee. WordPress sites stay on our WordPress hosting from R199 a month.

No, the Hobby plan is for personal, non-commercial projects only, so a business website should be on Vercel Pro. Pro costs about US$20 per developer seat each month and includes more bandwidth and usage. We set up the right plan for your site and tell you when traffic means costs will change.

Usage-based costs only rise when traffic or data grows, and we monitor for this so you are warned first. Supabase Pro has spend caps on by default, and Vercel lets us set usage alerts. If a plan needs upgrading, we explain the reason and the new rand estimate before anything changes.

Usually yes. We start with a short review of the code, the database and how it is deployed, and quote a once-off setup from R1 950, which is free for sites we built. If the project has serious problems, we list them with fixed prices to repair. You never have to commit to repairs.

Hosting is month-to-month with 30 days notice, and there are no exit fees. Because your code, domain and platform accounts are in your name, leaving is simple. We send a full database backup and hand over documentation, and help your next provider with the transfer at no charge.

No, nobody can honestly guarantee first place on Google, and you should be wary of anyone who does. Google controls its rankings and changes them constantly. What we can promise is a clear monthly plan, work you can see on your site, and reports that track rankings, traffic and enquiries.

SEO earns free clicks from Google’s organic results over time, while Google Ads buys paid clicks that appear straight away. Ads stop when you stop paying, while good SEO keeps working. Many small businesses run Google Ads for quick enquiries while SEO builds up over the first few months.

Yes, a website without SEO is like a shop without a sign. Most new sites get very little traffic from Google until their pages target the right searches and Google trusts them. SEO makes sure your pages match what customers type, load fast and earn mentions from other sites.

AEO, or Answer Engine Optimisation, means structuring your content so AI tools like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews and Perplexity can quote it. Yes, it is part of every Rusted Web SEO plan. We write clear question-and-answer content, add FAQ and business schema, and make sure facts about your business are consistent online.

Rusted Web Google Ads management costs from R2 950 a month, plus a once-off setup from R2 500. The setup fee is waived if you commit to six months. The management fee is separate from your ad spend, which you pay directly to Google with your own card, so you always see exactly what Google charges.

Google Ads can bring enquiries within the first week of going live, because ads show as soon as they are approved. The first 4 to 8 weeks are a learning phase where we cut wasted keywords and improve ads, so cost per enquiry usually drops after the first month or two.

Yes, your Google Ads account is created in your name and billed to your card. Rusted Web gets manager access to run it. If you stop working with us, you keep the account, all campaigns and all the data, and we simply remove our access.

Neither is better, they do different jobs. Google Ads brings traffic straight away but stops when you stop paying. SEO takes 1 to 3 months to show results but keeps bringing free traffic. For a new website, running both together usually gives the fastest return while SEO builds up.

Yes, a Google Business Profile is completely free to create and use. You only pay if you hire someone to set it up or manage it, or if you choose to run Google Ads. Rusted Web setup costs from R1 950 once-off and ongoing management from R950 a month.

Verification usually takes from a few minutes to two weeks, depending on the method Google offers. Video and phone verification are often quick, while postcard verification can take up to two weeks to arrive in South Africa. Edits can take a few more days to appear once verified.

Yes, service-area businesses such as plumbers, cleaners and mobile mechanics can hide their address and show the areas they serve instead. You still need a real address for verification, but customers will only see your service area on Google Maps.

Your business is usually missing from Google Maps because the profile is unverified, suspended, in the wrong category or too far from the searcher. Thin profiles with few reviews also rank poorly. A Rusted Web audit checks each of these and fixes them as part of the setup.

A Rusted Web website audit costs from R2 950 for a typical small-business site of up to about 30 pages. Larger sites and online stores are quoted by size. If you hire us to fix the issues within 30 days, the full audit fee is credited against that work.

A website audit takes 5 working days from when we receive access to your site and Google Search Console. Smaller sites are often done faster. You get a written report and a 30-minute call to go through the findings and agree on next steps.

No, most of the audit is done from outside, using the same tools Google uses. For a deeper review we ask for read-only access to Google Search Console and Google Analytics, which you can grant without sharing any password and remove at any time.

Audit your website at least once a year, and after any redesign, migration or sudden drop in traffic. Clients on the Care Plan or hosting already get a monthly SEO health check, so a full audit every 12 months is usually enough to catch bigger issues.

