Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about working with 84EM -- services, pricing, process, security, and more.
Services
What services do you offer?
Six service lines: Custom Web Development, Agency Partnerships, AI Integration & Development, Technical Advisory, Project Rescue, and Maintenance, Security & Support.
Do you do WordPress development?
Yes, with a heavy focus on bespoke WordPress plugin development. AI, APIs, integrations, custom workflows. See case studies for examples.
Can you build AI into my product?
Yes. Custom AI tools, LLM-powered features, and automated workflows that plug into your existing stack. If you started an AI project that stalled, 84EM audits the work, fixes what's broken, and brings it to production. See AI Integration & Development for the full scope.
Can you advise without doing the implementation?
Yes. Technical Advisory engagements cover architecture reviews, AI adoption strategy, proposal and RFP review, codebase review, team enablement, and ongoing advisory. Retainer or per-engagement. See Technical Advisory.
Can I get a second opinion on a vendor proposal?
Yes. Proposal and RFP review is a common advisory engagement. A senior technical assessment of scope, architecture, cost, and risk before you commit. Useful for non-technical founders and technical leaders alike.
What kinds of projects do you rescue?
Stalled builds, vendor abandonments, brittle codebases, and half-finished platforms. If a previous team couldn't deliver, 84EM figures out what's salvageable and builds a plan to ship. Any platform, any stack, including stalled AI builds from Replit, Cursor, or similar. See Project Rescue for details.
Can you fix a hacked website?
Yes. Malicious code removal, site hardening, and breach monitoring implementation.
My website is slow. Can you help?
Yes. Diagnosis covers hosting, database, plugin, image, and caching issues with real performance measurements.
Do you provide ongoing maintenance and support?
Yes. Monthly retainers include development, consulting, support, maintenance, and security. See Maintenance, Security & Support.
Can you build accessible (ADA/WCAG compliant) websites?
Yes. 84EM targets WCAG 2.1 AA with semantic HTML, ARIA attributes, keyboard navigation, and color contrast compliance.
Can you integrate with CRM, ERP, or business systems?
Yes. HubSpot, Salesforce, banking platforms, healthcare systems, payment processors, and more. Custom API connections built as needed.
Do you provide hosting?
No. Clients own their hosting accounts directly. 84EM provides recommendations and configuration assistance.
Pricing
How much will my project cost?
It depends on scope. Ad-hoc work starts at $150/hour. Fixed projects and retainers are quoted after a free consultation. Past engagements have ranged from a few hours of discovery work to multi-year retainers in the six figures.
What's your hourly rate?
$150/hour for ad-hoc work. Fixed projects and retainers are priced on scope, not hours.
Do you work on fixed-price or hourly projects?
Both. Defined projects are fixed-fee so you know the cost upfront. Ad-hoc work and discovery phases are hourly. Ongoing work is typically a retainer, billed weekly, monthly, or quarterly.
Is there a minimum project size?
No minimum. A short discovery document or a small fix is just as welcome as a multi-month build.
What Makes 84EM Different
What makes you different from other developers?
One principal engineer on every engagement with direct client access. No account managers, no junior handoffs, no rotating teams. The person who scopes the project is the same person who architects it, writes the code, and ships it. 31 years of web experience, one-business-day response times, clients ranging from solo founders to enterprises over $1B in revenue.
How does 84EM compare to a large agency?
Large agencies assign a project manager who relays messages to a rotating team. Details get lost. Timelines slip. 84EM engagements skip the middle layer entirely. You talk to the engineer. The engineer does the work. No translation loss, no scheduling conflicts between internal teams, no turnover mid-project.
Can I see examples of your work?
Yes. See case studies covering financial services, healthcare, e-commerce, AI platforms, and automation solutions.
Getting Started
How do I get started?
Contact 84EM to discuss your requirements, timeline, and budget. Message or book a quick call. No commitment required.
Can I start with a small project first?
Yes. Many engagements begin with a smaller scope, such as a fixed-price discovery phase, a scoped advisory engagement, or a defined first project. Ad-hoc hourly work can also serve as a starting point. This is a common way to establish working fit before committing to larger work.
