About Sally
Website Development
Website Development
the way it should be done.
I’m Sally Sutton, and I’ve been building custom websites for over a decade. I specialize in custom web design and complete website redesigns for small businesses, entrepreneurs and professionals who want more than a pretty page. They want a site that performs.
I work with you one-on-one, in person, by phone or by video call, no matter where you’re located. Every website I build is designed specifically for your business, your audience and your goals. No handoffs. No shortcuts.
What sets me apart isn’t just design, it’s knowing how to build a site that search engines and AI tools can read, understand, and recommend. That decade of expertise is built into every project, from the very first page.
Why It Matters
Anyone can build a website.
Not everyone knows how to build one that performs.
Before You Sign Anything
Ask every web designer these four questions.
01.
Who owns the domain?
Your name should be on the domain registration, not theirs. You purchase the domain if you don’t already have one. Do not transfer it to the designer. Always verify before you start. Don’t know where to buy a domain?
We use Namecheap.com. They don’t charge extra fees for privacy, like some other registrars.
02.
Who owns the website?
If you stop paying or want to change companies, what happens to your site? Get this in writing if they are hosting it.
There are many larger marketing companies that will take your site down if you stop using them. Know what you are paying for. Read the fine print in their contracts. If you are paying for website development, it should be yours where you want to host the site. It would be better to get your own hosting. We do not recommend GoDaddy, we use WPX.net on all of our important sites. (If you purchase through that link, I may make a small commission – but I’d still recommend them even if I didn’t)
03.
Will I have my own login access?
You should always be able to get into your own website independently, especially if it is a WordPress website. A fully custom coded website, may be another story.
04.
How exactly do you handle (SEO) optimization for the site?
Ask for specifics, not buzzwords. What do you do on the pages, to images, do you use meta data? Get a picture of what does “optimized” actually mean to them? If it sounds foreign or like gibberish to you, write it down, then go ask ChatGpt what it means and if this is part of building an optimized website before you agree to or sign a contract.
Before You Sign Anything
Ask every web designer these four questions.
01.
Who owns the domain?
Your name should be on the domain registration, not theirs. You purchase the domain if you don’t already have one. Do not transfer it to the designer. Always verify before you start. Don’t know where to buy a domain?
We use Namecheap.com. They don’t charge extra fees for privacy, like some other registrars.
02.
Who owns the website?
If you stop paying or want to change companies, what happens to your site? Get this in writing.
There are many larger marketing companies that will take your site down if you stop using them. Know what you are paying for. Read the fine print in their contracts. If you are paying for website development, it should be yours where you want to host the site. It would be better to get your own hosting. We do not recommend GoDaddy, we use WPX.net on all of our important sites. (If you purchase through that link, I may make a small commission – but I’d still recommend them even if I didn’t)
03.
Will I have my own login access?
You should always be able to get into your own website independently, especially if it is a WordPress website. A fully custom coded website, may be another story.
04.
How exactly do you handle (SEO) optimization for the site?
Ask for specifics, not buzzwords. What do you do on the pages, to images, do you use meta data? Get a picture of what does “optimized” actually mean to them? If it sounds foreign or like gibberish to you, write it down, then go ask ChatGpt what it means and if this is part of building an optimized website before you agree to or sign a contract.
Cheapest is not always best and sometimes it’s the most expensive mistake you’ll make.
A poorly built or unoptimized website can cost you far more in lost business than you ever saved upfront. If a designer can’t answer those four questions clearly and confidently, that tells you something important about how they operate.
When you’re trusting someone with your online presence, the digital front door to your business, you deserve to know exactly what you’re getting, who owns it and what happens if you ever want to leave.
With Sally Sutton, those answers are always clear before we start.
The Truth
What a great website can and can’t do for you
A fully optimized website does not guarantee that you will appear on the first page of Google or any other search engine. Anyone who promises you that is not being straight with you.
What proper custom web design and optimization does is give your website a solid, credible foundation; one that search engines can read, evaluate and trust. Without that foundation, no amount of marketing budget will move the needle. With it, you’re starting from a position of strength and giving your business the best possible chance to be found.
A well-optimized website is where your marketing journey begins, not ends. Once the foundation is built, you can invest in content marketing, local SEO, pay-per-click advertising or social media and those efforts will actually have something solid to land on.
Think of it this way: a properly built website is the road. Your marketing is the vehicle that drives on it. You need both, but without the road, the vehicle goes nowhere.
What Clients Say
Happy clients, from coast to coast
We are very fortunate to work with these amazing partners
