Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about our products, pricing, and process
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MVP Readiness Score
Five dimensions: problem validation, market understanding, solution clarity, resources, and timing. Ten questions, each scored independently. The result tells you which areas are strong and which need work before you invest in development. Takes about 2 minutes.
No catch. No email required, no login, no paywall. You get your scores immediately on screen. We track anonymous session data to improve the tool — no personal information is collected. If your score suggests you're ready to build, we'll suggest booking a call, but there's no follow-up unless you initiate it.
You see your results immediately — a percentage score, a tier rating, a breakdown across all five dimensions, and personalised next-step recommendations. If you score well, the natural next step is a free discovery call. If you score lower, the results tell you what to work on first.
It's a starting point, not a diagnosis. The score identifies gaps and strengths based on your own answers. It can't assess technical feasibility or market size — that's what the Platform Discovery Sprint is for. Think of it as a 2-minute sanity check before committing time and money to a longer conversation.
AI Automation Solution
Traditional automation follows fixed "if this, then that" rules. Agent-based automation uses AI to make decisions, handle exceptions, and adapt to changing situations. For example: instead of "if email contains X, send to person Y", an AI agent reads the email, understands context, decides who should handle it, and drafts an appropriate response. We build these using OpenAI agents, Google Vertex AI, or custom n8n workflows depending on your requirements.
AI Automation (from £2,500) connects and orchestrates your existing tools — your CRM, email, accounting software, HR systems. We don't build new software; we make your current stack work together intelligently. Custom Platforms (from £25,000) involve building entirely new applications when your needs can't be met by existing tools. If you're not sure which you need, book a consultation and we'll recommend the right approach.
Your automation includes 30 days of post-launch support as standard. If something breaks during this period — whether due to API changes, system updates, or unexpected edge cases — we fix it at no additional cost. We set up monitoring and alerts so issues are caught early. After the support period, you can manage it yourself (we provide full documentation and training) or engage us for ongoing support quoted separately.
Yes, data security is built into every implementation. We use encrypted credential storage, audit logs showing all automated actions, data retention policies you control, and GDPR-compliant data handling as standard. For sensitive workflows, we can add human approval gates so AI drafts actions but humans approve before execution. All implementations follow UK data protection standards.
Almost certainly. We regularly integrate with CRMs (HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive), email platforms (Gmail, Outlook, Mailchimp), accounting software (Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent), project management tools (Asana, Monday, Trello), and hundreds of other tools via APIs. If your software has an API or can export data, we can connect it. We verify technical compatibility during the discovery workshop before any implementation begins.
We primarily use three approaches: OpenAI agents for multi-step reasoning workflows, Google Vertex AI for enterprise clients with data governance requirements, and self-hosted n8n for complex multi-system orchestration. With self-hosted n8n, you own the workflows completely. With cloud platforms like OpenAI, workflows remain in your account under your control. We provide full documentation and training — you're never locked into working exclusively with us.
Almost any repetitive, rules-based process: data entry between systems, document processing (invoices, contracts, applications), customer communications (email triage, response drafting, scheduling), reporting and analytics, approval workflows (expenses, time-off, purchase orders), lead management (qualification, scoring, routing), onboarding processes, and compliance tasks. The sweet spot is processes taking 5+ hours weekly that follow consistent patterns.
Most automation projects take 2–6 weeks from kick-off to launch depending on complexity and how many systems are being connected. Timeline depends on the complexity of integrations, availability of API access, and how quickly you can provide test data and feedback.
After implementation, you'll have platform and API costs — typically £20–100/month for OpenAI usage, or £10–50/month for self-hosted n8n hosting. These are pay-as-you-go based on actual usage. Your existing software subscriptions (CRM, accounting, etc.) stay the same — automation just connects them more efficiently. Ongoing support from us is optional and quoted separately.
Zapier is excellent for simple 2–3 step workflows. For anything more complex, it has limitations: no AI decision-making (it follows fixed rules and breaks on edge cases), limited error handling (when Zapier breaks, data can be lost), no audit trails for compliance, and cost adds up quickly — £100–300/month for multi-step workflows. A one-time professional implementation is often cheaper over 2–3 years and significantly more robust.
