Can the site actually sell things, or just show them?
It can sell. The shop is built into the site itself: product cards with sizes and prices, a cart that keeps a running total, and a checkout that takes payment. The payment side runs through Shopify or Stripe, so card numbers never touch your website and you are never the one storing them. Delivery, pickup, tax and stock are all handled at checkout. Asliya Foods sells frozen food through exactly this setup. A shop is quoted per build rather than listed at a flat price, because six products and sixty products are not the same job.
What if I do not have good photos?
You supply the images, and most businesses already have something that works. A real photograph of your actual place beats a polished stock image of somebody else's, and I will tell you honestly whether what you have is good enough. If it is not, I can bring in a professional photographer with proper camera and lighting equipment, usually for a one to two hour shoot on site. That is quoted separately from the build and it is entirely your call. What I will not do is fill your site with stock photography, on any package, at any price.
Why a monthly fee at all?
It covers hosting, the SSL certificate, security, and the hours of changes each month. Most small businesses need edits. New hours, a new service, a photo swapped out. Paying by the hour for those adds up fast.
Is there a contract?
Six months minimum on the hosting, starting the day the site goes live. After that it's month to month. The setup fee is split 50% on signing and 50% on launch day.
What if I want to leave?
You own your content and your domain, always, and I'll hand those over. Two things to know before you sign: leaving inside the six-month minimum means settling the remaining months, and restarting a build you walked away from costs $200. Source code handoff is a separate $500 add-on, because the code itself isn't part of what the monthly fee buys.
Do you work outside Northern Virginia?
Northern Virginia is where I am based and where I know the competition, so it is where I am most useful. I will not turn away work elsewhere, so ask.
What do you need from me to start?
Your business name, what you sell, your hours, and any photos you have. That is about fifteen minutes on your side. Weak photos I flag before the build starts, not after.