Frequently Asked
Questions.

It starts with a conversation — no forms, no intake questionnaire maze. You reach out, Charlie or Beckie gets back to you directly, and we have a no-pressure call to understand what you actually need. From there we scope it, quote it honestly, and build a plan you understand before any work begins.

A standard business website runs 3–6 weeks from kickoff to launch. Complex custom applications, eCommerce platforms, or multi-phase builds are scoped individually. We'll give you a realistic timeline upfront — no vague "it depends" answers.

Absolutely. We build for client independence — whether that's a WordPress or Joomla CMS, a custom PHP admin panel, or a simple content editing interface. We also provide handover training so you're never left guessing.

We don't disappear post-launch. Digitalis offers ongoing support, hosting management, update packages, and retainer arrangements. Most of our clients have been with us for years — that's not an accident.

Both. Charlie has 25+ years of full-stack development experience across PHP, MySQL, JavaScript, APIs, and more. From marketing sites to members portals, eCommerce platforms, booking systems, CRM integrations, and custom SaaS tools — we build what you actually need.

Yes — brand identity is one of Beckie's core competencies. That means logo design, colour palettes, typography systems, brand guidelines, business cards, and all the print and digital materials that flow from a solid brand foundation.

We build every website with SEO fundamentals baked in — proper semantic HTML, schema markup, page speed optimization, meta strategy, and local SEO for Niagara-area businesses. For ongoing SEO campaigns or content strategy, we offer that as a separate service.

Yes to all three. Charlie has been working with all major CMS platforms since before most of them were popular. Theme customization, plugin conflicts, migrations, performance tuning, security hardening — we've seen it all.

Both, depending on the work. Well-defined projects (websites, branding, apps with clear specs) are quoted as fixed prices so you know exactly what you're spending. Ongoing support, consulting, and exploratory work is billed hourly. We're upfront about which model applies before anything starts.

Yes — we typically require 50% upfront on new projects, with the remainder due on launch or delivery. For ongoing work, invoicing is monthly. We've been doing this long enough to keep it simple and fair.

Yes — and that's intentional. A significant portion of our client base is small and medium businesses. We price fairly for the value delivered, not for the size of a sales team overhead. If budget is a concern, tell us — we'll find a scope that works.

Our core stack is LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) with jQuery, vanilla JS, and custom CSS frameworks. We also work with React, REST APIs, Node.js, Python, and cloud platforms (AWS, Google Cloud, Azure). We pick the right tool for the job, not the trendiest one.

We can manage hosting on your behalf — server configuration, cPanel/WHM administration, SSL certificates, backups, uptime monitoring, and performance tuning. We work with your existing host or help you choose one that fits your needs and budget.

Security is built into everything we ship: sanitized inputs, parameterized queries, HTTPS enforcement, rate limiting, permission hardening, and regular dependency updates. We also offer security audits for existing sites and ongoing monitoring for high-stakes applications.

We help clients cut through the hype and build things that actually ship. That includes LLM integration (Claude, GPT, Gemini), retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), custom prompt engineering, AI-powered automation workflows, chatbot development, and data pipeline construction for ML use cases.

Yes. We design and deploy custom chat interfaces powered by large language models, trained on your business data and constrained to your use case. These range from simple FAQ bots to full customer service assistants with backend integrations.

Not at all. We've helped businesses automate workflows, generate reports, and surface insights using AI at every budget level. Many of the most impactful implementations are surprisingly lean. We'll tell you what's practical, not what's impressive on a pitch deck.

Rapid prototyping is our specialty. A functional proof-of-concept demonstrating your core AI use case can typically be built in days — not months. We prioritize getting something working in front of you fast so you can make informed decisions before committing to a full build.