aaceventcatering.com
AAC Event Catering
A catering brand that needed to look as polished as the events it runs. Booking-ready, and built to win the search.
View site ↗The chadworks manifesto
who is chadworks for?
chadworks is for motivated individuals and organizations that want to double down on authentic digital presence as a counter measure to social media burnout and AI saturation.
Service Lane 01
Websites
A website is the one piece of your business you fully own on the internet. I've been building websites for over 20 years (since 2002!) The websites I build for my clients are bespoke. I no longer use templates or builders, which makes each chadworks project truly 100% original. Below are the specific web design services I offer.
This is usually what clients come to me for. They want a website. They don't know or care how it gets done, they just know they can't do it themselves. This is the standard 'I need a website' service for small to medium businesses or initiatives.
Some clients already have a website that needs expansion or fixing, or they have a design that needs to be brought to life. This is the 'I have a complicated idea and need help making it real' service.
This service is for clients who want a hands-off approach to their website project. Web design packages are flat-rate bundles with minimal customization in return for lower-budget access.
This is where the fun and flexibility is. The site you are on right now is a custom-coded, static site. No limits. These sites are super fast, too. We start from scratch and build only what you need, no more, no less. For higher budgets and hands-on clients with a vision that templates and builders like Elementor, Wix or GoDaddy Airo can't provide.
WordPress is best for projects that require multiple contributors, like a volunteer team, or clients that want to regularly publish, edit or change features or the layout of their site on their own. WordPress is still powerful, but I may try to talk you out of it and into a custom-coded site if it sounds like WordPress will be overkill for your needs.
Ecommerce is for clients selling physical or digital products directly from their website. This service is specifically for custom-built, self-hosted and managed ecommerce projects that require total control and no limits.
Shopify is the world's number one DIY ecommerce platform. It's a combination of WordPress and Squarespace, best for lower-budget access.
Service Lane 02
Visibility
You want your current and potential customers or audience to find you online. Visibility is the art and science of making your website or web properties discoverable online. That means optimizing for both Google search (SEO) and more recently, AI chat bots (GEO/AEO).
AI Visibility (aka AI Viz) is an emerging service focused on getting found and recommended in the age of AI search. This is similar to SEO in that it's not one technique, but rather a toolkit of techniques that are selected and applied based on your specific market situation. This is for businesses where being the one the AI names is worth real money.
The AI Visibility Audit is for clients with an existing website who either want to know how their website performs in the AI search arena, or are already pushing visibility initiatives but aren't getting the results they want.
SEO didn't die, it became the foundation. This is the classic discipline: ranking your pages for the phrases your buyers actually type into Google. It still works on its own, and it's also what the AI assistants read before they decide who to name.
This is mostly a catch-all term to cover a broad range of services that help your business get seen online. Essentially, everything chadworks does is digital marketing, so this page exists to capture people looking for digital marketing, then share what I offer within that arena.
E-mail is still the reigning champ of all direct to consumer digital marketing channels. Once a customer gives you their email address, they've given you a direct line to their inbox, the closest thing to the real mailbox any company can get. Email marketing should be a top priority for any serious business or initiative.
chadworks™ AT A GLANCE
I'm your point of contact from deal to delivery. No sales rep, no account manager, no ambiguity.
The site and every working file behind it become your property, in full, upon final payment.
Speed and visibility (SEO/GEO) are built in, not upsell add-ons. Your site loads fast and shows up in Google and in AI search like ChatGPT.*you'll show up when someone searches you by name. showing up for "dog groomer" or "account in new york" takes specialized work and healthy budgets.
I bring 20+ years of web, digital and business experience across hundreds of projects spanning a wide range of industries.
Your website is more important than ever.
Your digital home base must be authentic and distinguishable.
When anyone can generate a passable page in seconds, what sets you apart is a site that is unmistakably, verifiably yours.
Speed is mission-critical. A page that opens and loads lightning fast will simultaneously keep the visitor you worked to attract and please search engines and AI search bots, helping with ranking.
Visibility optimization is required. Optimizing the site to show up on Google and AI assistants like ChatGPT is how people find you online. All my projects include baseline visibility optimization.
Authenticity breaks the market mold. As the web fills with interchangeable, indistinguishable, and machine-made websites, a site that carries your voice and your real work is what will build trust with your audience/customers.
Quality is retained.When a website is pixel-perfect and details are scrutinized like a work of art, visitors feel it. They'll know you will bring the same care to the work or products you offer them.
Featured build
Rising Compass
The Rising Compass is a ground-up, custom web app that tracks and measures the messages contained in the lyrics of the world's most popular songs. I built and manage this 100%, top to bottom.
