Web Design FAQ

Parachute Design works with established small businesses, growth-stage companies, and mid-to-large organizations across Canada and the United States. We focus on B2B and professional services: legal, financial, healthcare, government, and associations. Our clients have a defined project, a real budget starting at $25,000, and a need for custom design rather than a template.

We have built custom websites for organizations including SickKids, Intact Insurance, the Government of Ontario, and McMillan LLP. Most clients come to us when their current site limits their brand, their lead generation, or their search visibility.

Parachute specializes in B2B and professional services. Our deepest experience is in legal, financial, healthcare, government, and association websites, where credibility and compliance matter more than price. We work across all industries, but these verticals are our core.

Named clients include McMillan LLP and Gowling WLG in legal, Intact Insurance and Middlefield Group in financial, SickKids in healthcare and non-profit, and the Government of Ontario. This work shapes how we approach positioning, accessibility, and content structure for regulated industries.

Yes. Parachute is based in Toronto and serves clients across Canada and the United States. We have run projects remotely since 2009. Our process, communication, and delivery work for clients in any North American time zone.

Phillips Lytle LLP is one example of our US client work. Distance does not change our process or our level of involvement.

Yes, when the budget and scope align. Parachute works with funded startups that need a credible, custom brand and website from the start. Our minimum engagement is $25,000. We are not the right fit for bootstrapped startups looking for the cheapest possible build.

Building a brand and site from the ground up is some of our most rewarding work. If you are early-stage with a real budget, we can help you launch on a foundation that scales.

Parachute is not the right fit if your budget is below $25,000, if you need a simple template site quickly, or if you want a product-catalogue site with low design value. We also struggle to help clients who cannot share a brief, goals, or a discovery call. We are direct about fit so neither side wastes time.

If we are not the right match, we will tell you early and, where we can, point you toward a freelancer or platform that suits your needs better.

A custom website from Parachute starts at $25,000 for a microsite. Most projects fall between $35,000 and $60,000. Larger, more complex builds with portals, eCommerce, or custom integrations range from $65,000 to $100,000 or more. All pricing is in Canadian dollars. We do not compete on price, and we do not discount.

Two factors drive cost: the number of unique page templates and the functionality required. Technical SEO and GEO are built into every project, not added as an extra. We build a formal scope and proposal after a discovery call or a submitted RFP.

Minimum engagement is $25,000 for a microsite. Pricing scales with custom integrations, portals, gated content, and eCommerce.

Two factors drive website cost at Parachute: the number of unique page templates and the functionality you need. A standard B2B marketing site needs around 15 unique page designs. Features like user portals, gated content, eCommerce, and CRM integrations add development time and cost.

Each unique page requires wireframing, UX design, and custom UI design for desktop and mobile. Standard integrations like a CRM or email platform are routine. Portals, membership areas, and custom-built functionality are where budgets scale toward the higher tiers.

Parachute maintenance plans start at $600 per month for core updates, plugin management, and staging-tested deployments. The Standard plan is $900 per month and adds security audits and an SEO health check. The Advanced plan is $1,500 per month and adds accessibility audits, keyword tracking, and 24/7 monitoring.

Every project includes 60 days of complimentary support after launch. That window helps us determine the right ongoing plan. Plans are tailored to site complexity; flexibility is standard.

Parachute offers logo design and brand identity as part of our branding services, delivered alongside web design projects. Contact us for tailored branding pricing.

Parachute does not compete on price because we do not build templates. Every site is custom-designed and custom-developed on WordPress, with technical SEO and GEO built in from discovery through launch. You are paying for 23 years of enterprise experience and a site engineered to perform, not a theme with your logo on it.

Cheaper providers reuse templates, skip strategy, and add SEO afterward. That gap shows up in performance, search visibility, and conversion. For organizations where the website carries real business weight, custom work pays for itself.

Parachute follows a six-step process refined since 2003: Discovery, Strategy, Creative Design, Development, Launch, and Manage and Grow. Every project moves through all six steps. Technical SEO and GEO are integrated at every phase, not added at the end.