Platform Discovery Sprint
That's exactly what discovery is for. Better to know the true scope at £4,500 than to discover it at £30,000 when you're halfway through a build that's gone off-track. We present the full picture with phased options so you can decide what to build now and what to defer.
We will, if that's the honest answer. If your problem can be solved with Airtable and Zapier for £500 a month, we'll tell you. Our job is to protect your investment, not to generate build work for ourselves.
Yes. It's yours. We explicitly encourage you to shop it around. The deliverable is designed to be portable — any competent development team can use it as a brief. Most clients don't, because by the time we've spent three weeks understanding their problem, they'd rather continue with us than start over with someone new.
If you'd like to proceed with a build, we draft a separate statement of work and master services agreement. Your £4,500 is credited in full against the build cost if you sign within 30 days. If you decide not to proceed, the report stands on its own and there's no obligation.
No. Most of our clients are non-technical founders and CEOs. The report is written in plain English with a technical appendix for anyone who wants the detail. The presentation walkthrough is designed to give you confidence in the recommendation, not to drown you in jargon.
A free consultation is 30 minutes. We learn the basics and give you a ballpark. Discovery is three weeks. We learn your business, assess your technical landscape, and deliver a document you can use to make a £25,000+ investment decision with confidence. The depth is fundamentally different.
Yes — this is an increasingly common starting point for discovery clients. We assess what you've built, identify what's salvageable, and recommend whether to fix, refactor, or rebuild each component. The Code Health Scorecard gives you a clear, prioritised picture of where you stand.
Platform Rescue
No. Vibe-coded apps fail for well-documented, predictable reasons — it's a limitation of the tools, not a personal failure. We've seen the same three problems in every AI-generated codebase we've assessed. Our job is to tell you what's there, what's at risk, and what to do about it.
Maybe not. Many vibe-coded apps have solid frontend work that's worth keeping. The problems are usually in the backend: authentication, database design, security, and error handling. The Discovery Sprint determines exactly what's salvageable and what needs rebuilding — that's the whole point.
Yes. We assess what exists before recommending changes. If the frontend is solid and the problems are backend-only, we can rebuild the backend on Laravel while preserving your React frontend via Inertia.js. You don't necessarily lose everything.
A $50 Fiverr gig fixes one bug. We diagnose root causes and build a roadmap. The difference is between treating a symptom and understanding the disease. If you've already tried quick fixes and they keep breaking, that's exactly why a structured assessment exists.
The Discovery Sprint is 3 weeks. A rebuild — if needed — takes 8–16 weeks depending on complexity. We'll give you specific timelines after the Sprint, not before. Anyone quoting you a rebuild timeline without assessing the codebase first is guessing.
An automated scan (SonarQube + PHPStan + npm audit) plus expert manual review, producing a severity-prioritised list of issues with a fix, refactor, or rebuild recommendation per component. It's a specific deliverable, not a vague opinion.
We'll tell you, and we'll explain why. The Discovery Report will include what to keep (design assets, validated user flows, business logic documentation) and what to replace. A rebuild doesn't mean your previous work was worthless — it means the technical foundation needs to be production-grade.
Custom Platforms
An MVP (Minimum Viable Product) is the startup term — the simplest version of an idea that solves the core problem. A custom platform is the same concept applied to established businesses — purpose-built software that replaces spreadsheets, SaaS workarounds, or legacy systems. We build both: production-ready applications that work from day one and scale as you grow. Not throwaway prototypes.
Most projects fall between £25,000 and £75,000 depending on complexity. Internal tools and operations platforms typically cost £25–35K. Customer-facing products and MVPs sit in the £35–50K range. Complex SaaS platforms with advanced features are £50–75K+. We provide fixed quotes after discovery — no hourly billing, no surprises.
Yes. Most clients come with a problem, not a finished spec. Our Platform Discovery Sprint (£4,500, 3 weeks) helps you define the right solution before we build anything. We'll challenge assumptions, suggest alternatives, and help you avoid expensive mistakes.
We deliver a complete product in 8–16 weeks for £25–75K. A full-time developer costs £50–80K/year plus recruitment costs, and you'd need multiple roles (frontend, backend, designer). We provide the entire team, project management, and launch support as one fixed package.
Book a discovery call where we discuss your requirements, business goals, and technical needs. We'll provide a detailed proposal with timeline and fixed pricing within 3–5 business days. Projects start with a 30% deposit and kick-off meeting to align on scope and deliverables.
