No two businesses are the same, and neither are the paths we take to support them. Some clients come to us for strategy, others for branding or development. That’s why we always begin with a clarity call. We want to understand your business, your goals, and where you’re headed before making any recommendations. From there, we’ll define a phased approach that reflects what you actually need — nothing more, nothing less — and move forward intentionally from that foundation.

We start by understanding your business model, your offerings, and where you want to be in one year… and five. We’re not just building a website; we’re laying the foundation for the next chapter of your business. That means we need to understand your internal systems, team capacity, and growth plans. Our goal is always to align the tech with your trajectory, because you wouldn’t build a skyscraper on the foundation of a garden shed.

Yes. We offer a range of support options, from proactive maintenance packages to as-needed updates and strategic audits. For clients who want a true long-term partner, we offer advisory support to help you keep thinking about your site as a dynamic, evolving asset, not a one-and-done deliverable.

We work best with businesses that already have clarity on what they offer, who they serve, and the transformation they create. You don’t need to have everything figured out (that’s what we’re here for) but you do need a defined product or service and a clear intention to grow. And yes, you need a budget. We’re not a DIY shop; we’re a strategic partner invested in helping you get real results.

Absolutely! And we often recommend it. Strategy gives us the blueprint for what you actually need, and ensures we’re building the right thing the first time. Depending on your goals, that might mean technical strategy, business model mapping, brand voice alignment, or something simpler. The right approach always depends on what you’re building and what it’s meant to do.

We do work with both WordPress and Shopify, and we’ll help you choose the right one. If you’re selling physical products, need a POS system, or are running a subscription or dropshipping business, Shopify is often the best fit. But there are times when WordPress offers more flexibility — especially for businesses with content-heavy sites, custom workflows, or nuanced functionality. The right choice depends on what your business needs to do now and what you’re building toward.

Investment depends on what you need and how complex the build is. Strategy services can range from $300 to $10,000. A simple, foundational site may start around $3,000–$10,000. Most of our customized and custom websites fall in the $10,000–$30,000 range for design and development, and more complex or high-functionality sites can exceed $50,000. Large-scale builds may range from $100,000–$250,000+. What matters most is clarity on your internal budget and goals for Phase 1. We’re here to help you maximize return, not overspend.

It’s a great question — and the difference matters when it comes to investment and scalability. At Alchemy + Aim, we approach every project with your return on investment in mind, and that often means using the smartest foundation possible.

For WordPress, we’ve developed a proprietary base theme — think of it like a box of premium Legos. Many essential site components are already in place (like headers, footers, and standard content layouts), which means we don’t have to reinvent the wheel. When we talk about a customized WordPress site, we’re referring to using those existing blocks and tailoring them to your brand — adjusting structure, style, and flow to meet your business’s needs.

A custom site, on the other hand, involves significantly more design and development work. Every page may be uniquely designed. We may build custom blocks or functionality from scratch to support your business’s specific requirements. Even in these projects, we often still begin with our base theme for efficiency and flexibility, but the end result is fully bespoke.

For Shopify, it’s a similar idea. Some businesses do best starting with a well-built Shopify theme and customizing key pages — like the homepage, product page, or subscription flow — to elevate the experience. Others need a more custom solution, with tailored design, advanced functionality, or complex third-party integrations. Our job is to help you determine what level of customization or custom development is right for your business and where to invest for the greatest impact.