1. Discovery: we gather analytics, competitor data, and your goals to inform every decision.
2. Strategy: we design the sitemap, navigation, and information architecture.
3. Creative Design: we create high-fidelity UI concepts from the approved wireframes.
4. Development: we build in a private environment and run full quality assurance before launch.
5. Launch: we stage the site for at least two days, then deploy early in the morning to manage any issues before traffic arrives.
6. Manage and Grow: we include 60 days of complimentary support and monitor uptime, performance, and analytics after launch.

Most Parachute website projects take 12 to 14 weeks from discovery to launch. Timeline depends on the number of unique page designs, the complexity of functionality, and the depth of SEO and keyword research involved.

Projects with portals, eCommerce, or custom integrations take longer. We set a realistic timeline during scoping and hold to it. Delays usually come from content and feedback turnaround, which is why we define responsibilities early.

To start, Parachute needs access to your Google Analytics and Search Console, any other tracking platforms, and a completed kick-off questionnaire covering your brand, goals, audience, and competitors. Many clients also submit a formal RFP or brief. Discovery takes about one week for standard scope.

You do not need to be technical. You do need to engage in discovery and provide timely feedback. The more context you give us up front, the stronger the strategy we build.

Every Parachute project includes five revision rounds across the design phase. We frame revisions as a defined count for context, not an hourly budget, so you always know where you stand. Thorough wireframing up front reduces the number of revisions needed later.

Our wireframing phase resolves structure and UX before creative design begins. That tends to cut the volume and severity of revisions, which produces a stronger final design.

After launch, Parachute includes 60 days of complimentary support. We monitor uptime, performance, and analytics to confirm the site performs as expected. The 60-day window helps us determine the right ongoing maintenance plan for your needs.

Ongoing maintenance plans start at $600 per month. Post-launch SEO and GEO support is available as a separate retainer. We do not disappear at launch.

Parachute offers custom web design, custom WordPress development, UX strategy, branding and logo design, search engine optimization (SEO), generative engine optimization (GEO), accessibility compliance, and ongoing website maintenance. We build everything in-house on WordPress.

We do not offer content writing, translation, photography, or video production. We partner with trusted providers and can bring them into a project when needed.

Yes. Parachute builds custom eCommerce websites on WordPress using WooCommerce. This suits established and growing businesses that need a tailored online store with full control over design, functionality, and integrations. Custom eCommerce builds start around $60,000.

WooCommerce gives you a custom shopping experience with no platform lock-in and no mandatory monthly platform fees. For businesses that have outgrown template-based stores and closed systems, custom WordPress removes the limits.

Yes. Parachute builds technical SEO and generative engine optimization (GEO) into every project from discovery through launch. GEO helps your business get found and cited by AI tools like ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews. This is built in, not an add-on, and we train your team to manage it after launch so your visibility does not depend on us.

Foundation projects include schema markup, metadata, XML sitemaps, and competitive baselining. Advanced scopes add visibility tracking, keyword research, and content strategy. Ongoing SEO and GEO support is available as a post-launch retainer.

Yes. Parachute has deep experience with AODA, ADA, and WCAG compliance. We design accessible sites and use accessiBe for ongoing compliance monitoring. Accessibility audits are included in our Advanced maintenance tier.

Accessibility is a legal requirement in Ontario under AODA and a baseline expectation for credible organizations. We build it in from the start rather than retrofitting it later.

Yes. Parachute builds multi-language websites on WordPress Multisite. Each language variant gets its own content structure and URL path, which gives you better SEO and more editorial control. We do not use WPML or language plugins.

Multisite handles content variance per language more cleanly than a plugin layered onto a single site. For organizations serving multiple regions or languages, this structure performs better over time.

Parachute builds exclusively on WordPress. We do not develop on Shopify, Webflow, Framer, or Kentico, and we do not offer content writing, translation, photography, video production, or mobile app development. We refer or subcontract these through trusted partners.