Every project includes discovery and strategy, full-stack development (Laravel and Vue.js), custom UI/UX design, testing, deployment, documentation, and 1 month post-launch support. The price depends on complexity, number of integrations, and custom features required. All projects are quoted individually with fixed pricing.
We set up hosting in your name with a provider like DigitalOcean or Hetzner — typically £10–50/month depending on the application. You manage hosting payments directly. After the included 1-month support period, we offer optional Laravel support retainers covering updates, monitoring, and ongoing development.
Our fixed-price quote is based on the agreed specification from discovery. Minor adjustments are handled flexibly during development. Significant scope changes are quoted separately and added as project phases to protect timeline and budget. We're transparent about what's included versus what requires additional investment.
Yes. We regularly integrate with CRMs (HubSpot, Salesforce), accounting software (Xero, QuickBooks), payment processors (Stripe, GoCardless), email platforms, and custom APIs. Integration complexity is assessed during discovery and factored into the project quote.
Yes. You own all code, design files, and documentation upon final payment. We use industry-standard technologies (Laravel, Vue.js) with large developer communities, making it easy to find support if you need to transition or expand your team in future.
The first month of post-launch support is included for bug fixes and minor adjustments. After that, you can request changes on an ad-hoc basis (quoted per request) or sign up for a Laravel support retainer for ongoing development and maintenance.
Absolutely. Most of our clients aren't technical. We translate your business requirements into technical solutions, explain options in plain English, and guide you through decisions. Our discovery process is designed to extract what you need without requiring technical knowledge.
Most custom web applications take 8–16 weeks from kick-off to launch. Simpler projects (dashboards, internal tools) typically complete in 8–10 weeks. More complex platforms with multiple integrations, payment processing, and custom features take 12–16 weeks. We provide a specific timeline in your proposal based on the agreed scope.
A prototype demonstrates how something might work — it's for testing ideas and getting feedback. An MVP (Minimum Viable Product) is a fully functional product with core features that real users can actually use. We build MVPs: production-ready applications you can launch, sell, and scale — not throwaway demos.
Both — but for different reasons. We work with funded startups who need a production-ready MVP in weeks, not months. And we work with established SMEs (typically 20–200 staff) replacing spreadsheets, legacy systems, or SaaS workarounds. The common factor is budget readiness (£25K+) and a clear problem to solve. If you're pre-funding and still validating, we recommend customer research before investing in development.
Laravel is one of the most popular frameworks with excellent documentation, a massive developer community, and proven scalability. Vue.js offers reactive interfaces without the complexity of heavier frameworks. Together, they're battle-tested by companies from startups to enterprises. Crucially, if you ever need to hire developers or switch agencies, you'll find talent easily — you're not locked into obscure technology.
Laravel Support & Maintenance
Professional plan hours don't roll over — use them or lose them. Growth tier rolls over up to 2 hours to the next month. Enterprise rolls over up to 4 hours. Premium has full rollover capped at one month banked. We'll recommend the right tier based on your actual needs.
Bug fixes, security patches, small tweaks, troubleshooting, code review, documentation updates, performance checks, and communication time. We track hours transparently and report monthly. New feature development or major changes are scoped and quoted separately.
We'll let you know before any overage work begins. Additional hours are quoted separately at your tier's rate. If you consistently need more, we'll suggest upgrading — higher tiers have better effective rates. No surprises.
Yes. Most of our retainer clients have applications built by someone else. We start with an onboarding review (typically 2–4 hours from your first month) to understand the codebase, identify risks, and document what we find. For applications in particularly poor condition, we may recommend a paid assessment before accepting a retainer.
Three months initial term, then rolling monthly with 30 days notice to cancel. We want clients who stick around because the service is valuable, not because they're locked in.
Depends on your tier. Professional: next business day. Growth: same day for urgent issues. Enterprise: 4 hours for critical issues. Premium: near-immediate. Response times are during UK business hours. 'Critical' means site down or security breach — not 'I'd like this by Friday.'
Laravel 8 and above. Older versions (5.x, 6.x, 7.x) require assessment first — they may need upgrading before we can support them effectively. We'll tell you upfront during the discovery call.
