New website.

I have a few questions related to your requirements below:
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=> What CMS/framework is the website currently built with, and are there any custom-coded modules?
=> Do you have access to the source code, hosting/server, database, CMS admin, and domain/DNS?
=> What are the top 2–3 issues or improvements you would like us to address first?
=> Do you currently have any staging/development environment, or would you like us to establish one before making production changes?
=> Are you looking for ongoing maintenance after the initial takeover, and approximately how frequently do you expect updates or new features?

Hi Christopher,

I’m interested in this, particularly as my business partner and I work across website development, technical improvements, UX, SEO and ongoing ecommerce/web support.

Just one clarification before I submit a proposal.

Although the project is titled “New website”, from the description it sounds as though you are actually looking for someone to take over and continue developing your existing website rather than build a completely new site from scratch.

Is that correct?

Also, is the £200 budget intended for an initial piece of work/milestone while a new developer familiarises themselves with the existing site, or is £200 intended to cover the full scope listed?

The areas you mention (legacy code, responsive improvements, performance, security, CMS/plugin updates, UX and ongoing maintenance) could vary substantially depending on the current platform and condition of the website, so I’d prefer to understand the intended first step before quoting.

If you’re able to share the existing website URL as well, that would be useful.

Kind regards,
Brendon

Hi

Can you share the current site URL?
This will allow an initial assessment and then send a proposal accounting for the skillset you've asked for specifically in relation to your site and ambitions.

Kind regard

Farook

-/ What are the main areas you want to improve first, such as adding new features, redesigning the user experience, improving speed/security, or fixing existing issues?

-/ Are there any custom functionalities or third-party integrations developed during the last five years that we need to maintain or extend?

-/ Do you have any specific goals for the next phase, such as increasing traffic, improving SEO rankings, adding new services/products, or preparing the website for future growth?

What platform/CMS is the current website built on, and could you share the website URL so I can review the existing setup?

With the site having been developed and maintained over five years, are there any known legacy issues, recurring bugs, slow areas, or parts of the site that have become difficult to maintain? It would help me understand whether your priority is improving the existing setup or first identifying and refactoring the areas that are holding the site back.

Hi Christopher,

How is the current development workflow set up? Do you have a version-controlled codebase and a staging environment that mirrors production, or have changes historically been made directly on the live website?

To get started, I would need collaborator access to the code repository, staging/hosting environment and CMS, along with any relevant technical documentation, existing deployment process, and the first priority you’d like me to review.

Once those are received and the start is confirmed, I can move straight into the first review milestone. I’ll keep the work organised in a clear management document so progress, decisions and changes are easy to track, and I’m confident we can build a good working relationship as the website continues to develop.

Hi Christopher,

As this is an existing website that has been developed over several years, would you be open to sharing a read-only source-code/repository link or temporary access so we can first review the current structure, technology, plugins/dependencies and any legacy areas?

Rather than sending an estimated proposal without seeing what we'd actually be taking over, we could first do an initial assessment, discuss what needs to be retained, refactored or improved, and then work out a realistic scope, milestones and price.

If you're comfortable with that approach, we'd be happy to take it from there.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Best Regards.