Rusted Web speed optimisation costs from R2 950 once-off for a typical WordPress site, and online stores or very large sites are quoted separately. The price includes a before-and-after report. If the main problem is your hosting, we will tell you upfront rather than charge for fixes that cannot help.

Yes, page speed is part of Google’s ranking signals through Core Web Vitals, which measure loading, responsiveness and visual stability. Speed alone will not put a weak page on top, but a slow site loses visitors before they read anything, which hurts enquiries and sales as much as rankings.

Your main content should appear within about 2.5 seconds on a mobile connection, which is Google’s target for a good Largest Contentful Paint. Server response should be under about 0.8 seconds. We test on mobile with a throttled connection, because that is how most South African visitors browse.

No, we work on a copy of your site first, test every page and only then apply the changes to your live site. A full backup is taken before we start. If something looks wrong after launch, we fix it straight away as part of the job.

We prepare print-ready files and can coordinate printing with a trusted local printer, quoted per job. Many clients prefer to use their own printer, in which case we work to that printer’s dieline and specifications so the files are right first time.

You need to provide your logo, product name, the size of the packaging or label, and any required text such as ingredients, barcodes and legal information. Examples of packaging you like and your competitors’ products help us design something that stands out.

Packaging design takes 2 to 3 weeks for a single product, from brief to print-ready files. You see two concepts within the first week, then we refine your chosen design. Product ranges and complex boxes take longer and are scheduled in your quote.

Yes, we can coordinate installation through trusted signage suppliers in Johannesburg and surrounding areas, quoted per job. Outside our area, we prepare production-ready files for a local signage company of your choice and work with them directly so the result matches the design.

Good signage includes your business name, what you do in a few words and one clear way to contact you, such as a phone number or website. Fewer words read better from a distance. We make sure the details match your website and Google Business Profile exactly.

Signage artwork usually takes 3 to 5 working days, and production typically adds 1 to 2 weeks depending on the supplier and materials. Vehicle wraps and large shopfront signs can take longer. Your quote shows the full timeline before you approve anything.

You get your logo as SVG, PDF and EPS vector files for print and signage, plus PNG and JPG files for web and social media. Each comes in full colour, single colour and reversed versions, along with a square icon version for social profiles and your website favicon.

Yes, once the final invoice is paid, the copyright to your final logo is transferred to you. You can use it anywhere, register it as a trademark and give it to other suppliers. Concepts you did not choose remain with Rusted Web.

Logo design takes 1 to 2 weeks from brief to final files. You see three concepts within about 5 working days, choose one, and we refine it through up to two rounds of changes. Faster turnaround is possible if you have a launch date coming up.

You can use AI for a first draft, but unedited AI copy tends to be generic, repeats what every competitor says and sometimes gets facts wrong. We may use AI tools for research, but every page is written and checked by a person who knows your business, your area and your customers.

Yes, Rusted Web writes copy for clients in the UK, Ireland, Australia and Greece as well as South Africa. We write in the spelling and tone your customers expect, for example British spelling and pricing in pounds for UK clients.

Copywriting for a 5-page website takes 1 to 2 weeks, including a short interview and one round of changes. Single articles usually take 3 to 5 working days. Larger sites are scheduled in batches so you can review as we go.

Most Rusted Web sites take 1 to 4 weeks to build, depending on size. A Starter site takes 1 to 2 weeks and a Business site 2 to 4 weeks. Once you approve the final version, the site goes live within 12 to 48 hours if we handle your hosting and domain.

No, every Rusted Web site runs on a custom WordPress theme built for that business. Templates carry code for features you never use, which slows your site down and makes it look like thousands of others. A custom theme loads only what your site needs and matches your brand exactly.

Yes, Rusted Web builds React and Next.js websites and web apps in-house, from R16 500. Next.js renders pages on the server, so Google and AI crawlers can read every page. It suits client portals, dashboards and fast marketing sites. See our React and Next.js websites, or choose WordPress if you want simpler editing.

Yes, if you want to be found on Google and own your online presence. Facebook pages rarely rank for searches like “plumber in Johannesburg”, and Meta controls who sees your posts. A website gives you a permanent address, ranks on Google, works with Google Ads and collects enquiries you own.

WordPress is the better choice for most businesses that want to grow. You own the site and can move it to any host, there is no monthly platform fee, and it handles SEO, blogs and South African payment gateways well. Wix is fine for a quick DIY page, but you rent it and cannot move it.

