Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions
How do I get started?
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). Typical lead time to start: 2-4 weeks.
What if I’m not happy with the work?
Discovery phase (credited to project) ensures alignment before major development begins.
Milestone-based delivery allows for feedback and adjustments throughout the project.
30 years of experience and 5-15+ year client relationships demonstrate our commitment to quality and satisfaction.
We also offer a 30-day warranty for bug fixes.
Can I start with a small project first?
Absolutely. Many long-term partnerships start with micro plugin builds ($150-$1,200) or small plugin projects ($1,500-$5,000). This allows you to evaluate fit before committing to larger enterprise solutions.
What makes you different from local WordPress agencies?
13 years specializing in WordPress plugin development (vs generalist shops), 30 years experience (vs junior developers), same senior engineer start-to-finish (vs agency handoffs), and often 30-50% lower cost (Iowa rates vs coastal city premiums).
What makes you different from offshore developers?
Native English speaker, US business hours, Central Time zone (overlaps both coasts) vs 12-hour time difference, US-based LLC with standard contracts, senior-level code review vs variable offshore quality, and real-time communication vs async-only collaboration.
Can I see examples of your work?
Yes. View our case studies showcasing real WordPress development projects including financial services integrations, healthcare API implementations, e-commerce customizations, and workflow automation solutions.
Do you work with specific CMS platforms besides WordPress?
We specialize exclusively in WordPress. For Drupal, Joomla, or custom CMS platforms, we recommend specialized agencies in those platforms. Our deep WordPress focus (13 years) delivers better results than generalist approaches. But if you want to migrate away from other CMS platforms, we’re happy to move you to WordPress.
Will you sign an NDA?
Yes, we are happy to sign NDAs provided by our clients.
Services & Pricing
Do you work with agencies on white-label projects?
Yes, white-label WordPress development is a core service. Many agency partnerships span 5-15+ years with invisible delivery direct to your clients.
What’s your typical project timeline?
Micro plugins: 1-8 hours.
Small plugins: 3-10 days.
Complex development: 1-6+ months.
Typical lead time: a few weeks for projects, a few days for small hourly tasks.
Do you provide ongoing maintenance and support?
Yes, monthly retainers are available starting at 10+ hours/month with guaranteed capacity. Includes development, consulting, support, maintenance, and security.
What industries do you specialize in?
Financial services (investment management, banking, and cryptocurrency), healthcare (API integrations and appointment systems), e-commerce (custom WooCommerce solutions), education (LearnDash LMS), and digital agencies (white-label partnerships). However, we’ve worked with clients from a wide range of industries.
What’s your hourly rate?
$150/hour standard rate, $225/hour after-hours rate. Free consultation available. See our pricing page for project-based pricing and monthly retainer options.
Do you work on fixed-price or hourly projects?
Both. Micro and small plugin builds are typically fixed-price after discovery. Complex enterprise projects start with a paid discovery phase, then can be hourly ($150/hour) or fixed-price depending on scope clarity. Monthly retainers available for ongoing work.
Can you help migrate from other platforms to WordPress?
Yes. Data migrations and platform transfers are a core service. We’ve migrated from Drupal, proprietary CMSs, static sites, and legacy platforms to WordPress. Includes content migration, URL preservation, SEO maintenance, and custom functionality replication.
Remote Work & Location
Can you work with our business even though you’re in Iowa?
Yes. Geographic location doesn’t impact WordPress development quality. We use the same remote processes for clients in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and 350+ other cities. Many clients have worked with us 5-15+ years without ever meeting in person.
Do you need to be local to work with 84EM?
No. 84EM serves clients across all 50 US states and around the world, remotely. While headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, we’ve successfully collaborated with businesses since 2012 through video conferencing, screen sharing, and modern project management tools.
Do you travel to client sites?
Not typically. WordPress development doesn’t require on-site presence. All work is done remotely with video conferencing for meetings and screen sharing for technical demonstrations. This keeps costs lower and delivers faster results.
What time zone are you in?
Central Time (CT).
Development hours:
6 AM – 6 PM CT Monday-Friday.
Meeting hours:
8 AM – 5 PM CT Monday-Thursday
8 AM – 12 PM Friday.
After-hours available for select partners.
Do you understand state and local regulations and compliance requirements?
Yes. We’ve worked with financial services firms in New York and Charlotte (SEC, FINRA), healthcare organizations nationwide (HIPAA), and businesses across all 50 states. Compliance requirements are discussed during the discovery phase.
How do you handle different state tax requirements?
Iowa does not charge sales tax on professional services. We provide a W-9 and the necessary documentation for your accounting needs.
AI-Enhanced Development
How does AI-enhanced development work?
AI tools accelerate R&D, testing, and documentation. Every line of code is reviewed by 30-year veteran before production. Completely optional and transparent. Opt-out available.