We work with your existing hosting provider. If you need help setting up or migrating to a new host, we can do that as part of your support hours. We recommend providers like DigitalOcean or Hetzner — set up in your name, you manage payments directly.
Give 30 days notice after your initial 3 months. We hand over documentation, access notes, and anything we've learned about your application. No hostage situations — your code is yours.
Yes, with 30 days notice. Upgrades take effect immediately with prorated billing. Downgrades apply from the next billing cycle. Most clients naturally upgrade as their needs grow.
Freelancers disappear. They take holidays, get busy with other clients, or move on entirely. With us, you get a team — if one person is unavailable, someone else knows your application. Plus guaranteed response times, monthly reporting, and no management overhead for you.
We'll tell you honestly during onboarding. If your app needs significant remediation work before ongoing maintenance makes sense, we'll scope that as a separate project first. We won't take your retainer money if maintenance isn't what you actually need.
Website Audit
Our professional review examines your website's design, content quality, mobile responsiveness, loading speed, and technical health (SEO factors, broken links, security issues). We also review your broader online presence — search visibility, social media consistency, and competitive positioning. You receive a detailed audit report with prioritised, actionable recommendations.
The Snapshot Audit (£95) reviews your homepage and 1–2 key pages, focusing on immediate fixes you can implement quickly. Perfect for new sites or quick health checks. The Comprehensive Audit (£245) is a full professional review of your entire website and digital presence, with strategic recommendations and a detailed action roadmap.
After purchase, you'll receive a brief questionnaire about your business goals and target audience (takes 5 minutes). We then conduct our review using enterprise-grade tools combined with manual expert analysis. You'll receive your audit report within 48 hours (Snapshot) or 5 business days (Comprehensive).
Free tools run basic automated scans that miss context and business strategy. Our professional review combines multiple enterprise tools with human expertise. We verify findings, eliminate false positives, and prioritise issues based on actual business impact. You get strategic insights, not just raw data.
We review over 40 factors across five key areas: Technical Performance (speed, code quality, security), SEO Health (on-page and technical SEO), Mobile Experience (responsiveness, usability), User Experience (navigation, conversion paths), and Content Effectiveness (messaging, calls-to-action, clarity).
Absolutely. We write our reports in plain English, avoiding jargon. Technical issues are explained in terms of business impact. Each recommendation includes why it matters and what difference it will make. The Comprehensive Audit includes visual scorecards and screenshots for clarity.
Many recommendations (content updates, basic optimisations) you can handle yourself. Technical fixes will need a developer, but you'll have a clear specification of exactly what needs doing. We provide enough detail that any competent developer can implement our recommendations.
The audit packages focus on identifying issues and providing recommendations. If you'd like us to implement the fixes, we offer development services separately. Many clients use the audit as step one, then engage us for implementation. We're happy to quote after reviewing your audit results.
Snapshot Audit customers can ask brief clarification questions via email. Comprehensive Audit customers receive email support for deeper questions about findings and next steps. We ensure you fully understand the recommendations and feel confident moving forward.
Quick fixes (speed optimisation, broken links) show immediate improvement. SEO changes typically take 4–12 weeks to impact rankings. Conversion improvements from UX fixes are often visible within days. Your audit report indicates expected timelines for each recommendation.
This is a one-time professional review providing a snapshot of your website's current state. If you need ongoing development or maintenance after implementing the recommendations, we offer Laravel support retainers and ad-hoc development work separately.
Website Packages
Starter if you need to get online quickly. Business if your website needs to take bookings, accept payments, or capture leads automatically.
Any tool that makes your website work harder: online booking, payment processing, email capture, CRM connection, or review feeds. We'll recommend the best fit.
Yes. Simple admin panel for text, images, and pages. No technical skills needed.
100%. All files, design, code. No lock-ins. Take it anywhere.
Yes. Many clients start with Starter to get online fast, then add integrations once revenue justifies it.
We deploy the website to a hosting provider of your choice and help you set it up in your name. You manage hosting payments directly — typically £5–30/month depending on provider. We recommend DigitalOcean, Hetzner, or similar. No lock-in to us for hosting.
Still have questions?
Every project starts with a conversation. Book a free 30-minute call and we’ll talk through your situation — no pitch, no pressure.
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Prefer email? hello@rockingtech.co.uk