Frequently Asked Questions

Company website: from €2,400. Shop: from €4,800. Maintenance: from €200/month. These are fixed prices – you know beforehand what it costs. After the initial call you get a concrete quote for your project, not a noncommittal "let's see". For tasks without clearly defined scope, I bill by the hour (€80/h net). Pricing overview →

At an agency you pay €120–180/h. For that money you get an account manager who passes on your brief, and a junior who implements it. With me you get for €80/h the experienced web developer with 27+ years of practice – and your direct contact at the same time. No communication losses, no coordination loops, no overhead costs. I maintained the entire web presence of a corporate group with eleven websites alone for two years – that's not a solo limit, that's efficiency.

Yes. Since 2010, for clients across Germany. Video calls, shared screens, and clear documentation replace every in-person meeting. No client has ever said the result would have been better if we'd been in the same room. By the way: The developers at your agency also work remote – you just pay additionally for the meeting rooms there.

Depends on scope and complexity. What I can say: significantly faster and more straightforward than with agencies. I'm typically available within two weeks. Urgent things go faster – just ask.

All my projects run on standard technology (WordPress, WooCommerce, HTML/CSS/JS). Everything is documented. Any other developer can take over my work – no proprietary system, no vendor lock-in. For maintenance clients: I announce vacations in advance, real emergencies (site down) get handled even during vacation. In 16 years of freelancing this has never been a problem.

Yes. Since June 2025 the German Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG) applies. Websites that sell products or services to consumers must be accessible – fines up to €100,000. I build to WCAG 2.1 AA standard and can retrofit existing sites. I offer this as a separate service – not bundled into every project, but specifically when you need it.

More and more people research with ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google AI instead of classic Google search. For your company to show up there, your website needs structured data (Schema.org, JSON-LD) that AI systems can read and categorize. I offer this as a separate service – tailored structured data for your industry and use case.

WordPress and WooCommerce for websites and shops that clients want to maintain themselves. YOOtheme Pro as page builder when visual flexibility is needed. Static HTML for maximum speed and minimal maintenance. All open standards – no system that only I can operate. You're never dependent on me.

Two options: Either I analyze your existing site (from €400, concrete report with priorities) and we improve specifically what's not working. Or we start clean and rebuild – that's worthwhile when the basic structure is wrong. Often the honest answer is: A redesign costs less than years of patchwork.

I can. The question is whether it's worthwhile. A migration means: Your old site then runs on a new server – but it's still old. If the technology is outdated (PHP 5, no SSL, not mobile-friendly), you're putting money into something that needs to be replaced anyway after the migration. My honest recommendation: If the site is less than 3 years old and technically sound, I'll migrate it. If not, let's talk about whether a rebuild with content takeover isn't cheaper in the long run. The content is never lost – only the technical foundation gets replaced.

Page builder systems (Wix, Jimdo, Squarespace, Shopify) are fine for getting started. But three problems: First: The monthly costs add up – after three years you've often paid more than your own system would have cost. Second: Migrating out is difficult to impossible. The content is trapped in the system, the code doesn't belong to you. Third: If the provider shuts down or triples prices (happens regularly), you're left high and dry.

When a page builder is enough: for tiny projects, if you have time to learn and SEO/custom features don't matter. When it's not: if you want to be taken seriously as a company. Your time is usually too expensive for that.

The switch is less dramatic than most think: We take the content and images with us, your domain stays the same. What changes is the foundation. And with it, everything that wasn't possible before.

Short answer: Yes. Long answer: I first look at what's there. Hobby projects, favor-websites, or work from beginners often have no security concept, no update strategy, and a structure that nobody but the creator understands. Sometimes I can build on that. Sometimes it's more economical to transfer the content into a clean structure and let go of the rest. I'll tell you that after 30 minutes of analysis – honestly, not as a sales pitch.

Yes, individual tasks too. But: "Small" sometimes turns out to be less small. If your site runs on WordPress 4, the last update was three years ago, and you "just want to quickly install a plugin", I have to tell you: The plugin isn't the problem. I'm happy to fix individual things – but I'll also tell you when the foundation is wrong and patching becomes more expensive than rebuilding. That's part of honest consulting.

AI can generate code. What it can't do: understand what your business needs. A website is not just HTML – it's strategy, structure, user guidance, legal compliance (GDPR, imprint, BFSG), ongoing maintenance, and someone who's responsible when something doesn't work. I use AI tools in my work where they speed up processes. But between "generate code" and "run a website that brings customers" are worlds apart. Anyone who's tried it themselves notices at the latest with the first real problem.

Because it's not the same product. A website for €200 is a template with your logo on it. No security concept, no update strategy, no loading time optimization, no contact person when something breaks. Often not even valid code. Look at the provider's website itself – if that already has errors, what do you expect for yours? I build websites that still run three years later, are secure, and get found. That costs more than €200, but saves the third rebuild in the long run.

Three packages, cancel monthly. Basic (EUR 200/month, 2.5h): updates, security, monitoring, minor content changes. Standard (EUR 400/month, 5h): plus performance monitoring, regular changes, fast response times. Shop (EUR 800/month, 10h): everything from Standard plus WooCommerce-specific maintenance, new features, priority support. Unused hours expire – but honestly: most clients use them.

Yes, with some caveats. Technically no problem – remote is remote, whether Hamburg or Vienna. Legally it gets more complex with GDPR, imprint requirements and country-specific regulations (BFSG, EAA). For clients in Austria and Switzerland, it works well. Beyond that, we'll discuss in the initial call whether I'm the right fit.

Three things. First: 27 years of experience, including three years of professional QA in the games industry – I find bugs before your customers do. Second: I maintained the entire web presence of a corporate group with eleven websites alone for two years – that's not hobby-project level. Third: My wife is a professional proofreader. Every text is professionally reviewed. Most freelancers deliver code. I deliver a finished product.

Yes, as part of every project. After launch there's a CMS training session – so you can make text changes, swap images and do simple updates yourself without having to call me. For shops: product management training. This isn't an extra line item on the invoice – it's part of the project.

Open standards: WordPress, WooCommerce, HTML, CSS, JavaScript – no proprietary systems, no vendor lock-in. Everything is documented, any other developer can take over my work. Plus regular updates through maintenance packages. And if you no longer need me: clean handover, no dependencies, no tricks.