Project timeline

16-Week Build & Launch Plan

Expanded from 6 weeks to 16 weeks to allow for thorough brand development, attorney review cycles, content depth, and a structured post-launch optimization period. Milestones marked in gold.

Phase 1

Wks 1–3

Discovery & Brand Foundation

Phase 2

Wks 4–8

Build & Content Development

Phase 3

Wks 9–11

Digital Presence & QA

Phase 4

Wks 12–13

Launch & Handoff

Phase 5

Wks 14–16

Post-Launch Optimization & Training

Phase 1 — Discovery & Brand Foundation

Weeks 1–3

Foundation

Wk 01

Project kickoff

Signed agreement and first payment. Attorney intake session: bio, credentials, NC bar number, service area, fee philosophy, target client stories. Domain registration confirmed. NC Secretary of State assumed name filing initiated. Milestone: project officially begins.

Wk 02

Brand exploration

Logo / wordmark concepts developed (2–3 directions). Tagline shortlist reviewed with attorney. Color system finalized (slate, teal, gold, parchment). Typography pair confirmed. Mood board presented for approval.

Wk 03

Brand sign-off

Attorney selects and approves final logo, tagline, and brand standards. Brand guidelines document delivered. All visual assets prepared for handoff to development. Milestone: brand identity locked.

Phase 2 — Website Build & Content Development

Weeks 4–8

Build

Wk 04

CMS & hosting setup

WordPress installed on managed hosting (Kinsta or WP Engine). Theme framework configured. Staging environment set up. Domain connected. SSL provisioned. Analytics (GA4 + Search Console) configured at staging level.

Wk 05

Homepage build

Full homepage development: hero, services grid, why section, process steps, testimonials, FAQ, CTA banner, footer. Bar-compliant footer disclaimer implemented. Mobile-first QA pass. Attorney headshot integrated (requires asset from attorney).

Wk 06

Interior pages build

Wills & Trusts service page, Probate & Estate Administration service page, About page, and Contact / Schedule page developed and styled. All pages mobile-responsive and WCAG 2.1 AA reviewed.

Wk 07

Content & copy

Attorney reviews all draft copy. Revisions incorporated. 3 launch blog posts written targeting NC estate planning SEO keywords. NC Estate Planning Checklist PDF designed and produced for lead magnet. Online scheduler (Calendly) configured and tested.

Wk 08

Attorney full review

Full site presented to attorney on staging URL. All copy reviewed for accuracy, tone, and bar compliance. Revision window (up to 2 rounds). Resources / Blog page built and populated with 3 launch posts. Milestone: site approved for QA phase.

Phase 3 — Digital Presence Setup & Quality Assurance

Weeks 9–11

Digital & QA

Wk 09

Google Business Profile

GBP created, verified, and fully optimized: services, categories, description (bar-compliant), service area, hours, Q&A section seeded, 5 launch posts scheduled. Photos uploaded (office or branded graphics). Review request strategy briefed to attorney.

Wk 10

Social media setup

Facebook business page and LinkedIn company page created with consistent branding (cover graphics, bio copy, contact info, service descriptions). First 3 posts drafted and scheduled on each platform. Posting cadence plan provided for first 90 days.

Wk 11

QA & compliance audit

Full bar-compliance audit across all web pages and social profiles. WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility check. Cross-browser and mobile device QA. Core Web Vitals optimization (LCP, CLS). Sitemap.xml and robots.txt configured. Privacy policy and cookie notice added. Milestone: site cleared for launch.

Phase 4 — Launch & Handoff

Weeks 12–13

Launch

Wk 12

Go-live

DNS pointed to live hosting. Site published. Google Business Profile activated. Social profiles made public. Google Search Console verification completed. Sitemap submitted to Google. Analytics confirmed tracking. Scheduler tested end-to-end. Milestone: LIFE-Plan.com is live.

Wk 13

Training & handoff

60-minute CMS training session: how to update page content, add blog posts, manage the scheduler, and update GBP. Written quick-reference guide delivered. All credentials and access transferred to attorney. 30-day monitoring plan activated.

Phase 5 — Post-Launch Optimization

Weeks 14–16

Optimization

Wk 14

Initial data review

First GA4 traffic report reviewed: top landing pages, search queries triggering impressions, geographic breakdown. Any indexing issues in Search Console identified and resolved. GBP views and action metrics reviewed.

Wk 15

SEO & content pass

On-page SEO audit: title tags, meta descriptions, heading structure, internal linking, image alt text. Any gaps corrected. 4th blog post published (based on Search Console data). Local citation check: NAP consistency across Google, Bing, Yelp, Avvo, Justia.

