Although this is not set in stone, you can expect your branding to be completed in 4-6 weeks, and your website 6-8 weeks. Our goal is to keep things moving at a steady pace to accommodate any launch goals you may have.
You must have all content necessary for the project ready to go by our agreed upon start date unless discussed prior. Failure to do so could result in rescheduling the project to a later date and/or a restart fee.
Payments are broken into two parts. There is a 50% non-refundable deposit that needs to be paid up front in order to secure your booking, and the 50% remainder that can be paid on the end date OR when the project is complete (whichever comes first).
No. All deposits are nonrefundable as it is our way of securing your spot in the queue. We book projects several months ahead of time, and scheduling ensures that we give all of our clients the proper amount of time that a project deserves. As a result, we turn away clients for your reserved time slot. If you back out of the project, you may leave an empty spot that could have been given to another project. The deposits ensure that clients are serious about moving forward with the project.
If for some reason you are still not happy after two rounds of refinement, we will continue the refinement process at our current hourly rate.
We go through an in-depth questionnaire and briefing process in the beginning to make sure we are on the same page, so 99% of the time 2 refinement rounds are plenty!
We usually book about three to four weeks in advance, so we would recommend getting in touch with us as soon as you start thinking you need a designer and well before your deadline.
Short answer – possibly. Each project timeline has be thoughtfully created to give us enough time to do our research, for us to draft your design, and for us to go through the refinement rounds. However, there are some circumstances in which your project may be able to be turned around quicker if the situation allows. If you need a rush project, please let us know well in advance so we can create a custom quote based on your requirements and a rush fee may be added depending on the deadline and complexity of the project.
We like to think of ourselves as your creative bestie. As business owners, we understand that you can’t do it all. We have a drive to take all things “design” off your plate so you can focus on what you do best. We only work with a handful of clients at a time so that we are able to dedicate the time and care needed to do our best work.
Yes! Even for small businesses, branding is essential. It differentiates you in the market, builds credibility, and fosters customer trust. A strong brand not only attracts customers but also provides a foundation for long-term growth and competitive advantage.
Before branding projects can begin, we will need your design questionnaire returned with your business details. You must have a solid idea of your target audience, business mission, products and services, a general idea of styles you like/appeal to your target audience (or exactly what you dislike) and of course, your business name!
Your Brand Guidelines will include your logo variations, color palette, buzzwords, visual inspiration, font selection and hierarchy, logo and file usage as well as using your brand in context. This is useful for you as the owner to utilize your new brand suite, as well as passing on to anyone using your brand.
An icon is usually a simple symbol that is immediately recognizable as part of your brand. Essentially, it’s a straightforward and bold representation of your business (think Nike swoosh).
A submark is a similar but usually simplified variation of the logo, used in situations when the main logo is not the best fit. It’s paired back style makes it easier to use on things like social media, as a sticker or stamp and any other applications your specific industry might require.
An alternate logo is another version of the main logo, with a slight difference – usually either horizontal, or centred depending on what the primary is. Just so you have all bases covered!
Your branding is never just your logo, it is the total presence that makes up your business (and isn’t even entirely visual!). From your logo, website, colour palette, right through to your tone of voice, marketing, messaging, copywrting and photography.
Not to worry! Every deliverable in your package comes with up to 2 rounds of revisions, so if we don’t nail it on the first pass, you’ll have the opportunity to provide targeted feedback and we can make edits from there. We’ll also have a 1:1 brand strategy session during your discovery phase to nail down the brand vibe you’re looking for. During your brand strategy session, we’ll present you with a mood board, so that we can discuss and agree on design direction before putting pen to paper on your actual designs. So, you’ll have lots of chances to provide input and make sure that your brand encapsulates exactly what makes you, you!
Moodboard – Includes colors, image inspiration and brand ‘mood’, created from a Pinterest board and based off your questionnaire answers. This is a springboard for your project, but please note all images, fonts, colours, textures etc in the moodboard will not be part of your final design, we will build upon this ‘mood’ and direction to make sure your design is unique and authentic to your business.
Most brand design projects take 4-6 weeks to complete. Building a custom, strategy-led brand together will require honesty, engagement, and input from you! You’ll be asked to complete several questionnaires throughout the project, and to give timely feedback on the deliverables. If you’re feeling like you don’t have the bandwidth to devote 2-3 hours per week to this project, we would definitely recommend waiting to book until you have more time available. Trust us – taking the time to develop a strategic & thoughtful brand will be so worth it in the end.
No. The Meraki Impact does not provide a printing service at this time. We can however, work with you and recommend print companies that we have worked with before, depending on your needs.
We whole heartedly believe WordPress is the best platform for most modern small to medium sized businesses. WordPress is my platform of choice for a number of reasons, but in short, it’s powerful, flexible, beautiful and allows scope for growth with your business. It is both beautiful and functional and has the flexibility, mobile responsiveness and ease of editing needed for those with any level of website content editing.
At this time, we design solely on the WordPress platform.
