Frequently Asked Questions

Graphix Island is a fully remote digital agency for the German-speaking market, founded in 2021. The agency is founded and led by Caroline Krause. The focus lies on three areas that are deliberately thought of together rather than commissioned separately: individual WordPress webdesign, branding (logo, corporate design, print design) and digital visibility (SEO and GEO — generative engine optimisation for AI systems like ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews). Because the whole team works remotely, collaboration is location-independent: clients come from all over Germany as well as Austria and Switzerland. More on the individual areas on the webdesign, branding and visibility pages.

Graphix Island offers three interlinked service areas: WordPress webdesign (individual websites, relaunches, hosting, support and website migrations), branding (logo design, corporate design and print design & layout), and digital visibility (SEO, GEO/AI visibility, ongoing SEO content support, Google Ads and strategic consulting). These three areas aren’t sold in isolation but thought of as one system: a website without a considered brand identity feels generic, a website without an SEO/GEO foundation stays invisible. Depending on your starting point, you can commission a single service or the complete package. The webdesign, branding and visibility pages give an overview with price ranges.

Graphix Island works fully remotely for clients across the entire German-speaking market — there is no fixed office clients would need to visit. Briefings, design presentations and discussions happen via video call, approvals through digital tools. That has a concrete advantage: location plays no role in quality or price, and appointments can be scheduled flexibly regardless of travel distance. Clients come from cities across Germany as well as Austria and Switzerland, each with regional specifics taken into account, such as VAT, language or data protection law (GDPR or the Swiss nDSG respectively).

The key difference lies in how design, technology and visibility work together: at many agencies, the website is built first, with SEO or AI visibility retrofitted afterwards — often with noticeable compromises. At Graphix Island, findability on Google and in AI systems is part of the structure from the first concept, not an afterthought. Every website is built individually with WordPress rather than from a website-builder template, so design, load time and structure remain freely shapeable. On top of that, branding, webdesign and visibility come from one team rather than being spread across several providers — which reduces friction and keeps the brand consistent across every channel.

Yes. Projects we’ve worked on include the EDEKA head office and the Bauer Media Group — two of the best-known companies in retail and media. We also work with owner-run SMEs, startups and public-sector clients such as the Hanseatic City of Rostock. The range spans single landing pages to complete website relaunches and corporate design projects. Our portfolio gives a detailed look at the starting point, the solution and the outcome for each — we show concrete projects rather than general descriptions.

Our branding offering consists of three building blocks that build on each other: logo design as the visual core of the brand, corporate design as a complete system of colours, typography and design rules, and print design & layout for stationery, brochures or flyers. The process starts with a briefing on audience and positioning, followed by design directions, feedback rounds and final artwork including every file format and full usage rights. Unlike generic logo generators, it always starts with a strategic framing: what should the brand stand for, and how should people recognise it? Details on the Logo Design, Corporate Design and Print Design & Layout pages.

Yes, SEO is part of the website structure from the outset, not a bolt-on afterwards. Concretely that means: clean, semantic markup instead of bloated builder templates, compressed images and lean hosting for fast load times, a considered URL and page structure, and correctly set meta titles and descriptions for every page. This technical foundation decides whether a website even has a chance to rank — regardless of how good the content later is. On top of that, our GEO service also optimises for AI systems like ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews, which increasingly decide visibility alongside classic Google search. More on the SEO page.

That is exactly what GEO (generative engine optimisation) does — a service in its own right alongside classic SEO. It optimises content so AI systems like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google AI Overviews recognise a brand as a source and name or cite it in their answers. That includes clearly worded, quotable core statements instead of vague marketing phrases, consistent business data across the website, directories and profiles, and structured data (Schema.org) that makes content machine-readable. Important to know: AI visibility can’t be guaranteed, since the systems are opaque and constantly changing — what can be planned for is a significantly higher probability of being mentioned. Details on the GEO page.

SEO (search engine optimisation) optimises a website to appear as high as possible in the classic Google results — the goal is the click. GEO (generative engine optimisation) optimises content to be cited or named as a source in the answers of AI systems like ChatGPT or Google AI Overviews — the goal is the mention, not the click. Both disciplines share a common foundation: fast, technically clean websites with clearly structured content and unambiguous answers benefit both equally. The difference shows up mainly in measurement (rankings and traffic for SEO, brand mentions for GEO) and in the fact that GEO additionally relies on consistent, clearly recognisable brand data across the entire web. More in the article SEO vs. GEO.

Both are possible, but ongoing support is recommended: SEO and GEO aren’t a one-off project — they work best continuously through content upkeep, technical optimisation and monitoring. Competitors publish new content, Google updates shift ranking criteria, and AI systems keep updating their knowledge — a website optimised once and then left alone loses visibility over the following months. Ongoing support includes monthly monitoring of rankings and AI mentions, technical fine-tuning and continuous content creation. If you’d rather start with a one-off assessment, you can also begin with a single audit or a visibility consultation. Details on the visibility page.

