Why Are We So Affordable? (But Not Cheap)

Sometimes people ask us how we keep our prices so reasonable. It’s a fair question. There are web developers out there charging $20,000 for a basic five-page website. We are not those developers.

Here is where we invest: good artists, good tools, good developers. That’s it. We can scale using trusted contractors when projects need it. We don’t mark up local services like hosting or photography. We just pass those costs along at what they actually cost, because adding a margin there felt strange to us.

What we really like is making genuine connections with people and figuring out exactly what you need. Not what sounds impressive in a proposal. Just the thing that will actually help your business or community.

What You Won’t Get From Us

We don’t meet in your office anymore. We don’t have a big office with a fancy boardroom. No chandelier. No barista.

That stuff is nice, I suppose. But someone has to pay for it, and it’s usually the client. We decided a while ago that wasn’t for us.

If you want to be wined and dined, we don’t mind that, but it’s not really our thing. What we get excited about is cool technology and making websites that actually work for you. That probably sounds less glamorous than a catered lunch meeting, but it’s honest.

So Why Aren’t We Cheap?

Affordable and cheap are different things.

Our work holds up. It’s built well. We use tools that aren’t proprietary locked-down services you get trapped in. We use standard products with excellent longevity because we know you want something great now and something great years from now.

Something you can keep updating. Something that can grow with you. Something you can edit and maintain yourself.

And here’s the part that matters: at the end of our relationship, you keep everything. No strings attached. If you want to work with someone else or need to bring it in-house, we make sure that process is easy. You maintain everything you’ve built over the years. It belongs to you.

One More Thing

We also focus on supporting nonprofits with free websites because it makes Louisville a better place to live. That’s not a business strategy, really. It just feels like the right thing to do. that is where we prefer to invest. It might not make us look fancy, but we are ok with that.

So no, we don’t have the fancy office. But we will set you up quickly, answer your questions honestly, and give you an excellent product for a great price.

Turns out you can have something that’s quick, affordable, and well-made. It just comes without the unnecessarily fancy overhead.

Why pay for your developer’s chandelier when you don’t have to?

Why are my styles missing?

WordPress 6.9 Is Doing Something Weird With Your Styles

Well, WordPress 6.9 dropped on December 2nd, and if your website suddenly looks like it forgot to get dressed this morning, you’re not alone.

What’s Happening

The WordPress core team made some performance improvements to how stylesheets load. The short version: they increased the inline style limit from 20KB to 40KB and changed how block styles load on-demand for classic themes. These are genuinely good changes for page speed.

The problem is that some themes and plugins—Elementor sites in particular—are now missing CSS. Layouts are collapsing. Fonts are wrong. Hero sections have wandered off somewhere. It’s the kind of thing that makes you stare at your screen and quietly say “huh” for longer than you’d like to admit.

The Fix

There’s a one-line code snippet that tells WordPress to load block styles the old way:

add_filter( 'should_load_separate_core_block_assets', '__return_false', 100 );

You can drop this into your theme’s

functions.php

file or create a simple must-use plugin. If those words mean nothing to you, that’s okay. Keep reading.

Your Options

Option 1: Turn off automatic updates and wait

This is the “I’ll deal with it when they fix it” approach. WordPress will patch this. They always do. In the meantime, you can disable auto-updates for core and stay on 6.8.3 until the dust settles.

To disable auto-updates, add this to your

wp-config.php:

define( 'WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE', false );

Option 2: Apply the fix yourself

If you’re comfortable editing theme files or creating a must-use plugin, the code snippet above should sort you out. Back up your site first. Always back up your site first.

Option 3: Hire someone to fix it

If you’d rather not touch code, we can apply the patch for you. It takes us just a few hours to get in there, verify the issue, apply the fix, and test everything. Our rate for this kind of quick fix is $500.

Contact us to schedule a patch.

Should You Panic?

No. This is just WordPress being WordPress. The open-source sausage gets made in public, and sometimes a piece of gristle gets through. The core team is aware of the issue, Elementor is working on compatibility updates, and life will go on.

If your site looks fine, congratulations. You can close this tab and get back to your day.

If your site looks like a ransom note made of mismatched fonts and collapsed columns, well, now you know why.


Design Web Louisville helps businesses and nonprofits keep their WordPress sites running smoothly. If you’d rather not think about things like inline style limits and block asset loading, we offer monthly maintenance plans that handle updates, backups, and the occasional “WordPress is doing something weird” situation.