Wk 16

30-day wrap & roadmap

30-day performance summary delivered. Phase 2 roadmap presented: email newsletter setup, Google Ads consideration, video content, ongoing content retainer. Final questions addressed. Project formally closed. Milestone: engagement complete.

Monthly payment structure

Payment Schedule by Tier

All three tiers are broken into four monthly installments aligned to project phases. No large upfront payment — cash flow stays predictable for the attorney throughout the engagement.

Tier 1 — Essential Launch

Template-based WordPress · Core brand · Basic digital presence

$5,500

Project total (midpoint estimate)

Month 1 · Wks 1–4
Discovery + Brand
$1,650
30% — due on signed agreement

Month 2 · Wks 5–8

Website Build

$1,650

30% — due Week 5

Month 3 · Wks 9–12

Digital + Launch

$1,375

25% — due Week 9

Month 4 · Wks 13–16

Optimization

$825

15% — due Week 13

Domain + Year 1 managed WordPress hosting (WP Engine ~$20/mo)$260–$300/yr

Premium WordPress theme license$100–$200

Logo / wordmark — freelance, 2–3 concepts$500–$1,000

6-page website build (template-customized, bar-compliant)$3,000–$4,000

Scheduler setup, GA4, Search Console, social profiles (2 platforms)$400–$600

Google Business Profile + NC SOS filing ($26)$280–$550

Recommended

Tier 2 — Professional Launch

Custom-designed WordPress · Full brand identity · Complete digital presence + copywriting

$11,750

Project total (midpoint estimate)

Month 1 · Wks 1–4
Discovery + Brand
$3,525
30% — due on signed agreement

Month 2 · Wks 5–8

Website + Content

$3,525

30% — due Week 5

Month 3 · Wks 9–12

Digital + Launch

$2,938

25% — due Week 9

Month 4 · Wks 13–16

Optimization

$1,762

15% — due Week 13

Domain + Year 1 Kinsta managed hosting ($30/mo)$380–$400/yr

Full brand identity — logo, color system, typography, brand standards doc$1,500–$3,000

Custom-designed 6-page WordPress site, mobile-first, WCAG 2.1 AA$6,000–$9,500

Professional copywriting — homepage + 2 service pages (bar-reviewed)$800–$1,500

3 launch blog posts targeting NC estate planning SEO keywords$600–$900

NC Estate Planning Checklist PDF — designed lead magnet$200–$400

GBP full setup + 5 launch posts · Facebook + LinkedIn with branded graphics$800–$1,300

Scheduler, GA4, Search Console, sitemap, robots.txt, privacy policyIncluded

NC SOS assumed business name filing$26

Tier 3 — Authority Build

Full-custom design · Complete copywriting · Content strategy · Local SEO foundation

$23,000

Project total (midpoint estimate)

Month 1 · Wks 1–4
Discovery + Brand
$6,900
30% — due on signed agreement

Month 2 · Wks 5–8

Build + Full Copy

$6,900

30% — due Week 5

Month 3 · Wks 9–12

Digital + SEO + Launch

$5,750

25% — due Week 9

Month 4 · Wks 13–16

Optimization

$3,450

15% — due Week 13

Everything in Tier 2Included

Full custom website design — no template base, boutique legal agency level$10,000–$20,000

Complete copywriting — all 6 pages + attorney bio (bar-compliance reviewed)$2,000–$3,500

6-month content plan + 6 blog posts (NC SEO keyword-targeted)$1,500–$2,500

Local SEO: NAP citations, directory submissions (Avvo, Justia, FindLaw), review strategy$800–$1,500

Email newsletter setup (Mailchimp/ConvertKit) + branded template$300–$600

Professional headshot session coordination (NC photographer)$400–$800

Sources: CSP Marketing Solutions (solo attorney estate planning site $3,000–$5,000, 2025) · PaperStreet Plus from $9,500 (2025) · Kinsta managed WordPress from $30/mo (2025) · WP Engine from $20/mo (2025) · NC Secretary of State assumed name filing $26 · goconstellation.com law firm website design cost guide (2025) · flex-digital.com law firm website design cost (2025)

Monthly ongoing costs (post-launch, all tiers)

Managed WordPress hosting — $20–$50/mo

Domain renewal — ~$1–$4/mo

Calendly scheduler — $0–$16/mo

Google Workspace email — $6–$12/user/mo

Content / blog (Phase 2) — $200–$500/mo

Site maintenance (optional) — $100–$300/mo