We do provide mobile application interface design and partner with app developers for the build. Staying focused on custom WordPress is how we maintain our depth and quality.

Parachute builds only on WordPress because it is the most flexible platform for fully custom design and the most compatible with external tools and integrations. It powers roughly a third of all websites. We have built custom WordPress sites since 2003 and are recognized leaders in the field.

WordPress with Advanced Custom Fields lets us build any content structure a client needs without the limits of a closed platform. There are no mandatory platform fees, and you own your site outright.

No. Parachute does not use purchased themes or website builders. Every site is custom-designed and custom-developed. Off-the-shelf themes limit design and functionality and get in the way of building exactly what a client needs.

A custom build costs more than a theme. It also performs better, scales further, and represents your brand properly. That is the core of how we work.

Parachute builds headless WordPress when a project calls for it. A headless setup separates your content from its display, so the same content can feed a website, a mobile app, and in-store devices through an API. It suits organizations publishing across multiple channels.

For most marketing websites, a traditional WordPress build is the better choice. We recommend headless only when your content genuinely needs to serve multiple destinations from one source.

Parachute manages hosting on your behalf through Kinsta, a premium managed WordPress host. The hosting agreement and billing are directly between you and Kinsta. We handle the technical relationship so your site stays fast, secure, and properly maintained.

Kinsta supports the staging environments and automated migrations our maintenance process relies on. You own the account; we manage the work.

Yes. Parachute builds on WordPress with Advanced Custom Fields, and every project includes CMS training. Within your approved page architecture, you can toggle predefined components on or off to control what appears on each page. You manage your content without needing a developer for routine changes.

Training covers how to write and manage content, optimize pages for search and AI visibility, and use built-in tools for ongoing optimization. The goal is independence, not dependence on the agency.

Three things set Parachute apart. Every site is fully custom, with no templates or themes. We have 23 years of experience delivering complex sites for major Canadian organizations. And we build technical SEO and GEO into every phase, from discovery through launch, rather than adding it afterward.

Most agencies do one of these well. Parachute combines enterprise-grade design, deep WordPress development, and search and AI visibility in a single team. That combination is why clients like SickKids and Intact Insurance choose us.

Parachute has built websites and digital platforms for SickKids, Intact Insurance, the Government of Ontario, McMillan LLP, Gowling WLG, Phillips Lytle LLP, Bond Brand Loyalty, Middlefield Group, and the JUNO Awards. Our work spans healthcare, finance, legal, government, and major brands.

These organizations choose Parachute for custom design, technical depth, and reliability on complex projects. See our work portfolio for examples.

Parachute holds a Clutch Top Ranked Web Designers rating of 4.9 across 33 reviews, recognized for nine consecutive years. The agency has won a Canadian Marketing Association Award, holds an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, and is recognized by Techreviewer. Founder Jay Eckert holds RGD and CDP designations.

Parachute is accredited by the Registered Graphic Designers of Ontario (RGD) and the Graphic Designers of Canada (GDC). These credentials reflect a consistent standard of professional and creative work.

Use a website builder for a simple, low-cost brochure site you maintain yourself. Hire a freelancer for a small, single-discipline job on a tight budget. Hire an agency like Parachute when the project needs strategy, UX, custom design, development, and technical SEO working together, and when a weak site carries real business cost.

An agency coordinates multiple specialists under one process and one point of accountability. For organizations where the website drives revenue, credibility, or compliance, that coordination is the difference between a site that works and one that looks fine but underperforms.

Yes. Enterprise and mid-to-large organizations are Parachute’s specialty. We have delivered complex websites for Intact Insurance, the Government of Ontario, and SickKids. We handle portals, gated content, custom integrations, and the accessibility and security standards large organizations require.

Enterprise projects range from $65,000 to $100,000 or more, scaling with integrations and complexity. We are built for organizations where the website is a serious business asset, not a brochure.