Blog Design

Terms + Conditions

)ur $500 WordPress package is meant as a basic and affordable alternative to blog design packages that can run into the thousands (at least once a week a potential client requests a blog design like Gal Meets Glam or The Barefoot Blonde. These blogs cost many thousands of dollars). Therefore, please understand that we may not be able to offer some functionality so please inquire before ordering if you have something specific that you would like. We know that blog design can be an expensive and intimidating process, and our aim is to provide a super-chic and affordable alternative. For live examples of blogs we have recently designed and what you can expect, please view the portfolio on our Blog Design page here. To avoid disappointment, please make sure that you thoroughly understand our offerings.  A blog is not a website.  A blog consists of your latest blog posts on the homepage and a static About and Contact page.  

Terms of Service

BLOGGER OR WORDPRESS.COM TO WORDPRESS TRANSFERS

We do not do Blogger to WordPress transfers.  If you wish for a WordPress blog design and are currently on Blogger, you MUST have your blog transferred and running in order for us to work on it.  For more information on the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org, please visit this link.  We do not currently design on WordPress.com.  If you are on WordPress.com and wish to switch to WordPress.org, we recommend purchasing Wordpress.com’s Guided Transfer service.

SEO SERVICES

WordPress themes by default are search engine optimized, however, we do not offer any additional SEO services and do not guarantee Google or Bing page ranking.  If you wish for additional SEO referrals please visit this page.  In our experience, for white-hat (legal) tangible and ongoing SEO results you can expect to pay upwards of $500 per month.  We use best design practices but are not responsible for any loss in page rank.

MOBILE THEME

Your blog design will be mobile-friendly.  Please keep in mind that a mobile theme is NOT your full blog design, it is simplified for mobile devices.  We understand that clients generally hire Little Blue Deer for our design flair, please understand that for your blog to appear mobile-friendly to Google some of your custom design elements may not be visible on the mobile version only.  This has nothing to do with us or our design, it is due to very strict Google policies on text and graphic appearance.

LOGO DESIGN

A blog header, though custom-designed to fit you and your unique brand, is NOT a stand-alone logo.  If you wish for a stand-alone logo with fully-scalable files and the rights to use all files, you will need to purchase our logo design package separately here.

SITE SECURITY

We are not responsible if your website or blog is hacked or otherwise compromised. This is the responsibility of your site host. It is your responsibility to keep your themes and plugins updated and to maintain your choice of site backup/site lock as offered by your hosting provider. We do recommend that your purchase site lock and site backup add-ons if available.

PHONE CALLS

We do not accept phone calls at any time, no exceptions.  All conversation is limited to email.  We do not Zoom, Facetime or text.  We are readily available via email Monday through Thursday, EST and are closed most American holidays.

CONTACT FORMS

We install best in practice WordPress contact form plugins. However, it is your responsibility to periodically test your form, we are not responsible for changes in email settings or other lapses in plugin or server communication. We are not responsible for loss of profit or traffic due to contact form issues.

BROWSER COMPATIBILITY

We do not guarantee that your site will render the same on all browsers. We design primarily for Google Chrome, Safari and Firefox and we recommend that you use the latest version of one of these browsers for optimal viewing.

TECHNICAL SUPPORT

Please keep the contact information of your site host if you experience any technical disruptions to your site.  Technical disruptions are the responsibility of your site host, not Little Blue Deer, LLC.  Additionally, we are not available to add or update plugins or change other functionality once your site is complete.  We will store your graphic files free of charge.  We offer a large array of WordPress tutorials here to help you get started.  Little Blue Deer’s services are turn-key.   Our goal is to design a solid blog using the WordPress content management system that the client can maintain on their own (eg. update text and image). If you wish for ongoing WordPress support and maintenance we love our friends at iMark Interactive and encourage you to investigate their support plans. 

PLUGINS

We only offer graphics for Facebook and other socials, we do NOT set up FB or Twitter auto-posting, you will need to install your own plugin for that.  Also, we are graphic designers, and blog design services do not include things like plugin settings, setting up stat counters, Comment Luv, etc.  Our specialty is graphic design. Pricing is for custom artwork and installation only.  

