Step 1
Choose the build track
Start with the level that fits the project: a lean custom starter, a fast prototype, a solid launch build, or a larger custom platform.
I structure this menu like a deployable business operating system. Every build starts with a base model, then I attach the right engines: CMS, SEO, lead flow, content, data, automation, and workflow layers. The goal is simple: real numbers, clear scope, and no vague agency language.
Non-technical clients usually know the outcome they want, not the stack they need. I use this menu to translate ideas into a clear build path, a readable price structure, and a scope a decision-maker can actually approve.
Start with the level that fits the project: a lean custom starter, a fast prototype, a solid launch build, or a larger custom platform.
Pick the pieces the business actually needs: search, maps, dashboards, intake flows, content tools, portals, automations, or support.
Starter sites can stay lean or grow later. When the work is custom and trust is a concern, I recommend starting with a working prototype that becomes phase one of the later build after approval, so the first commitment stays grounded in something visible.
Every project I run climbs the same four rungs. Clients do not approve an abstract deliverable; they approve the next rung. That is why a prototype can be a real decision point, and why a scoped platform example needs to be shown separately from the generic baseline menu. The ladder keeps the first approval disciplined without blocking the bigger system from being built later.
$1,750 anchor
The visual and structural shell. UI, navigation, basic flows, placeholder records. No engines, no automation, no scaling. What the product looks like before it has power.
+$3,000 starting after prototype approval
Engines installed. CMS, hosting, deployment, core automations, SEO baseline, data persistence, functional flows, and the first workflow automations where useful. This is where the prototype becomes a real, shippable product.
Priced item-by-item below
Productised add-on engines that attach cleanly to the core: SEO Engine, Advanced CMS, Content Engine, Lead-Gen Engine, Analytics, and workflow automation. Bundled into packs below, or priced individually.
Project-priced
Performance work, advanced UI, multi-system integrations, complex workflows, and V2/V3 feature releases once the live product has traction.
Instead of quoting every module one-by-one, most clients buy one of these three engine packs on top of the core build. The individual module menu below is still available for custom mixes.
$600
$1,800
Quoted after scoping
Engines run on SSTIEM infrastructure by default. I can keep them there under a license, or scope a separate full transfer if the client wants the system moved into its own environment.
This is the base model. It is the difference between selling a page and delivering a system that can keep running after launch.
Responsive public UI, structured routes, content model, admin or CMS control, media handling, and a clear delivery transition. This is the floor for a real V1.
Baseline SEO, data persistence, contact or intake flows, hosting/deployment setup, security basics, and simple automations where they reduce repeat work.
Where it makes sense, the core comes with light workflow automation: routing, reminders, content prep, form triage, status checks, or simple internal helpers.
Advanced SEO, content automation, analytics, social workflows, richer CMS, dashboards, and deeper workflow layers are separate engines, so V1 stays focused.
These are the starting lanes. The first tier is a smaller custom-coded launch for simpler projects. The tracks after that scale into deeper custom systems.
Simple reading: Base Level = Lean Custom Starter, Version 1 = Launch Build, Version 2+ = Full Build. The scoped platform example is a configured build illustration, not the generic menu floor.
These starting lanes use a freelancer and small-studio benchmark lane, then adjust for a senior solo operator in Southeast Asia. Anchors read for this setup include Intelivita (landing page $1,000-$2,500; freelancer basic websites $3,000-$5,000), GoodFirms (small business sites $1,500-$4,000 at the low end; Indonesia roughly $10-$25/hour), JIM (freelancers $1,500-$8,000; boutique agencies $6,000-$12,000), and Forbes for the higher Western ceiling checks.
These are anchor prices for common modules. They are meant to make custom work easier to explain, not to trap a project in a rigid package. Smaller launches may only need a few of these. Larger builds stack more of them together.
These are itemized add-on prices for the base version of each module. Heavier versions are quoted separately after scope is clear, but the anchor price shown here is the real number used in the quote builder.
Clients are not only paying for visible pages. They are paying for scope shaping, custom build work, launch readiness, and a system that can actually be delivered cleanly.
Scoping, UX direction, content structure, and the decisions that turn a rough idea into a buildable plan.
Responsive front-end work, CMS or admin structure, integrations, and the modules that make the site or system actually useful.
Testing, polish, deployment, walkthroughs, and a delivery transition that leaves the client with something stable and usable.
This is usually the first question a serious client asks, and I like to answer it before it has to be asked. There are two options, and neither is hidden.