Yes, our SEO content service can take over the complete copywriting on request — from service pages to landing pages to blog posts. The copy is written to the same principles that apply to GEO: clear answers up front, plain language instead of jargon, and a structure that’s easy to grasp for people, search engines and AI systems alike. This differs from classic marketing copywriting in that every piece of copy pursues a search-intent goal and is embedded in the overall structure of the website, rather than being created in isolation. Existing copy of your own is reviewed on request, with concrete suggestions for improvement. More on ongoing content support on the SEO content page.

Yes, both complement the core offering. Google Ads is a good fit when visibility is needed quickly — for a new offer, say, or highly contested search terms — with first noticeable results usually possible from a monthly ad budget of 300 to 500 euros; ongoing campaign management starts at around 300 euros a month plus the ad budget itself, which goes directly to Google. If you’re not ready to commission a full project yet and just need a strategic assessment, you can book an in-depth one-to-one consultation for 150 euros (60 minutes), covering concrete questions on positioning, website or visibility. Details on the Google Ads and Consulting pages.

Yes. We implement multilingual sites with WordPress and WPML – each language version gets its own URL and reciprocal hreflang markup so the versions complement rather than compete with each other. The key distinction is between language and market: German is spoken in four countries with different data protection law and partly different vocabulary. Translation alone is therefore not enough – terminology and legal notices are reviewed per market. Details under WordPress Web Design; the terms are explained in our glossary.

For most companies: subdirectories. A country domain such as .es or .ch signals the target market clearly, but it builds its authority entirely from scratch – every domain is assessed separately. Subdirectories like /en/ or /es/ benefit from the strength of the main domain and are considerably easier to maintain. Subdomains sit in between and are often treated like separate websites in practice. We therefore use subdirectories with clean hreflang – exactly as on this website. A dedicated country domain only pays off once a market is worked independently and long term. → WordPress Web Design

A project goes through five fixed steps: first a briefing via video call, clarifying goals, audience and desired features. Next comes the concept phase, covering structure, page architecture and content plan. Then the design is created for approval — the visual draft is reviewed before any code is written. After that comes technical development in WordPress, including SEO fundamentals and a responsive build for every device. The final step is launch, followed by a short walkthrough of how to maintain content yourself. Every step ends with a sign-off before the next one begins — so there are no surprises at the end of the project. Details on the WordPress Webdesign page.

Most important is a clear idea of your audience and positioning: who should land on the website, and what should that person do next? Everything else is worked out together during the initial consultation. Helpful but not strictly required: existing brand material such as a logo or corporate design, existing copy, or reference examples of websites you do or don’t like the look of. If a brand or content are still missing, they’re created as part of the project — through our branding services or SEO content creation. Above all, availability during the feedback phases matters, so drafts can be approved quickly and the schedule holds.

A focused corporate website with 5 to 15 pages usually goes live in 4 to 6 weeks; larger projects with custom features, multiple languages or shop integration take 8 to 10 weeks. The exact timeline depends less on the number of pages than on how quickly feedback on drafts comes in and how quickly content like copy and images is ready. Projects where we also handle the copywriting are often easier to time reliably, since there’s no external approval step in between. A binding schedule with fixed milestones is set at the start of every project, so important dates like a trade show or campaign launch are reliably met.

The exact number is set out in your individual quote, since it depends on project scope — typically there are several feedback rounds between the first draft and final approval, both in the concept and the design phase. More important than a raw number of rounds is the process: after every feedback round there’s a revised version before the next project step begins, so change requests don’t surface only at the end. Fundamental structural changes — a completely different page architecture after design has already been approved, for instance — usually fall outside the revision rounds included in the quote and are discussed separately. The exact allowance is clarified transparently in the initial consultation, before the project starts.

Yes. Existing content is carried over and migrated safely to WordPress or a new technical foundation — with no data loss and no downtime for visitors. That includes a full inventory of every existing URL, so each old address points via a 301 redirect to its new equivalent: this is crucial so Google rankings and backlinks you’ve already built up are preserved after the move rather than lost. Switching from another CMS such as Typo3, Joomla or a website builder to WordPress is also possible. In the first weeks after the move, rankings and crawl errors are monitored in Google Search Console so we can react quickly. More on the WordPress Migration page.

A professional corporate website typically costs between 2,500 and 15,000 euros. Smaller, focused sites with 5 to 15 pages usually fall between 2,500 and 6,000 euros; larger projects with custom features, multiple languages or shop integration between 6,000 and 15,000 euros. Pure landing pages are possible from around 1,500 euros. The biggest factor in price isn’t the page count but the conceptual effort, the individuality of the design and desired features like booking systems or integrations. Ongoing hosting and maintenance costs aren’t included and are billed separately. A concrete, tailored quote follows a short, free initial consultation — more detail in the article What Does a Website Cost?