HOSTING + DOMAIN

Please be aware that to run a blog on WordPress.org (self-hosted WordPress), you will need to purchase a domain name and hosting prior to us beginning work on your blog.  The following providers offer One Click WordPress Installation and are recommended by Little Blue Deer:
bluehost.com
We do strongly recommend that your purchase site lock and site backup add-ons.

SKILL LEVEL EXPECTATIONS

A “word” about WordPress:  Wordpress is a powerful, SEO-friendly hosting platform.  However, it is not as user-friendly and easy to use as Google Blogger.  Please be aware of this.  If you are brand-new to blogging or not comfortable with computers, this may not be the platform for you.  If you are open-minded and willing to spend some time familiarizing yourself with WordPress, go for it!  It will be a fun and enlightening experience!  However, if you do not feel comfortable with computers in general, we encourage you to start with Blogger, it will probably be a more enjoyable experience for you.  We do not teach you to blog, so please take a moment and check your comfort level with technology in general before proceeding.

TIMELINE + ADDITIONAL FEES

Estimated timeline for blog design is approximately 2 weeks.  You can expect a link to your development site by the end of your assigned week, and have your blog completed thereafter, dependent upon revisions.  These times are approximate; we do not guarantee them, but your blog is as important to us as it is to you, and we try to work as quickly as we can.   Many times clients start a site, and then disappear.  That is totally okay by us, and it’s why we charge a deposit, we know that you are busy and that things come up in life!  Just keep in mind that if you are not readily available during the allotted design period (usually 1 to 2 months for site design), you will be placed at the bottom of our queue when you are ready to begin work on your site again.  Your deposit will expire at the end of 365 days so if you wish to start again after that period, we will require a new deposit to continue working on your site.

*We reserve the right to charge for excessive revisions.  We require a 50% deposit to start work on your site.  This deposit is non-refundable, it takes lots of time to create the initial development site, hence the deposit.  The remaining balance may be paid after the site is installed.

PLUGINS

We do use premium plugins in some design instances, these plugins are stable and do not need to be updated however you are always welcome to purchase your own license for updates and support if desired. 

A WORD ABOUT HOW I WORK

I offer semi-custom blog and site design.  After working with clients for almost 15 years, I have established some parameters for working together, and I will only accept clients who fully understand these limitations.

I prefer to work with new bloggers however I will happily consider your blog design if you do not have a large number of posts.  The more posts you have, the more issues are likely to result from a theme change.  I expect you to be prepared for this.

Please understand that the bulk of a blog design expense results from my graphic design expertise.  I am an artist, and I want your blog to be beautiful.

That said, I use the Divi theme (a wonderful and reasonably priced alternative to Showit).  So do not ask for functionality customizations.   Even if it seems like a small customization, there may be a lot to it.  Please use my portfolios for style references.  Expect to hear (a very nice and respectful) “no” if you ask for these things.  I take your blog seriously and it’s important that you manage your expectations for a happy design experience.

Please do not send me a major influencer’s blog and expect yours to look like that.  Blogs cost many thousands of dollars (truly, $20k is a good solid number for reference).  Our blog package is $500 so please do the math.  Please manage your expectations.  If you cannot do this, do not order a design package.

I work part-time.  Please gather all of your thoughts into a few cohesive emails and do not send multiple emails and random thoughts.  I work very fast but please do not expect to hear back from me outside of regular work hours and definitely not on weekends.

Do not request a phone call or text.  We communicate only via email.  Do not even ask, the answer is no.

If you are a laid back and chill creative with a positive and serene vibe, we will work fabulously together!  If you are uptight, anxious, nitpicky or demanding, I don’t want to work with you.  I value my time as well as yours and have hundreds of happy clients, so let’s make sure we’re on the same page and get started today!

© Little Blue Deer, LLC 2023

| Privacy Policy

Great Design Begins Here

Facebook-f Youtube Instagram Pinterest-p
Skip to content