How we work: from the first call to orbit

Every project goes through five stages: discovery, design, build, launch and orbit, which is our word for care after launch.

Send a brief To the flight plan

We work to a flight plan: clear stages, checks before lift-off and monitoring after it.

The flight plan

At each stage you know what we’re doing, what we need from you and when it will be ready.
Discovery

What we do

A call about your goals, customers and content, in person in Sofia or Veliko Tarnovo, or by video. We review your current site and your competitors. For a redesign we check which pages bring visitors today, so you don’t lose them.

What you get

A written plan with the scope, the page structure, the timeline and the price.

What we need from you

An hour or two for the call, and access to your current site and Google Search Console if you have them.
Design

What we do

The page structure, the look of the key pages on phone and desktop, and their copy.

What you get

Mock-ups and a prototype you can open on your phone. We refine until you approve the direction; the number of revision rounds is in the quote.

What we need from you

Feedback within the agreed time; your logo, photos and copy, or a decision that we prepare them.
Build

What we do

Our own WordPress theme, the content, integrations (payments, couriers, stock software, Booking.com) and a second language if you need one. Everything lives on a staging address.

What you get

Access to the staging site throughout and short progress notes.

What we need from you

Content on schedule and answers to our questions.
Launch

What we do

Checks for speed (Lighthouse, Core Web Vitals), accessibility (WCAG 2.2 AA) and SEO. We redirect every old address to its new one, submit the sitemap in Google Search Console and watch for errors in the first weeks.

What you get

A working site, a short training session on editing it, and a document with every login.

What we need from you

Sign-off for go-live and access to the domain and hosting.
Orbit

What we do

Maintenance, updates, backups, security, speed monitoring, small changes and new features.

What you get

A site that stays fast and secure, and a person you can call.

What we need from you

A decision on whether you’d like us to look after the site after launch.
Website maintenance

How long does a website take?

Mostly it depends on the scope and on when the content is ready.

We give the timeline for your project with the quote, and it goes into the plan in the first week.

Projects slip most often because of content: copy, photos and products. So we plan it from day one and tell you early if the date is at risk.

Every mission in our portfolio has a log of its stages. See the Chiflik Hills mission log

The contract

We agree the terms for each project before work starts. Whichever studio you choose, check that the contract covers:

The scope: pages, features, languages and integrations
The timeline by stage, and what happens if either side runs late
The price, and how it is paid
Who owns the code, design and content after the final payment
Whose name the domain and hosting are in
Care after launch, and what happens if a bug appears

A desk at night: a laptop showing code, page sketches, a desk lamp and a small rocket model

What we need from you

One person who makes the decisions on the project.
The content, or a decision about who prepares it.
Access to the domain, hosting, Google Search Console and Google Analytics, if you have them.
Feedback within the agreed times.

What should I prepare before the first call?

Nothing is required. It helps to know what the site needs to achieve, who your customers are and which sites you like. If you already have a site, we'll look at it before we talk.

Can I see the site while it's being built?

Yes. We build on a staging address you can open at any time on your phone or computer. Search engines can't see it.

What if I want a change during the project?

Small changes are part of the work. Bigger ones, such as a new feature or new pages, we estimate separately before we start and add to the plan and the timeline.