A logo from professional agency work costs between 1,500 and 5,000 euros — that includes the concept phase, several design directions, feedback rounds and the full transfer of all usage rights, including open vector files. A complete corporate design — logo plus colour palette, typography and style guide for the entire brand presence — ranges from 3,000 to 12,000 euros depending on scope. Print design projects such as stationery, brochures or flyers are costed by scope and print run and are harder to generalise. For comparison: logo generators are cheaper but deliver no exclusivity and no strategic foundation; freelancer prices vary widely in quality. A transparent, individual quote follows the free initial consultation — more on the Corporate Design page.

Ongoing SEO and GEO support ranges from 500 to 2,000 euros a month depending on scope; a one-off visibility audit without ongoing support starts at 1,500 euros. The price difference mainly comes from how many channels are covered (classic SEO, GEO/AI visibility, ongoing content creation, Google Business profile) and how competitive the given market is. Google Ads is separate from this: campaign management starts at around 300 euros a month plus the ad budget itself, which goes directly to Google. Not every channel pays off for every business model — which priorities make sense is clarified in the free initial consultation, based on a quick assessment of your current visibility.

For hosting, we currently recommend a combination of our own server and Cloudflare at around 140 euros a year — alternatives sit at around 160 euros (DigitalOcean with CDN) or around 199 euros (Raidboxes Premium, B-Corp-certified managed WordPress hosting), depending on the feature set you want. Ongoing maintenance with updates, daily backups, security checks and support starts at 79 euros a month. Both can be commissioned independently or together; on many webdesign projects, the first year of hosting is already included in the project price. Without ongoing maintenance, every WordPress website ages technically over time, which is why it’s recommended regardless of the hosting you choose. More on the WordPress Hosting and WordPress Support pages.

No. Every quote clearly separates one-off project costs from ongoing costs like hosting or maintenance, so it’s clear from the start what’s due and when. After the free initial consultation you receive a concrete, project-specific quote with a fixed scope rather than a vague price range — any changes to the agreed scope during the project are discussed in advance, before any additional costs arise. Payment terms such as deposit and final payment are set out individually in the quote. If a provider only asks about page count instead of your goals and audience, that’s often a sign of a less transparent quote — a point explained in more detail in the article What Does a Website Cost?

Yes, that’s the standard case with WordPress as the foundation: copy, images and individual page content can be edited via the WordPress backend without any coding knowledge. After launch there’s a practical walkthrough showing exactly how to maintain the relevant areas yourself — from blog posts to individual text changes on existing pages. Structural changes, such as new page layouts or deeper technical adjustments, still require development know-how; support is available for that when needed. Most clients maintain ongoing content themselves and handle larger developments through ongoing support. More on aftercare on the WordPress Support page.

Yes, every website is built responsively and optimised for Core Web Vitals — the metrics Google uses to assess load time, visual stability and interactivity. Since more than half of all traffic is now mobile and Google primarily evaluates the mobile version of a page (mobile-first indexing), every layout is designed for small screens first and then extended for desktop — not the other way round. That also includes the technical foundation: compressed images, lean hosting and minimal plugin use to keep load times low. Testing happens on real devices, not just in a browser preview window. More on the link between load time and mobile optimisation in the article Responsive Webdesign.

WordPress serves as the CMS foundation — the world’s most widely used system, flexibly extensible and free of licence costs or vendor lock-in. For technical SEO, Yoast SEO handles meta data and structured data; for multilingual projects, WPML with correct hreflang markup. Layout and design are built on a page-builder-based system that allows individual design without any rigid templates. For hosting, depending on the project, we work with vetted providers such as Cloudflare, DigitalOcean or Raidboxes. The advantage of this combination: no lock-in to a proprietary system, WordPress developers available worldwide, and the ability to maintain content yourself without depending on a single provider.

Websites are always built GDPR-compliant as standard: clean consent solutions for cookies and tracking, hosting on servers within the EU, and documented data flows that can be traced if needed. For clients in Switzerland, the Swiss Data Protection Act (nDSG) is also taken into account, which differs from the GDPR in some respects — this particularly affects contact forms, embedded third-party scripts and the storage of user data. Legally watertight implementation in detail, such as the exact wording of a privacy policy or data processing agreements, always remains a matter for legal advice too — the technical foundation is put in place, but that doesn’t replace a lawyer’s review.

Yes, that is one of our most common cases. What matters is not where you are based but which market your website should be visible in. The decisive factors are your audience’s language, your clients’ legal framework and hosting in the appropriate jurisdiction – not your place of residence. We work fully remotely and know the requirements of internationally based entrepreneurs from daily practice.

