Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions
Contact us for a free consultation. We’ll discuss your requirements, timeline, and budget. For projects requiring discovery, we’ll provide a discovery phase proposal (credited to the final project).
Absolutely. Many long-term partnerships start with a small hourly task ($150/hr) or a smaller project (< $5,000). This allows you to evaluate fit before committing to a large & complex project.
We also offer hourly billing arrangements with weekly invoicing for folks who only need us for a few hours a week.
If you’re looking for design work we have folks in our network that we’ll loop in.
Or if you have your own designer, we’re happy to work with them.
We’re experts at handling technical constraints and UX/UI considerations within a development context. But we don’t design things from scratch.
Yes, agency partnerships are a core service. Some for over 15 years. White-label or client-facing, whatever works for your client relationships
We’re responsive. Emails replied to within one business day. We won’t leave you waiting weeks, wondering if you were ghosted.
14 years specializing in advanced WordPress plugin development (vs generalist shops)
31 years of experience building for the web in general (vs junior developers)
Same senior engineer start-to-finish (vs agency handoffs)
Competitive rates (Iowa rates vs coastal city premiums)
US business hours
Central Time zone (overlaps both coasts) vs 12-hour time difference
Senior-level code review vs variable offshore quality
1 business day response times
Yes. View our case studies showcasing real WordPress development projects including financial services integrations, healthcare API implementations, e-commerce customizations, and workflow automation solutions.
Yes, we are happy to sign NDAs provided by our clients.
Discovery phase (credited to project) ensures alignment before major development begins.
Milestone-based delivery allows for feedback and adjustments throughout the project.
31 years of experience and 15+ year client relationships demonstrate our commitment to quality and satisfaction.
We also offer a 30-day warranty for bug fixes.
Services
No. We advise on hosting setup, optimization, and migrations, but we don’t provide managed hosting.
We have experience with Kinsta, WP Engine, Cloudways, Linode, Digital Ocean, AWS, and Cloudflare across WordPress, custom PHP, and static site deployments.
We prefer hosts that support modern deployment workflows (Git, CI/CD, SSH/rsync) over legacy FTP-based setups.
We’re happy to recommend a provider and help with configuration, but the hosting relationship is yours to manage.
Yes, monthly retainers are available with guaranteed capacity.
Includes development, consulting, support, maintenance, and security.
We’ve worked with a wide range of industries, including but not limited to:
Banking & Financial Services
Healthcare
E-commerce
Education
Wellness
Travel
Networking
Advertising & Marketing
NGOs
In short, we have broad experience and do not focus on any single industry.
Yes. Data migrations and platform transfers are a core service.
We’ve migrated from Drupal, Joomla, and other popular CMSs, as well as proprietary and in-house CMSs, static sites, and legacy platforms, to WordPress.
Includes content migration, URL preservation, SEO maintenance, and custom functionality replication.
We specialize in WordPress, but also take on development and AI projects outside of WordPress when they’re a good fit. Recent work includes headless architectures (WordPress + Hugo), standalone AI tools, and rescuing stalled projects built in various tech stacks.
Yes. Two ways:
AI-powered solutions: We build AI integrations and tools for clients, including content generation, lead analysis, workflow automation, and API integrations. See our AI Integration & Development page.
AI-enhanced workflows: We use AI tools to accelerate our own development process, reducing costs significantly. Clients may opt out in writing at any time. See our AI Policy for details.
AI Services
Yes. We integrate AI capabilities into WordPress sites and build standalone AI tools. Examples include automated content generation, intelligent form processing, lead scoring, and API integrations with OpenAI, Anthropic, and other providers. See our AI Integration & Development page.
Yes. We take over half-finished AI projects—whether built in Replit, Cursor, or by a previous developer—and bring them to production readiness. This includes code cleanup, proper architecture, documentation, and deployment.
Pricing
We build custom solutions tailored for each client. There is no “one price fits all”.
We share example price ranges on our pricing page, but each client we assist receives a solution and price explicitly tailored to their needs.
$150 standard, $225 after-hours. Free consultation available. Visit our pricing page for details on project-based pricing and monthly retainer options.
Both.Smaller projects are typically fixed-price after discovery.
Complex projects begin with a paid discovery phase (credited to project cost), followed by an hourly rate ($150/hour) or a fixed-price option, depending on the scope’s clarity.
Monthly retainers available for ongoing work.
Process and Timeline
The discovery phase ensures we understand your requirements before any development begins.
For small hourly tasks, micro projects, and/or those with a well-defined scope, discoveries are typically free — an email or call for a quick consultation to review the requirements.
For complex projects, a paid discovery phase is required. This involves meetings to discuss business requirements and goals. It requires access to the current website and web host for a review & technical audit, consulting, research, and ultimately a deliverable—a detailed estimate and a roadmap for your project.
All paid discovery phases will be credited towards the final project cost.
Video conferencing for discovery, planning, and regular updates as needed
Email or Slack for day-to-day communication
Trello (or your preferred platform) for project management.
Screen sharing for technical demonstrations.
Reference documents available for offline review.
Written documentation of all decisions and requirements
1 business day response times.
Changes are reviewed, estimated, and approved before implementation.
Fixed price projects:
Minor adjustments may be absorbed; larger ones require a change order.
Hourly projects:
Estimates adjust as needed, and you simply pay for the additional time as we go.
Small hourly tasks: A few business days
Small to mid-sized projects: A few business days to a few weeks
Complex and/or Enterprise projects: Several months or more.
Security and Compliance
Regular WordPress core, theme, and plugin updates
Security vulnerability scanning
Malware detection and removal
Access control and user role management
Two-factor authentication implementation
Strong password enforcement everywhere
SSL/TLS certificate management
Database security hardening
File integrity monitoring
Audit trails for everything
Principle of Least Privilege
Backup and disaster recovery planning
Secure payment gateway integration (e.g., Square,Stripe, PayPal, Authorize.net, etc.)
No credit card data stored on server (tokenization)
SSL/TLS encryption
Secure hosting environment
Regular security updates
PCI-compliant hosting recommendations
See Data Protection & Security section on our Privacy Policy.
Location and Hours
Yes. Geographic location doesn’t affect the quality of WordPress development.
We use the same processes for clients in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and 350+ other cities.
Many clients have worked with us for 15+ years without ever meeting in person.
No. 84EM serves clients across all 50 US states and around the world.
While headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, we’ve successfully collaborated with businesses since 2012 through video conferencing, screen sharing, and modern project management tools.
Not typically. WordPress development doesn’t require on-site presence. All work is done with video conferencing for meetings and screen sharing for technical demonstrations. This keeps costs lower and delivers faster results.
We’re in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
US Central Time (CT).
Development and support hours: 6 AM – 6 PM CT Monday-Friday
Office Hours: 8 AM – 5 PM CT Monday-Thursday, 8 AM – 12 PM CT Friday