How Design Web Louisville Works: Your Partner in Website Development

In today’s digital landscape, having a professional website is essential for any business. But understanding the process of website development can be overwhelming, especially when you’re juggling a full-time job and other responsibilities. That’s where Design Web Louisville comes in – offering transparent, flexible, and comprehensive web design services tailored to your specific needs.

Our Pricing Structure: Simple and Straightforward

At Design Web Louisville, we believe in transparency when it comes to pricing. Our service operates on a one-time fee basis, giving you complete ownership of your site once the project is completed. Understanding that financial flexibility is important, we offer several payment options:

  • 50% deposit to start the project and 50% at launch
  • Customized monthly payment plans
  • Tailored solutions based on your specific project needs

The only ongoing costs you’ll need to consider are hosting and domain fees (approximately $200 annually), which are paid directly to providers like GoDaddy, Namecheap, Green Geeks, or SiteGround. We’re happy to help you set these up on auto-pay with your preferred provider.

Full Control of Your Website

One concern many clients have is maintaining control of their digital assets. Rest assured, Design Web Louisville provides you with:

  • Full administrative access and control of your website
  • An administrator account on your dashboard
  • Complete access to edit anything on your site
  • No limitations on your site controls

Our team will need temporary access to complete the work, but this access can be completely removed at the end of the project if you prefer. All accounts are set up in your name and under your control.

Comprehensive Training Included

Your website is only as useful as your ability to manage it. That’s why we include training as part of our service package at no additional cost. Our training options include:

  • One-on-one site walkthroughs via Zoom or similar screen-sharing platforms
  • Digital PDF manuals upon request
  • Personalized guidance tailored to your comfort level with website management

Seamless Transitions from Other Platforms

If you’re currently using Wix or another platform, we’ll handle the transition process with minimal hassle on your end. Our team will:

  • Complete the new site development
  • Assist with transferring or updating content from your existing platform
  • Guide you through decisions about which services to keep or migrate
  • Provide recommendations based on your specific project needs

Third-Party Tools and Resources

To create a fully functional website, certain third-party services may be necessary. These typically include:

  • Stock photos (approximately $10 each, or we can help you source free alternatives)
  • Google Ad accounts and Google My Business
  • Payment processors for e-commerce functionality
  • Optional plugins for specialized functions

All these accounts will be set up in your name, giving you direct control over your digital assets. We’ll guide you through selecting the best options for your specific needs.

Analytics, Backups, and Security

Understanding your website’s performance is crucial for business growth. We help set up:

  • Google Analytics and Yoast for comprehensive tracking and monitoring
  • Regular scheduled backups through your hosting provider
  • Security tools like Wordfence for additional website protection

We recommend high-quality hosting services like Green Geeks to enhance server security, and we can advise on best practices for maintaining website security, including secure passphrases and two-factor authentication.

Flexible Time Commitment

We understand that you’re busy. Our process is designed to minimize the time you need to dedicate to the project while still ensuring your complete satisfaction:

  • Initial one-hour discovery meeting to establish your goals
  • Option to have our team handle content creation based on your outline
  • Review and edit requests at your own pace
  • Additional one-hour meetings as needed to review progress
  • Approximately one hour per week for reviews is typically sufficient

Ongoing Support Options

Once your website is launched, we offer various support options:

  • Full year of hosting management (monitoring uptime, assisting with hosting updates)
  • Monthly maintenance services (content updates, reporting, tracking)
  • Hourly as-needed assistance for specific changes

Many clients choose our ongoing support for tasks like converting social media content into blog posts, which saves time and improves SEO.

Our Commitment to You

At Design Web Louisville, we tailor our services to your specific needs. Whether you want us to handle every aspect of your website development or just need guidance with specific elements, our flexible approach ensures your project’s success without overwhelming your schedule.

Ready to transform your online presence? Contact Design Web Louisville today to discuss how we can create a website that perfectly represents your business.

How to Use Your Online Presence to Combat Negative PR

Building a business is like building a house — you must pay attention to the little details while ensuring the foundation and framing are solid. Negative comments can stunt growth and leave a bad impression. Knowing what to do when faced with negative online PR can improve your brand image and show potential customers you care.