What Gets Enhanced:
- Rapid research and prototyping before full implementation
- Accelerated debugging and troubleshooting
- Comprehensive test case generation and edge-case exploration
- Complete documentation for technical and user audiences
- API integration research and validation
- Performance optimization analysis
- Human review for functionality, performance, and security before production
- No mocks in testing – real WordPress functions, database interactions, API calls
- Real integration testing with actual API keys and live systems
- 90%+ code coverage standards
What’s included in your testing process?
Extensive, hands-on testing by a human.
Automated, real integration testing with actual WordPress functions, database interactions, and API calls. No mocks. PHPUnit and WordPress Testing Framework.
We test with:
- Real WordPress installations
- Actual database operations
- Live API connections with real credentials
- Real WooCommerce transactions
- Actual payment gateway interactions
- Live third-party integrations
How do you handle confidential data?
Confidential data handling protocols are in place. AI usage requires written approval before any real data is entered into prompts.
For AI-enhanced projects:
- Transparent disclosure of which AI tools assisted development
- Written approval required before confidential data enters prompts
- Complete AI-free option available upon request
- No sharing of personal information or regulated data with AI providers
Process & Timeline
What happens during the discovery phase?
The discovery phase ensures we understand your requirements before major development begins. Includes:
- Requirements gathering and documentation
- Technical architecture planning
- Database schema design
- API integration research
- Timeline and milestone planning
- Risk assessment and mitigation strategy
How do you handle project communication?
- Video conferencing for discovery, planning, and project updates.
- Email or Slack for day-to-day communication.
- Screen sharing for technical demonstrations
- Written documentation of all decisions and requirements
- Regular progress updates at agreed intervals
- Response time: Within 1 business day
What if my project requirements change mid-development?
Milestone-based delivery allows for adjustments throughout the project. Changes are discussed, estimated, and approved before implementation. Minor changes are sometimes absorbed; larger scope changes are handled via the change order process.
Do you provide training or documentation?
Yes. All projects include:
- Technical documentation for developers
- User documentation for non-technical staff
- Video walkthroughs when appropriate
- Training sessions via screen share
- Ongoing support during transition period
What happens after the project is complete?
Options include:
- Monthly retainer for ongoing support (10+ hours/month)
- Ad-hoc hourly support as needed
- Handoff to your internal team with documentation
- Extended warranty/support periods
- Future enhancement planning
WordPress-Specific Questions
Do you work with specific WordPress plugins?
Yes. Extensive experience with:
- E-commerce: WooCommerce, WooCommerce Subscriptions
- Forms: Gravity Forms, Contact Form 7
- LMS: LearnDash
- Page Builders: Block Editor (Gutenberg)
- SEO: Yoast, Rank Math
- Membership: MemberPress, Restrict Content Pro
- Advanced Custom Fields Pro
- Multilingual: WPML, Polylang
Can you optimize our existing WordPress site?
Yes. Services include:
- Performance optimization (page speed, caching, database optimization)
- Security hardening and vulnerability assessment
- Code cleanup and refactoring
- Plugin conflict resolution
- Database optimization
- SEO improvements
- Mobile responsiveness fixes
Do you work with WordPress Multisite?
Yes. Experience includes:
- Multisite network setup and configuration
- Custom network-activated plugins
- Site provisioning automation
- Cross-site data sharing
- Network-wide feature rollouts
- Multisite migrations
What WordPress coding standards do you follow?
We follow WordPress Coding Standards (WPCS), including:
- PHP 8.0+ with type hints and named parameters
- WordPress hooks and filters architecture
- Secure coding practices (sanitization, escaping, nonces)
- Object-oriented design patterns
- Composer for dependency management
- PHPUnit for testing
- WP-CLI for automation
Security & Compliance
How do you handle WordPress security?
Security measures include:
- Regular WordPress core, theme, and plugin updates
- Security vulnerability scanning
- Malware detection and removal
- Access control and user role management
- Two-factor authentication implementation
- SSL/TLS certificate management
- Database security hardening
- File integrity monitoring
- Backup and disaster recovery planning
Are you HIPAA compliant?
We’ve worked with healthcare organizations requiring HIPAA compliance. We implement:
- Encrypted data storage and transmission
- Access controls and audit logging
- Business Associate Agreements (BAAs)
- Secure hosting environments
- Regular security assessments
- Incident response procedures
How do you handle PCI compliance for e-commerce sites?
For WooCommerce sites handling payments:
- Payment gateway integration (Stripe, PayPal, Authorize.net)
- No credit card data stored on server (tokenization)
- SSL/TLS encryption
- Secure hosting environment
- Regular security updates
- PCI-compliant hosting recommendations
Still Have Questions?
Can’t find what you’re looking for? Contact us for a free consultation. We’re happy to answer any questions you may have about your specific WordPress development needs.