You must have all website content (imagery and text) ready to go by our agreed upon start date. Failure to do so could result in rescheduling the project to a later date and/or a restart fee.
The best projects are well thought out and prepared before any designs are conceptualized. When the project goals are finalized before the project, we are working with a clear direction, purpose, and mission.
If you pay your deposit to book your spot but then do not complete your project homework or do not commit to having your content ready to go, you will be bumped to the next available spot and required to pay an additional 50% rescheduling fee to re-book your project back in.
No. We are not in charge of the design of your website and the look and feel of the visuals. We collaborate with multiple photographers that take beautiful and professional photos, so please get in touch if your business needs hi-res photographs to do your new website justice!
When you build a website with The Meraki Impact, we provide hosting for your site. Website hosting is a service that allows you to post your website onto the Internet – think of it like the “land” or space where your website live. Keeping your website up to date, and using a reliable host is key to ensuring your website is doing it’s job. Your first year of hosting is included with our website package. After that, we offer a reasonable plan to keep your site up and running.
Yes! For hosting, we purchase the hosting plan for you. Your first year of hosting is complimentary and we have a reasonable hosting plan available for continued years after.
For domains, you will need to purchase your own domain name and provide me with the permissions to access the account. We recommend Namecheap as one of the most affordable and reliable providers who also integrate well with WordPress.
With that said, The Meraki Impact is not responsible for server downtime, software issues or any other compatibility issue that may arise after the launch of the site from the hosting or domain provider.
Copywriting is not included in our Web Design package. However, for an additional fee, we can create custom copy for your website pages. This includes headlines, crossheads, body copy, and calls to action – all optimized for SEO and conversion. Reach out to learn more!
Yes! We offer maintenance solutions included in our website hosting plan. Feel free to reach out to learn more!
Included in all of our website packages is a foundational SEO setup designed to optimize your site to the best of our ability at launch. This includes essential on-page elements to help your website be search-engine friendly from day one.
We also do provide copywriting as part of our service, ensuring your website content is crafted with both clarity and SEO best practices in mind.
If you’re looking for more advanced, targeted, or ongoing SEO support, we’re happy to help. We also offer additional services such as enhanced optimization strategies and schema markup implementation to further elevate your site’s performance.
Each website package timeline has been thoughtfully created to give us enough time to do our research, for us to draft your design, and for us to go through the testing stage. However, there are some circumstances in which your site may be able to be turned around quicker if the situation allows. If you need a rush project, please let us know well in advance so we can create a custom quote based on your requirements and a rush fee may be added depending on the deadline and complexity of the site.
Yes in most cases this is advisable. We usually book about four weeks in advance, so we would recommend getting in touch with us as soon as you are starting the branding process (if going with another designer for the branding) or at least eight weeks before your deadline (the sooner the better!).
Yes. We provide comprehensive SEO audits designed to evaluate your website’s overall search performance, technical SEO health, content structure, keyword visibility, user experience, and opportunities for long-term growth.
Our SEO audits go beyond basic SEO checks and include insights related to:
Each audit includes actionable recommendations, priority improvements, and a strategic roadmap designed to help improve rankings, increase organic traffic, strengthen authority, and support long-term SEO growth.
An SEO audit identifies issues that may be preventing your website from ranking effectively in Google and AI-driven search platforms. It provides a roadmap for improving visibility, increasing organic traffic, and converting more visitors into leads or customers.
Most SEO audits are completed within a few business days, depending on website size and complexity. Larger websites or advanced audits may require additional analysis time.
An audit itself does not directly improve rankings, but the recommendations provided are designed to strengthen your website’s SEO foundation and improve long-term search visibility when implemented.
Schema markup helps search engines better understand your website content. It can improve visibility in search results, enhance rich snippets, and strengthen AI-search comprehension.
Yes. We offer SEO implementation services, technical SEO support, content optimization, AI-search optimization, and ongoing SEO management packages.
Yes. Ongoing SEO support is available for businesses looking to continuously improve rankings, content performance, AI visibility, and organic traffic growth.
Yes! You can refer The Meraki Impact to as many people as you want. The more referrals, the more referral $$$ you can earn.
After the final invoice is paid, I will send you $100 via venmo, paypal, e-transfer or check.
You will receive $100 for each successful referral. There must be a minimum of $2,000 for the project to be eligible for payment. In the case of project cancellation, no payment will be given.
No, you don’t have to be a current client to refer and earn.
Yes, here’s a script you can use. Feel free to season it to taste and don’t forget to CC hello@themerakiimpact.com on the email.
Hi [referral name],
Please meet Cayla Donohoue, the owner of The Meraki Impact, a professional web design & branding studio in Menomonee Falls.
The Meraki Impact focuses on building high end websites that look professional, are easy to use, work amazingly on mobile, and that deliver!
I’m pretty confident Cayla and her team can help you understand what services and strategy are needed to solve your specific business goals.
I’ll let you two take it from here.
Thanks,
[you]