Have you ever noticed that some companies seem to attract positive comments and mentions? Beneficial branding is intentional. You can improve bad reviews and turn negatives into positives by focusing on a few aspects of your online presence.

Tweak Your Website

Digital PR is a cost-effective way to improve your business’s reputation. A well-designed site centers on keywords the target audience will most likely seek. You can also use specific features to show authority and showcase positive attributes like tools that tie into the services and products you offer.


The “about” page should explain the company’s mission so others can get behind what you do. If you offer guarantees on products or services, share that information on the website. A testimonial or review area is a must. It shows you have happy customers who value what you offer.

Use Social Media to Drive Engagement

Modern social media offers companies a personalized method of engaging customers, and businesses must utilize a strong and positive social presence if they hope to attract and retain customers. As more than a fourth of customers lose trust in a brand after encountering negative social media feedback, the image you project on your social accounts is a vital piece of customer acquisition and retention.

Those who follow you may be longtime clients or interested in doing business with you. Take the time to post helpful content that solves their pain points and shows what you’re capable of as a company. If someone blasted you in a review on a site like Facebook, adding a response on the same platform can show that you care what people think.

Make sure you’re monitoring social media sites for mentions. You can also combat the negatives by highlighting the positive reviews and comments. The more you respond, like and push up the positive comments, the less likely potential customers will get bogged down in the scathing ones. 

Personalize Customer Service

Although many brands are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to improve customer service response times, a personalized touch can make all the difference in how consumers feel about your brand. Send surveys and pay attention to customer requests. A few positive experiences can counteract negative PR. 

Respond Immediately and With Transparency

Your response can make or break brand reputation when dealing with negative PR. Have a plan to respond immediately to any comments on social media or negative reviews. Embrace transparency. 

You’ve likely noticed some brands will attempt to take a negative comment on social media to direct messaging. Customers feel this is you trying to hide something and not be upfront. Have the discussion, within reason, in full view, including your resolution.

Embrace the Power of User-Generated Content (UGC)

What others say about a brand significantly impacts how consumers view it. Be proactive and get some buzz going about how great you are. UGC is one way to show that you have loyal fans who will sing your praises and can come in the form of testimonials, reviews, videos, social media shares and blog posts. 

One user survey showed that 40% of shoppers believe UGC is an extremely important component on their path to making a purchase. Tap in to the power of reputation management by adding a few different types of UGC to your website and social media marketing efforts. 

Negative PR Can Be Positive

When you first see a detrimental comment about your brand, the response may be to panic. However, consider every negative PR piece a chance to turn things around. Such conversations give you insight into what drives customers, and you can use the opportunity to show your brand cares. Do whatever it takes to ensure customer satisfaction and turn negative PR into positive marketing experiences.

Popular Free Booking Plugins for WordPress Therapist Websites

If you’re a therapist looking to add booking functionality to your WordPress website, several free plugins can help you manage appointments efficiently, including options that allow categorizing clients by insurance type. Here are the most popular options:

Bookly Lite

Bookly’s free version offers a solid foundation for therapists with customizable services, staff management, and a clean booking interface. While the free version has limitations, it allows you to create different service categories that could be used to separate appointment types by insurance provider.

Simply Schedule Appointments

This user-friendly plugin offers a free tier with a clean interface that integrates well with most WordPress themes. You can create different appointment types that could correspond to various insurance categories. The booking form is customizable, allowing you to add fields for insurance information.

Easy Appointments

Easy Appointments is lightweight and straightforward, perfect for therapists just starting out. The plugin allows you to create multiple services and workers, and you can set up different appointment types based on insurance categories. It includes custom fields that let you collect insurance information during booking.

Appointment Hour Booking

This plugin offers both free and premium versions. The free version includes the ability to create appointment forms with different fields, making it possible to categorize appointments by insurance type. It also features email notifications and calendar integration.

BirchPress Scheduler

https://wordpress.org/plugins/birchschedule

A simple but effective free option that allows for basic appointment scheduling with customizable booking forms. You can create different service types that could correspond to insurance categories, though more advanced filtering would require the premium version.

