High-Performing websites

Hiring a freelance web designer is often cheaper than going to an agency because they have fewer expenses overall. They are usually also more responsive as the client will always have direct contact with the freelancer at all times. A freelance web designer is usually skilled in several different areas and can help you create everything you're looking for, from small brochure sites to complete e-commerce builds.

All freelance web designers will charge projects slightly differently. Rates are charged on a project basis, so I would ask you to send me a summary describing your needs. This way I can see if we will be a good fit and if I believe I have the necessary skills to bring your project to life. I can say that my prices for custom design and development typically start at around €1,200 (no VAT as I'm under a flat-rate regime).

So I usually split the project into two payments. The first 50% is paid in advance as an initial invoice. The remaining 50% is paid when no more changes are needed on the development site and the site is ready to be published.

Each web design project will be divided into various parts and a typical showcase site will take about 4-5 weeks from start to finish. A more complicated site or something based on e-Commerce could take 6 to 10 weeks depending on the size and complexity. In any case, you will have an accurate estimate after we have discussed the project.

For the best possible beginning to your project, it's always best that you have everything you need for hitting the ground running. It is not a problem if you do not have them ready, but things may take slightly longer.

• Branding: I'll ask you to provide any brand guidelines you have before starting. If you don't have any, no problem, simply providing your logo, preferably in high quality, will be sufficient.
• Photography: If you have an image library I'll ask to access to this, again if you don't have this we can look at sourcing images for you from stock libraries like Shutterstock or Unsplash.
• Content: If you have already planned your content with the site map and corresponding documents describing all the content of each page, fantastic! If not, I will ask for approximate content so I know what needs to be inserted on each page and then we can fill the pages with "lorem ipsum" placeholder until you have written the content.

YES. If you already have a web designer and are looking for a web developer to bring the design to life, don't hesitate to contact me. My only requirement is that the designer you choose must be able to provide me with delivery files in a modern format such as XD, Sketch, Figma or anything else used for web design.

YES. I can provide your developers with complete documentation and I design the vast majority of my sites using Figma. This means your developers will be able to export all the resources they need in an SVG format, which means the site will look crisp across multiple devices/screens.

YES. Although a premium theme can be a great starting point, it's not always the best solution for every project. Many times they can be restrictive, difficult to customize and don't always offer the best or most up-to-date design trends. In most cases, I would recommend starting with a blank canvas and building your site from scratch. This will ensure that your site is truly unique and reflects your brand and business exactly as you want.

If you're interested in working with a freelance web designer, contact me today for a free consultation. We can discuss your project in more detail, outline a proposal and provide you with a cost estimate.

Unfortunately, I don't work on existing websites, unless it's a complete redesign or content modification. This is because each project is unique and requires a tailored approach to achieve the best possible results. Creating a new website from scratch will allow me to consider your brand, your business and your target audience, resulting in a site that not only looks great but also works perfectly for you and your visitors. If you're interested in working with a freelance web designer, contact me today for a free consultation. We can discuss your project in more detail, outline a proposal and provide you with a cost estimate.

YES. I'm a supporter of content management systems (CMS). Using a CMS like Joomla or WordPress means you'll be able to easily edit your website content on your own, without the need for any programming knowledge, adding/editing pages, blog posts, etc. A training session will also be offered to ensure you have basic knowledge in managing your website.

YES. I always make sure that the websites I make are optimized for search engines and follow all the latest best practices. I also pay a lot of attention to Google's Core Web Vitals to make sure the website is as fast as possible, this includes for example using WebP/SVG images and, if using a CMS, caching plugins will be used to further improve performance.

Although I don't directly offer web hosting, I've been working with HOST.IT for over 10 years. It's not among the cheapest but with web hosting you get what you pay for. If you want a secure, scalable and fast website, you have to pay for a host that can offer you all of this. Of course I also work with your existing hosting.

As a web designer I mainly use Joomla and WordPress for most of my websites. Clients often like to use them because they are open source (which means they don't require an expensive annual license for use) and are very easy to use. I work with other CMSs like PrestaShop, Shopify and Magento.

I often compare it to the Windows vs Mac dispute from several years ago, where Apple proudly boasted that "Macs don't get viruses", the reality of this is pretty obvious if you think about it. At the time Windows held a huge market share compared to Apple, so hackers focused their efforts on this because they could target a wider audience. Things have changed since then and, according to the latest count of openings, the latest version of the operating system has more open vulnerabilities than the latest version of Windows. So what does this have to do with WordPress? Well, WordPress powers about 40% of the web and holds the largest market share by far. WordPress itself is not inherently insecure, but when you combine things like weak passwords, poor hosting and failure to update plugins/core files, then it's a perfect recipe for being hacked. The truth is that any website that has a database or public access is at risk of being hacked if proper security precautions are not followed.

I like working with a wide range of companies and freelancers and I bring the same skills to my work for small clients as for larger ones. I'm interested in working with small businesses as much as I am with large ones.

I have worked on projects with companies and individuals all over the world and am always open to new opportunities. I have a good understanding of the web design process and what it takes to deliver a project on time, so whether you're in Italy, the United States, Europe or Asia, I can work with you. If you want to work with me on your next project you can contact me.