Iowa web design & SEO — frequently asked questions

Who are Kim and Chuck?

We are the team behind Team 218 Web Services. Chuck handles the technical work: design, development, SEO, and performance. Kim handles client relations, user experience, and business operations. When you call, you get one of us. Not a call center, not a chatbot. Read more about us.

Where are you located?

We are based at 802 West Welsh Street in Williamsburg, Iowa. We serve businesses and nonprofits across the entire state, including Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, the Quad Cities, Waterloo, Dubuque, and communities statewide. See all service areas.

Do you require a deposit or upfront payment?

No. We use a simple working agreement that defines the project scope, but we do not collect any payment until your site is live and you are satisfied with the result. That is how confident we are in what we deliver.

Do you require a long-term contract?

No. We use a straightforward working agreement that protects both sides, but there are no long-term commitments. You work with us because you want to, not because a contract says you have to.

How and when do I pay?

You pay nothing up front and nothing until your site is live and you have approved it. Once your site launches and you are happy, payment is due. We accept credit card, check, and ACH transfer. No deposit, no surprises, and no long-term contract holding you in place. If you have questions about budgeting a project, just reach out or see our pricing.

How do I get started?

Call or text 319-333-0815, email team@team218.com, or fill out our contact form. We will set up a conversation to learn about your business and your goals. You can also start with a free website audit if you already have a site and want to see where it stands.

Do you work with businesses in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and Iowa City?

Yes. We are based in Williamsburg, but we build and rank sites for businesses across the whole state. We work in Des Moines, the Cedar Rapids corridor, Iowa City, Ankeny, the Quad Cities, and everywhere in between. Almost all of our work happens by phone, email, and screen share, so your location in Iowa is not a problem. See every area we cover on our service areas page.

How much does a custom website cost?

Custom WordPress websites range from $2,500 to $8,000 depending on the number of pages, design complexity, and features required. Every project includes foundational SEO setup, mobile-responsive design, and 12 months of maintenance. See our full pricing.

How long does it take to build a website?

Most projects take 4 to 6 weeks from kickoff to launch. Larger or more complex sites may take 8 to 10 weeks. We give you a timeline estimate before starting and keep you updated at every stage.

What platform do you build on?

WordPress with Divi 5. WordPress powers over 40% of the web and gives you a site you own and control. Divi 5 is the page builder that lets us create custom layouts with clean, fast-loading code. You are never locked into a proprietary platform.

How is a Team 218 website different from Wix, Squarespace, or a cheap freelancer?

Template builders like Wix and Squarespace are fine until you need to rank, scale, or move. You do not own the platform, the SEO is shallow, and you are renting your site forever. A cheap freelancer often hands you something you cannot maintain and then disappears.

We build on WordPress with real foundational SEO baked in, you own everything, there is no lock-in, and we are still here when you need us. You are buying an asset, not renting a page. Compare for yourself on our Iowa web design page.

Can I update the website myself after it launches?

Yes. WordPress is designed for non-technical users to update content. We train you on how to add posts, update pages, and manage your forms. If you ever get stuck, we are a phone call away.

Do I own my website?

Yes. Your site is built on WordPress, hosted on your account, and belongs to you. If you ever want to move to a different developer, you take everything with you. No lock-in. No proprietary platforms. No hostage situations.

Do you work with nonprofits?

Yes. We work within nonprofit budgets and have experience building sites for foundations, community organizations, and advocacy groups across Iowa. Learn about our nonprofit web design.

Do you build accessible, ADA-compliant websites?

Yes. Every site we build is designed to meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards: proper heading structure, keyboard navigation, color contrast, descriptive alt text, labeled forms, and a skip-to-content link. Accessibility is not an add-on we upsell. It is how we build, and it matters for nonprofits, public-facing organizations, and anyone who wants their site to work for every visitor.

Do your websites include SEO?

Yes. Every website we build includes foundational SEO: optimized title tags and meta descriptions, proper heading structure, custom JSON-LD schema markup, XML sitemaps, and a URL architecture designed for long-term search visibility. This is included in the website cost, not an add-on.

