Free Test Sites: How Dirt River Design Proves Value Before You Pay a Dime

How Web Design Used to Work

For decades, the web design process looked like this:

1. You meet with a designer
2. They show you their portfolio
3. You sign a contract and pay a deposit (usually 50%)
4. They build your site
5. You see it for the first time
6. You either love it, hate it, or need expensive revisions

This wasn't a bad model. Really, It was the only practical way to do it. Building even a prototype website took 20-30 hours of skilled work. No designer could afford to build full working sites for free, so clients had to commit upfront based on portfolios and trust.

I built sites this way for over 20 years. It worked. But it meant clients were making a leap of faith by committing thousands of dollars before seeing what they'd actually get.

The Free Test Site Approach

I flip that model on its head:

1. You fill out a simple onboarding form (5-10 minutes)
2. I build a working draft of your site
3. You review it, click through every page, and decide if you like it
4. We make tweaks together until it's right
5. Only then do you decide whether to pay and go live

You see exactly what you're getting before you spend a dime.

No deposit. No contract. No commitment. Just proof that this will work for your business.

How Technology Changed the Game

A few years ago, this approach wouldn't have been sustainable. Building a 5-7 page website prototype still took 20-30 hours of skilled work. At $75-150/hour, that's $1,500-4,500 of unbilled time per test site. If half the prospects didn't move forward, you'd go out of business fast.

But AI has changed the economics in a fundamental way.

I can now build a solid working prototype in 4-6 hours instead of 20-30. That makes free test sites sustainable as a business model. AI handles the repetitive structural work like layout, responsive design, and basic content formatting while I focus on customization, strategy, and making sure it fits your business.

This isn't about replacing expertise. It's about using new tools to deliver more value. I've been building websites for over 20 years, and staying on top means adapting to what's possible now, not just what worked before.

Why Not Just Do It Yourself with AI?

Fair question. AI tools are accessible to everyone now, so why hire someone?

You absolutely can build your own site with AI. But here's what I've learned from 20+ years in this business: AI is a powerful tool, but it's not a replacement for experience.

AI can help you write code and build pages. What it can't do well yet is:

• Know what questions to ask. A good website isn't just pages and pictures. It's strategy: what to emphasize, what to leave out, how to guide visitors toward contacting you.
• Troubleshoot hosting and DNS issues. When your domain isn't pointing right or your SSL certificate isn't working, AI can help if you know what to ask. But if you don't know the lingo, you're stuck.
• Handle email configuration. SMTP, SPF, DKIM, DMARC—these aren't intuitive, and getting them wrong means your contact forms don't work or your emails land in spam.
• Optimize for search engines. AI can write meta tags, but it doesn't inherently know how to structure content for local SEO or what Google actually cares about in 2025.
• Spot problems before they happen. Security vulnerabilities, mobile responsiveness issues, slow load times—experience catches these before they become problems.

AI is good. Really good. But taking a project from zero to a polished, functional, secure website that actually brings in customers? That still takes someone who knows what they're doing.

If you've got the time and patience to learn the technical side, go for it. But most business owners would rather spend that time running their business, not troubleshooting DNS records at 11 PM.

What You Actually Get

This isn't a mockup or wireframe. It's a fully functional website:

• Real pages with your business name, services, and content
• Working navigation-click between pages, just like the live site
• Responsive design-works on desktop, tablet, and phone
• Your branding-colors, fonts, logo placement (if you provide a logo)
• Contact forms-not live yet, but visually complete
• Placeholder photos-or your real photos if you provide them

It's hosted on a private URL. You can view it, share it with your team, and click through it like a real website.

The only difference from a live site: it's not on your domain yet, and the contact form doesn't send emails. Everything else works.

The Review Process

Once the test site is ready (usually 3-5 days after you submit the form), I send you the link.

You review it and tell me:

• What you like
• What you want changed
• What's missing

I make revisions. We go back and forth until you're happy with it.

There's no limit to the number of revision rounds, but most projects only need 1-2 rounds. Usually the first draft is 80-90% there, and we're just fine-tuning.

When You Decide to Move Forward

If you're happy with the test site, we finalize two things:

1. Invoice: You pay for the build (starting at $600 for semi-static sites)
2. Hosting setup: I move the site to your domain and connect everything

Usually takes 1-2 days from payment to live site. Then you're up and running.

Annual hosting and maintenance starts at $40/month, billed annually. That includes:

• Secure, fast hosting on my VPS
• SSL certificate
• Regular backups
• Software updates
• Small fixes and tweaks
• Direct support from me

What If You Don't Like It?

Then you don't pay. Simple as that.

No hard feelings. No pressure. You tried it, it wasn't a fit, and we both move on.

This isn't some bait-and-switch where I build a terrible site to pressure you into paying for fixes. If the test site isn't working for you, either we fix it or we part ways.

I'd rather spend 6 hours building a site you don't buy than 40 hours building a site you're unhappy with but feel obligated to pay for.

Why Only Semi-Static Sites?

Free test sites are only available for semi-static projects, not WordPress.

Here's why:

A semi-static site prototype takes 4-6 hours. That's sustainable as a free offering.

A WordPress site takes 15-25 hours just for the initial setup-theme configuration, plugin installation, database setup, content migration, etc. I can't afford to give away that much time.

If you need WordPress (e-commerce, frequent content updates, complex features), we'll do mockups and wireframes during a paid consultation. But no free working prototype.

Typical Timeline

Here's what the process usually looks like:

• Day 1: You fill out the onboarding form
• Days 2-5: I build the test site
• Day 6: I send you the link for review
• Days 7-10: You review, I make revisions
• Day 11: You approve, I send invoice
• Days 12-14: Payment clears, site goes live on your domain

Total: 2-3 weeks from form submission to live site. Faster if you're quick with feedback.

What I Need From You

The onboarding form asks for:

• Business name and basic info
• Services you provide
• Target audience
• Design preferences (colors, style)
• Examples of sites you like
• Content (or I can draft it for you)

The more detail you provide, the better the first draft will be. But even minimal info is enough to get started.

If you have a logo, photos, or specific copy you want used, send those along. If not, I'll use placeholders and we can swap them out later.

Common Questions

Is this really free?

Yes. No credit card required. No deposit. No catch.

What's the quality like?

Same quality as a paid project. I'm using the same tools, same process, same standards. The only difference is you haven't paid yet.

How many revisions do I get?

As many as it takes to get it right. Usually 1-2 rounds is enough.

Can I use this for a WordPress site?

No, only semi-static. WordPress takes too long to prototype for free.

What if I want to make changes after it's live?

Small tweaks are included in your monthly maintenance. Bigger changes (new pages, redesigns) are billed separately at my hourly rate.

Can I cancel hosting anytime?

Yes. Hosting is billed annually, but there's no long-term contract. If you want to move your site elsewhere, I'll help you export everything.

Ready to See What You're Getting?

The tools available to web designers today make it possible to show you exactly what you'll get before asking for commitment. I'd rather prove I can deliver than ask you to take it on faith.

It's simple: fill out the form, I build your test site, you decide if it works for your business. Zero risk.