Question 1

What does Idea Factory actually do?

Accepted Answer

We build websites, internal tools, lightweight custom apps, and the kind of useful workflows that don't fit a template. After launch, we keep them hosted, watched, patched, and edited as the business changes.

Question 2

Is it really just one person?

Accepted Answer

It's a small team led by Tera, who does most of the talking, building, hosting, and answering. We keep the project list small on purpose so it stays that way.

Question 3

Where are you based?

Accepted Answer

Petaluma, California. Most clients are in the Bay Area, but we work with people anywhere a Zoom call and a shared calendar can reach.

Question 4

How long does it take to launch?

Accepted Answer

Most websites take six to eight weeks from the first call to launch day. Bigger custom apps take longer in the build phase. After launch, monthly support kicks in.

Question 5

How do we communicate while we're building?

Accepted Answer

You get a shared project plan, a private preview URL that updates as we go, and a short note from us each week. After launch, edits and fixes go through a simple monthly list. No new tool to learn.

Question 6

What do you need from us?

Accepted Answer

Honest answers up front, timely feedback during design, copy and photos (or someone helping you write them), and one person who can sign off on decisions. If you're stuck on copy, we work with a writer we trust.

Question 7

What if you already have a brand or designer?

Accepted Answer

Great. We'll build against your existing brand guidelines and hand off clean files to whoever carries the brand next. If the guidelines are thin, we'll note where we're filling in gaps so nothing drifts on you later.

Question 8

Why setup plus monthly instead of hourly billing?

Accepted Answer

Hourly billing punishes you for having questions. A flat setup plus a monthly fee is closer to what small businesses actually need: a clean launch and someone keeping the lights on afterward. Bigger changes get scoped and priced before they happen, not after.

Question 9

How are payments structured?

Accepted Answer

Setup is billed against written milestones. Monthly support starts the day you launch. Invoices come from a real accounting system. Pay by ACH or card (cards have a 2.9% fee that passes through).

Question 10

Can monthly support be paused or canceled?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The plan should be worth keeping, not impossible to leave. If you pause or stop, the project record covers everything: where it lives, who has access, how to take it elsewhere.

Question 11

Is there a minimum plan?

Accepted Answer

Starter is the floor for websites. Below that, you're honestly better off with a Squarespace template and a half day of setup help than with anything we'd build.

Question 12

What's included after launch?

Accepted Answer

Exact details depend on your plan, but every plan includes: Your site, live and hosted on solid infrastructure. SSL, uptime checks, and security patches. A project record covering access, what's included, and how to send update requests.

Question 13

Who owns the work when we're done?

Accepted Answer

You. Copy, design, commissioned photos, domain, data, code. All yours. The maintained infrastructure is the part we run for you. Exact ownership and access language goes in the agreement before any work starts.

Question 14

Can the site be edited in-house?

Accepted Answer

Usually yes, for the parts where editing makes sense (copy, photos, basic content). The trickier stuff goes through monthly support so things don't break in ways you can't see.

Question 15

What about SEO?

Accepted Answer

Technical fundamentals ship with every site: clean URLs, metadata, sitemap, fast load times, search console set up. Bigger SEO work (content strategy, local citations, ongoing optimization) can be scheduled as additional project work.

Question 16

Do you offer ongoing maintenance?

Accepted Answer

Yes. That's the whole point of the monthly fee: hosting, monitoring, patches, updates, and a visible list of what changed. Plans start at $75/mo.

Question 17

What if you need big changes six months in?

Accepted Answer

We scope it, price it, and schedule it. You see the cost before the work starts. No surprise hours, no creeping invoice.

Question 18

What if something breaks?

Accepted Answer

If something we built regresses in the first 30 days, we fix it on us. After that, monthly support keeps watch and covers issues according to your plan.

Things people ask,answered straight.

Still on the fence? Just ask.