The client buys the system outright. I deliver the codebase, and I can move it into the client's own environment cleanly if it needs to be fully detached. After that, the client can keep working with me or hand it to another team.
The client still owns the front-end, site, brand, content, and data. SSTIEM engines remain licensed and run on shared infrastructure, which keeps the upfront build lighter because the client is using the engines rather than buying them outright.
These are common combinations a non-technical partner can point to when a client has a concept but does not know what to call it yet.
Best for premium launches, public campaigns, and brands that need something stronger than a normal brochure page.
Best for quizzes, pricing estimators, carbon tools, intake flows, and branded utility experiences that capture leads.
Best for editorial sites, resource hubs, story-led brands, and content-heavy businesses that need clean control behind the scenes.
Best for internal tools, client accounts, reporting systems, onboarding flows, and role-based product experiences.
Best for searchable platforms, structured data products, map-led browsing, listings, or any build where the system is the product.
Best for generated, low-code, or abandoned builds that have a good idea but poor UX, weak structure, or no reliable delivery plan.
This is not about attacking other tools. It is about explaining when they are a good fit and when they stop being enough.
| Option | Good For | Where It Starts To Break | When To Call Me |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wix / Squarespace | Simple brochure sites, fast launches, lightweight content. | Weak once the business needs custom flows, structured data, stronger UX, or special logic. | When the business is outgrowing a template and needs something purpose-built. |
| WordPress / Shopify themes | Content sites and commerce setups that fit within known plugin patterns. | Can get messy when too many plugins or custom requirements are layered on top. | When the brand, workflow, or data model no longer fits off-the-shelf structure. |
| SSTIEM lean custom starter | Smaller custom-coded launches, branded service sites, and lighter first versions that still need quality and a clean delivery transition. | It is intentionally lighter: no deep platform logic, large data models, role systems, or advanced operational workflows. | When you want a faster custom launch now, with room to step into a bigger custom build later if the business grows. |
| Rapid builders / Base44 / Lovable | Fast exploration, rough prototypes, quick validation, internal experiments. | Often weak on clean UX, long-term structure, scale, delivery transition, and system reliability. | When the idea is real and now needs proper design, stable architecture, and a platform people can trust. |
| SSTIEM custom builds | Custom workflows, dashboards, content engines, map platforms, portals, and brand-led digital products. | Higher upfront investment than a template because the business is paying for fit, control, and long-term clarity. | When the digital product matters enough to build around the business instead of bending the business around a tool. |
The easiest way to lose trust is to take a deposit, disappear into a black box, and come back with something the client did not expect. This process is built to prevent that by tying payment, visibility, and approval to real delivery moments.
Every project has checkpoints and working reviews. The client sees what is happening before the next stage starts.
I do not bill the whole project up front. Payment tracks delivery so the client is paying against visible progress.
Code, hosting, domains, content, and core assets stay transparent. No mystery setup and no hidden lock-in.
Half at kickoff, half at launch-ready delivery. Best for lighter custom-coded sites with a clear scope and fast turnaround.
Half at start, half on working delivery. If the client continues, this becomes phase one of the larger build rather than a throwaway separate fee.
Kickoff, approved midpoint demo, then launch and delivery transition.
Kickoff, prototype, beta review, then launch. More checkpoints for larger scope.
Stewardship is how the system stays alive after launch. Three tiers, depending on how much throughput and attention you want per month. Every tier includes monitoring, hosting oversight, and being first-in-line when something breaks.
The entry lane. Uptime checks, hosting oversight, small bug fixes, and first-response if something breaks. Best for clients who bought Full Ownership and just want me on call.
Everything in Base, plus 2–5 small requests per month or a planned quarterly upgrade rhythm — copy edits, content updates, light admin help, priority queue. You send an approval, I turn it around or explain why it should be scoped separately.
Everything in Active, plus ongoing design and development time for new features, engine upgrades, content systems, workflow automation, and strategy. Best for clients treating the build as a product, not a one-off site.
Stewardship is optional. If you want to take the system and go, that is a supported path — and the Base tier exists for clients who just want me reachable if something breaks.
Use this as the plain-English first pass a non-technical partner can show a client before revisions or final scope compression.
These numbers use the fixed anchor prices shown on the page. Items marked included are covered by the selected build track, so the quote avoids obvious double-counting while still showing what the scope contains. The starter tier is still custom-coded, but if more modules are added the scope is moving toward launch-build territory. Full transfer/setup remains a separate $800 line when the client wants the system moved into its own environment.