SEO changes usually take 1 to 3 months to show in Google results. Local searches with little competition can move faster, while competitive national keywords can take 6 to 12 months. Rusted Web reports progress monthly so you can see rankings, traffic and enquiries change over time.

Yes, Rusted Web works with clients in South Africa, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and Greece. Everything runs online: briefs, design reviews on a test site, and launch. We can quote in Rand, pounds, euros or Australian dollars, and work across time zones by email, WhatsApp and video calls.

Yes, Rusted Web builds WooCommerce stores that accept PayFast, Yoco, Ozow, PayGate and other South African payment gateways. Online stores start from R18 600 and include product setup, shipping rules, payment gateway setup and POPIA basics. There is no monthly platform fee with WooCommerce.

Rusted Web hosting includes an SSL certificate, daily automated backups, uptime monitoring and a monthly SEO health check, from R199 a month. If you choose the Care Plan from R449 a month, we also update WordPress and plugins, scan for security problems and make 30 minutes of content changes for you each month.

Rusted Web is based in Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa, and works with clients anywhere. Most projects run fully online through calls, WhatsApp and a private test site, so it makes no difference whether you are down the road or in London, Dublin, Sydney or Athens.

A small studio gives you direct access to the person building your site, faster answers and lower prices. You are not paying for account managers or a fancy office. Rusted Web keeps prices public, quotes are fixed, and you deal with the same person from brief to launch.

Yes, once the final invoice is paid you own your website, its content and your domain. You can move it to another host at any time and we will help with the handover. Stock photos and premium plugins stay under their own licences, which we explain upfront.

Rusted Web does not sell cheap template sites, lock you into long contracts or promise first place on Google. Nobody can honestly guarantee rankings. We focus on well-built custom WordPress sites, honest SEO and ads that are measured by calls and enquiries, not vanity numbers.

Include what your business does, what you want the website or service to achieve, and any sites you like. A rough page list, your budget range and your deadline help us give an accurate fixed quote. If you are not sure, send what you have and we will ask the right questions.

Website projects are paid 50% upfront to book your slot and 50% when the site goes live. Monthly services like hosting, Care Plans, SEO and Google Ads management are billed monthly in advance by debit order or EFT. International clients can pay by card or bank transfer.

Yes, quotes are free and there is no obligation to go ahead. You get a fixed written price that lists exactly what is included, so there are no surprises later. If we think a cheaper option would work for you, we will tell you.

Website builds are once-off, while hosting, Care Plans, SEO and Google Ads management are monthly. A Business website costs from R12 500 once-off, and most clients add hosting from R199 a month or a Care Plan from R449 a month so the site stays fast, safe and up to date.

Yes, the monthly website plan costs from R849 a month with nothing upfront and a 12-month minimum term. It includes a Starter website of up to 3 pages, hosting and the Care Plan. After 12 months you can stay month-to-month, or pay a once-off buy-out to take full ownership of the site.

Your quote goes up if you need more pages, custom features or content written for you. Common extras are booking systems, more than 50 products, multiple languages, integrations with accounting or CRM software, and copywriting. We list every extra in your written quote, so you can remove anything you do not need.

Most South African small businesses should budget R3 000 to R10 000 a month in ad spend, paid directly to Google. Below about R2 000 a month there is rarely enough data to learn what works. Rusted Web management costs from R2 950 a month on top of that, with a once-off setup from R2 500.

No, monthly services run month-to-month with 30 days notice, except the monthly website plan, which has a 12-month minimum. You own your website and domain once the build is paid, and if you move to another provider we hand over your files and logins at no charge.

Yes, the Launch Bundle combines a Business website, Google Business Profile setup and three months of the Care Plan for R13 950, a saving of about R1 850. Clients who take SEO or Google Ads management for six months or more also get the campaign setup fee waived.

A Next.js marketing website of up to 8 pages costs from R16 500 once-off, and a web app, client portal or dashboard from R45 000. These cost more than WordPress because they are custom-coded. You get a fixed written quote first. See React and Next.js websites for what is included.

Next.js and app hosting costs from R750 a month, covering deployment, monitoring, backups and support. Vercel and Supabase charge their own fees on accounts in your name, typically about US$45 a month combined, roughly R830 at R18.50 to the dollar. Details are on our Next.js and app hosting page.