What is the difference between foundational SEO and ongoing SEO?

Foundational SEO is the technical setup built into your website from day one. It makes your site discoverable by search engines. Ongoing SEO is the month-to-month work of improving your rankings: content strategy, link building, Google Business Profile optimization, and adapting to algorithm changes. Foundational SEO is included with every build. Ongoing SEO is a separate service. Learn about our SEO services.

What is GEO (generative engine optimization)?

GEO is the practice of optimizing your website so AI-powered search tools like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and other AI assistants can understand and recommend your business. Traditional SEO focuses on ranking in search results. GEO focuses on being cited in AI-generated answers. We are one of the first agencies in Iowa offering this service.

How do I get my business to show up in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews?

This is the question more business owners are asking, and it is what generative engine optimization (GEO) is built for. To get cited in AI answers, your site needs clear, well-structured content, accurate structured data, consistent business information across the web, and genuine authority signals AI tools trust.

We are one of the first agencies in Iowa offering this, and we build the foundation for it into every site. If you want your business recommended when someone asks ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google AI for a provider in your area, start with our GEO and AI search services.

Can you help with my Google Business Profile?

Yes. Google Business Profile optimization is part of our SEO services. We handle setup, category optimization, photos, review strategy, and regular posting.

What kind of results can I expect, and can I see examples of your work?

We do not promise a number one ranking by Friday. Anyone who does is guessing. What we promise is a fast, technically sound site built to rank and to convert visitors into customers, with the SEO foundation in place to grow over time.

The honest way to judge us is to look at the work. See real client sites in our portfolio and read what business owners say in our testimonials.

What is included in the 12 months of free maintenance?

Daily automated backups, WordPress core and plugin updates, security monitoring, uptime monitoring, performance tracking, and minor content updates like text changes and image swaps. This is included with every web design project at no additional cost. Full details on our care plans.

What happens after the first 12 months?

Ongoing maintenance is $60 per month, invoiced annually ($720/year). The service continues exactly the same. You can cancel at any time. We strongly recommend keeping maintenance active because WordPress sites that are not regularly updated become security risks.

My website is broken. Can you fix it?

Yes. We troubleshoot WordPress problems systematically and most repairs are completed within 24 to 48 hours. Common repairs include hacked site cleanup, plugin conflicts, database errors, and speed optimization. Most repairs cost between $200 and $500. Learn about our repair services.

Can you fix a site you did not build?

Yes. We repair WordPress sites regardless of who built them. We work with sites built on Divi, Elementor, Beaver Builder, GeneratePress, Astra, and every other major WordPress theme and builder.

Can you redesign my existing website without hurting my Google rankings?

Yes, and protecting your rankings is the whole point of doing a redesign right. We map your existing URLs, set up proper 301 redirects, preserve the content and pages that already perform, and improve the technical foundation underneath. Done carelessly, a redesign can wipe out years of SEO. Done correctly, it improves your visibility. Learn more about our Iowa website redesign process.

Which social media platforms do you manage?

Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Google Business Profile. We recommend the platforms that match your audience rather than spreading your presence too thin. Two platforms done well beat four done poorly. Learn about our social media services.

How much does social media management cost?

Monthly management ranges from $300 to $1,000 depending on the number of platforms, posting frequency, and scope of content creation. We provide a custom quote based on your specific needs. See our pricing.

Do you manage paid ads (Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads)?

Our core service is organic social media management. Paid advertising can be discussed as an add-on. We recommend building a solid organic presence first before investing in paid ads.

Do I need to pay for hosting separately?

Yes. Hosting is paid directly to your hosting provider. We recommend NameHero for WordPress hosting. Typical costs are $5 to $15 per month. We help you set up and configure your hosting account.

Do you provide email hosting?

We do not provide email hosting directly, but we help you set up professional email through your hosting provider or through Google Workspace. Having a professional email address (you@yourbusiness.com) matters for credibility.

What happens if my hosting company goes down?

Your daily backups (included in our care plans) are stored independently from your hosting provider. If your host experiences an outage or data loss, we can restore your site from backup. This is one of the primary reasons we recommend keeping an active maintenance plan.