Only if you genuinely want to win clients there and the page has distinct content – on the local legal framework, currency or typical questions, for example. A page that differs from the rest only by a swapped place name is frequently not indexed at all. Our pages for Malta, Cyprus, Dubai and Madeira show what distinct location pages look like.

As a rule the decisive factor is the market your offer addresses, not where you happen to live. Anyone targeting German clients should provide a legal notice to German standards – with a physical address that accepts service, authorised representatives and a way to make contact. An office for visitors is not required; a mere PO box usually is not sufficient. Where company seat and residence sit in different countries this quickly becomes complex. We create the technical basis and flag gaps – the legally binding assessment belongs with a lawyer. → Legal Notice and Privacy Policy

Only conditionally. Google requires a location with direct customer contact for a business profile – a purely administrative address or a coworking desk usually does not qualify, and false details can lead to suspension. If you genuinely work in a region and meet clients there, it is worth using: for local searches the local pack sits above all organic results. For purely location-independent providers the lever is the content-level market assignment on the website itself. → SEO

Realistically several months. Crawling and indexing a new page takes days to weeks depending on internal linking. Reaching stable positions usually takes three to six months – longer in competitive markets. With AI systems there is an additional factor: entities have to be confirmed over time and across several sources, and frequent changes to company name or roles set that process back. If you need results faster, combine the build-up with Google Ads. → GEO

Yes, as part of the technical implementation. That includes sufficient colour contrast to WCAG (at least 4.5:1 for body text), links that are recognisable without relying on colour alone, meaningful alternative text for images, keyboard operability and a clean heading hierarchy. This does not only help people with impairments – the same structure is the basis for search engines and AI systems to interpret content correctly.

Webdesign refers to how a website looks: layout, colours, typography, user guidance and visual brand impact. Web development refers to turning that design into working code — the part behind the scenes that makes sure a website actually loads, functions and can be maintained through a content management system like WordPress. In practice the two are hard to separate: good design that’s poorly built loads slowly and ranks badly; a technically clean website with weak design convinces no one. At Graphix Island, both areas therefore come from one team rather than separate providers, so design decisions are considered technically from the start.

Design doesn’t arrive as a surprise at the end of the project, but step by step with approvals: after the concept phase, the visual draft is shown before any code is written, leaving room for feedback before development starts. If a draft fundamentally misses the mark, we first work out why — often a more precise briefing on audience and style helps more than a plain redesign. The exact number of revision rounds included is set out in the individual quote; bigger conceptual course changes after approval has already been given are discussed separately. The goal in every case is a result the client stands behind at the end — hence staged approvals instead of one big reveal.

Five things are worth checking when comparing any quotes: first, whether the agency asks about your goals and audience rather than just page count. Second, whether the quote transparently separates one-off from ongoing costs. Third, whether SEO fundamentals and responsive design are included in the base price or sold as an extra. Fourth, whether usage rights to code and content transfer to you fully after the project ends. Fifth, whether real, verifiable references are shown rather than general descriptions. Another warning sign: if AI visibility (GEO) is completely absent from the conversation, even though more and more purchase decisions now start with ChatGPT or AI search systems. A more detailed checklist is in the article Recognising Bad Webdesign.

Nine warning signs you can check yourself without any expertise: noticeably slow load times, a layout that breaks on a smartphone, navigation where you can’t find services or contact details within three clicks, a dated look, no clear next step for visitors, generic copy with no concrete statements, an inconsistent look with too many fonts and colours, missing HTTPS, and poor findability even when searching for your own company name. One or two of these issues can usually be fixed within the existing site; from three structural problems onwards, a relaunch is typically more cost-effective than continuous patching. The full checklist is in the article Recognising Bad Webdesign.

For classic Google visibility, a look at Google Search Console helps: it shows which search queries your pages actually appear for and how often they get clicked. For AI visibility, the simplest test is to ask AI systems the questions customers themselves would ask — for example “Which agency for X would you recommend in Y?” — and check whether and how your own brand comes up. Important to know: AI answers vary from query to query and over time, so a single test is only a snapshot. It becomes more systematic with repeated queries across several systems and a comparison over time. More in the article AI Visibility.

The simplest way in is the contact form: after a short description of what you need, there’s a no-obligation, free initial consultation via video call. That covers goals, scope and timeframe, followed by a concrete, tailored quote instead of a general price range. A finished briefing isn’t a prerequisite — a rough idea of what your website or brand should achieve is entirely enough to get started. Everything else is worked out together in the conversation. To the contact form.

Usually the team responds within a few business days of receiving an enquiry through the contact form, to arrange a time for the initial consultation. For projects already underway, the response times for support requests set out in the relevant maintenance or support contract apply, which vary depending on the scope booked. If a project is time-critical — because of an upcoming launch date or campaign, for instance — a brief note directly in the enquiry helps make sure it’s factored into scheduling.