Insurance-Specific Considerations

For specifically managing appointments by insurance type, consider:

  • Using custom fields to collect insurance information
  • Creating separate service categories for each insurance provider
  • Setting up conditional fields to show relevant appointment slots based on insurance selection

Choosing the Right Booking Plugin for Your Therapy Practice

Selecting the right booking plugin for your therapy practice is more than just a technological decision—it’s an important part of your client experience and practice management strategy. While the free versions of these plugins offer excellent starting points, consider how your specific needs around insurance categorization might influence your choice.

For smaller practices or those just getting started with online booking, plugins like Easy Appointments or Simply Schedule Appointments provide user-friendly interfaces with enough customization to handle basic insurance categorization. As your practice grows, you might find that investing in premium features from Bookly or Appointment Hour Booking provides the additional flexibility needed to fully optimize your scheduling workflow.

Remember that the right booking system should reduce administrative burden, not add to it. Take advantage of free trials and demos before making your final decision, and consider how each plugin integrates with your existing systems, such as your EHR or practice management software.

Ultimately, the goal is to create a seamless booking experience that respects both your clients’ needs and your practice requirements. With the right plugin in place, you’ll save time, reduce no-shows, and create a more professional experience for your therapy clients, regardless of their insurance status.

Pricing for each of the plugins mentioned above:

*prices change – check the source for accuracy.

Bookly

  • Free: Bookly Lite (basic features)
  • Premium: Starts at $89 for a single site license
  • Pro Bundle: $299 for all add-ons and extensions

Simply Schedule Appointments

  • Free: Basic tier with limited features
  • Plus: $99/year for a single site
  • Professional: $199/year for a single site
  • Business: $299/year for 5 sites

Easy Appointments

  • Free: Core functionality
  • Premium: $39 for a single site license (one-time payment)
  • Business: $99 for 5 site licenses (one-time payment)

Appointment Hour Booking

  • Free: Limited features version
  • Premium: $59.99 for a single site license
  • Developer: $199.99 for unlimited sites

BirchPress Scheduler

  • Free: Basic version with limited features
  • Personal: $99/year for a single site
  • Business: $199/year for 3 sites
  • Enterprise: $249/year for unlimited sites

Most of these plugins follow a freemium model where the core functionality is available for free, but advanced features—particularly those that would enhance insurance categorization and workflow management for therapists—require paid upgrades. The premium versions typically include better support, more customization options, and features like recurring appointments or advanced client management.

Navigating the Choppy Waters of WordPress 6.4: and why you may want to revert it back to 6.3

Today was a day for the books – the kind of day that serves as a stark reminder that in the digital world, not all updates come bearing gifts. If you’re part of the WordPress community, you might want to buckle up because version 6.4 has hit a snag—a bug, to be precise. Before you hit that update button, let’s talk about why 6.4 might be a version to skip for now.

It seems that 6.4 has a penchant for breaking PHP cURL, an essential feature for WordPress sites that allows them to communicate with other servers. What does this mean for you? Well, if you’re looking to install new themes or update your existing plugins, you might find yourself at a dead end.

The WordPress core team is not only aware but also already on deck, working hard to patch things up. In the digital seas, it’s not about avoiding all storms—it’s about weathering them with grace. And the community’s response? Nothing short of nimble.

For those interested in the nitty-gritty, or if you’re feeling particularly tech-savvy today, dive into the depths of the issue on GitHub (https://github.com/WordPress/Requests/issues/838) or float over to the WordPress support forums (https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/). Here, you’ll find fellow navigators of the web discussing workarounds and sharing updates in real-time.

If your site has already set sail with 6.4, it’s time to turn the ship around. Rolling back to the safe harbor of 6.3 is your best bet until the storm passes. And while you’re at it, make sure to drop anchor by disabling core updates in your wp-config.php file—just to ensure you don’t get caught in the squall again.

But fear not, intrepid web wanderers, for this tale has a silver lining. The problem has been identified and fixed in the upcoming WordPress 6.4.1. The core team has even made adjustments to the WordPress.org mothership to help afflicted sites update smoothly, despite the troubled waters.

Interestingly, this digital tempest seems to have only rocked a subset of sites, with many of the larger hosting providers bearing the brunt of it. It’s a reminder that sometimes, size does matter—especially when navigating the high seas of the internet.

So, what’s the moral of this story? Stay vigilant, keep your site’s lifejackets close (backups, folks!), and remember that in the world of updates, sometimes patience is more than just a virtue—it’s a necessity. Keep a weather eye on the horizon for WordPress 6.4.1, and until then, happy sailing!

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