Entering a partnership can cause questions, and your partnership with Fyresite is no different. With over a decade of experience in eCommerce, Fyresite has heard it all. That’s why we have curated this list of frequently asked questions to answer common inquiries you may have throughout your Fyresite journey.

Scoping and Discovery

Q: Why does scoping take so long?

A: ECommerce projects are detail oriented, we need to deep dive into your current store, systems, tech stack, and goals to create a scope of work that is accurate. Scoping can take anywhere from two weeks to two months, depending on how long it takes you to gather pertinent information about your site and goals. We will often recommend a phase of discovery before creating a full scope of work to ensure we fully understand your needs.

Q:What are wireframes?

A: Wireframes are a blueprint that allow you to see a sample layout of a webpage. This will allow you to see a greyscale skeletal outline of the website before committing to a design. Doing this will help you understand placement for your website and save hours for your high fidelity mockup. These won’t have color or branding like your later high fidelity mockup will.

Q: What’s the best way to reach Fyresite throughout this process?

A: The best way to reach your Fyresite contact is through email. If your email is sent after our business hours we will reach you the next business day. On any emails you send, be sure to send them to your Fyresite contact as well as your PM.

Q: What is scope creep?

A: Scope creep is when a project gets bigger than what is scoped, often because extra features are added that are not in scope. When features are added out of scope, it will cost more. Read our post about scope creep and how to avoid it here.

Design

Q: We changed our mind about a design aspect after the second round of design revisions, why does this require more time/budget?

A: Our processes account for design and revision time based on the discovery and design brief provided. If these conclusions are inaccurate or changed, it can lead to underestimating the actual amount of design time required for the project.

Q: What is a hi-fi design mockup and how is it different from your finished website?

A: A hi-fi, or high fidelity, design mockup is the actual image of what the site will look like. This is to show you what your website will look like, but is not functional. Photos and colors will be there, but any moving graphics will not. This is a tool to allow you to see the vision for your site and offer final feedback before we move onto development.

Q: What is the content that Fyresite needs from me?

A: Fyresite will need content when we start your website, otherwise the timeline could be shifted back. We will use this content in our hi-fi design mockup so you can see how it will look on your site. Content includes photos, logos, writing, and more. To learn more about good content for your website, read our post here.

Development

Q: Why am I not seeing anything when we’re in development?

A: Unlike design, development takes place on the back-end. Development is for the functionality of your website, which means that you don’t see progression the same way that you can on the design front-end. Depending on the size of the project, we will do bi-weekly demo meetings to show you the progress.

Q: Why are changes more expensive in development?

A: Changes are more expensive in development because we have to make sure that the change is made without impacting functionality. This can involve bringing the design team back in to incorporate your revisions in the best way possible.

QA, Handoff, and Beyond

Q: What is QA?

A: QA is quality assurance. During this time, your site is almost ready to launch. Fyresite goes through a 24 point QA to make sure your site works through several browsers, resolutions, and functionality to make sure everything works as expected.

Q: My website is done, what do I need to do to make it go live?

A: A website will not go live until the development sign-off doc has been completed, final invoice payment has been received, and the domain registrar information has been received.

Q: What if we want to make content changes after handoff?

A: During the handoff meeting, Fyresite will show you how to make content changes for your website, so you will be able to make changes yourself.

Q: What continuous improvement plans do Fyresite offer?

A: Fyresite offers continuous improvement plans, during which we tackle maintenance, upgrades, A/B testing, optimizations, and customizations. These plans vary on hours depending on the merchant’s needs.

Q: I asked for an emergency service, why am I being charged an expedited rate?

A: In order to complete a service in the emergency timeframe, we need to reallocate resources. You are paying for the service and to have it done as top priority. You will be notified the service is being charged at an expedited rate before we begin work, you must confirm that you accept this term before we begin.