Do you work with agencies?
Yes. 84EM offers both white-label and client-facing agency partnership models. See Agency Partnerships for details.
Do I need to be local to work with 84EM?
No. 84EM serves clients across the USA and internationally. Based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa (US Central Time), work happens over video conferencing and project management tools during standard business hours.
Working Together
Will I work directly with Andrew?
Yes. Every 84EM engagement is handled by a principal engineer. Andrew is the point of contact and the accountable party from scoping through deployment. For larger engagements, a trusted network of developers and specialists is brought in, but communication and accountability stay with Andrew.
Do you subcontract work?
For larger or cross-discipline engagements, 84EM brings in a trusted network of vetted engineers, designers, and specialists. Every contributor works under a signed NDA, in US business hours, with code review and final sign-off by the principal engineer. Andrew stays the point of contact and the accountable party throughout the engagement.
Can I hire you for ongoing advisory without a specific project?
Yes. Technical Advisory retainers are available for architecture guidance, code review, AI adoption strategy, and general senior technical input. Useful for teams that need a principal engineer on call without hiring full-time. See Technical Advisory.
How do you handle project communication?
Video conferencing, email or Slack, Trello (or your preferred tool), screen sharing, reference documents, and one-business-day response times.
Process and Timeline
Do I own the code you write?
Yes. All custom code is owned by the client. Full access provided. Documentation included. No lock-in.
What if my project requirements change mid-development?
Fixed-price: minor changes absorbed, larger ones require change orders. Hourly: estimates adjust as needed.
What's your typical project timeline?
Small fixes and hourly tasks: a few business days. Small-to-mid projects like plugin builds or focused integrations: a few weeks. Complex builds like custom applications or platform integrations: 2 to 4 months. Enterprise engagements: 6 to 12+ months.
What happens after my project launches?
30-day monitoring with free bug fixes. Monthly maintenance retainers available for ongoing development, security, monitoring, and support.
Industries
What industries do you work in?
Financial Services, E-Commerce, Healthcare, Marketing & CRM, Real Estate, Security & Identity, Data & Integrations, Education, and AI & Automation. Clients also span nonprofits, agriculture, and other sectors.
Do you work with healthcare organizations?
Yes. Patient portals, provider directories, appointment systems. HIPAA considerations implemented; a formal compliance auditor is recommended for certification.
Do you work with banks and financial institutions?
Yes. Financial services is a core sector. Custom banking integrations, loan workflows, and secure portals built with compliance in mind.
Do you work with e-commerce sites?
Yes. Payment integrations, custom product types, shipping logic, subscription workflows, and platform syncing.
Choosing WordPress
Should I use WordPress for my project?
WordPress powers 40% of the web. It's flexible, well-supported, and cost-effective for most sites. It's not ideal for highly interactive applications or specialized performance needs. 84EM provides an honest recommendation based on your actual requirements, not a platform preference.
What's the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org?
WordPress.org is self-hosted with full control and unlimited customization. WordPress.com is a hosted service with plugin and theme limitations. 84EM works with WordPress.org and can assist with migration.
Is WordPress secure?
Yes, when properly maintained. Security depends on updates, passwords, hosting, and plugins, not WordPress itself. Best practices are implemented on all projects.
Security and Compliance
How do you handle website security?
Regular updates, vulnerability scanning, malware detection, access controls, two-factor authentication, strong password enforcement, SSL/TLS, database hardening, file monitoring, audit trails, least privilege principle, and backup/disaster recovery.
How do you handle PCI Compliance?
Secure payment gateways (Square, Stripe, PayPal, Authorize.net), tokenization, SSL/TLS encryption, secure hosting, regular updates, and PCI-compliant hosting recommendations.
Miscellaneous
How do you pronounce 84EM?
Eighty Four M.
What's up with all the pet photos on your socials?
Three dogs, three cats. They're part of the team.
Let's Talk
No sales pitch. No commitment. Just direct contact with the engineer. Message or book a quick call.
Folks We've Helped