Visit Rising Compass
More sites I've custom built
A wider sample of client work. Switch any card between desktop, tablet, and mobile, or open it live. Each was designed and developed by one person, start to finish.
Yes, this is the whole company.(That's the point.)
the Chad behind chadworks
- Clear communication. (no fluff, no fuss)
- Transparent fees and terms. (always)
- Based in Philadelphia. (U.S. made)
- Blazing fast turnaround. (speed demon)
- No subcontractors.
- No offshore handoffs.
- No invented case studies.
- No pretending I'm an agency or that the web is a perfect system.
Trends come and go and the web changes. My values don't.
Chad Lewine
Who I Work With
chadworks is for you if:
- You want what you want, and you'd rather pay to have it built right than negotiate it down to almost right.
- You see your project as an integral part of your initiative, not just the brochure for it.
- You're building something you intend to keep for a long time.
Probably not if:
- You're on a strict, low budget. In the Venn diagram of good, fast, and cheap, I'm fast and good.
- You want a template with your logo dropped in. Plenty of builders do that, but I'm not one of them.
- You're building this as a hobby, not a business, product or organization.
What it costs
Transparent rates.
Hourly
$315 / hour
I bill increments of 10 minutes. No "1 hour minimum" invoices.
Flat-rate builds
From $3,200
Most sites land around the $5,000 mark. That represents a full, custom build that you own outright.
Flat rates shown are general estimates for information only, not a formal quote or binding offer. Your actual price is set in a written proposal before any work begins.
Common questions, answered
The things people ask before they reach out. If yours isn't here, the form below reaches me directly.
I build the website. You need to provide relevant assets, but besides that, I handle it autonomously from start to finish.
Yes, you own everything when it's done. Sites are hosted on my private client server, but your complete codebase is always available should you desire to move on from chadworks.
Yes, your website will be findable on Google and AI. The pages are structured and schema-rich so classic search and AI assistants can both read and recommend them. However, that doesn't mean you will show up for people that aren't already looking for you by name.
A website from chadworks starts at $3,200 but typically crosses the $5,000 mark. A web app or more involved build beyond a brochure website will easily break $10,000. Visit my rates for more info.
Going to bat for clients like yours
Is your agency ripping you off?
I go to bat for my clients.
Real exchange with a client's previous agency, December 2023. My client Greg had been billed $1,000 a month by Brixhollow for what amounted to hosting. Karen Brennan, their business manager, handled the cancellation paperwork. I sent Bob Hall, their production lead, this email on the way out. (Obviously, names have been changed to protect privacy.)
Cancellation of Services with Brixhollow
to Greg, Chad, +8 others
Hi Greg:
Thank you for your email. According to our policy and contract that you signed with us dated 1/14/21, we require 60 days advance cancellation notice of your contract renewal date... Payment of InvC-17453 due on 12/15, paid on 12/11/23, provides full site, service, and support through the transition process.
Have a very Merry Christmas and a joy-filled New Year!
13 messages between
to Bob Hall (Brixhollow Production)
Thanks.
The process to leave as a client is far more difficult than it should be.
I can't believe the company was charging this client $1,000 a month for essentially just hosting. I know it, you know it. Please consider being more conscionable with clients. This situation is why web designers get a bad rap. The company was blatantly ripping him off for years. He didn't take advantage of the service, so they should have downgraded him long long ago.
But, personally to you, thanks for helping complete the process.
Show full thread16 messages
to Greg, Chad, +7 others
Hi Greg: Our team has informed me of your cancellation notice via the email dated 11/7/23 you sent to Matt, our Director - Account Management. According to our records, on 11/17/23, Matt emailed details of the Exit Process to address all questions for both you and Chad as your new provider. Site files were sent on 11/27/23 via Dropbox by Bob, our Director - Production.
Final payment in the amount of $1,000 for your InvC-17453 cleared our banking on 12/11/23. This payment will give you site and online marketing services with our company through end of day Monday, 1/15/24 allowing you and Chad valuable time to transition your site away from Brixhollow servers.
Thank you, Greg, for allowing our Team the opportunity to work with you over the past two years. We are sorry to lose you as a valued customer and wish you all the best going forward.
to Greg, Chad, +8 others
Hi Greg: Thank you for your email. According to our policy and contract that you signed with us dated 1/14/21, we require 60 days advance cancellation notice of your contract renewal date. The first request received in writing to cancel our services I was able to view in our system was dated 11/7/23, which would be in line with those contract terms. In order to fulfill the terms of your contract with us, it was our expectation that you would pay us for services rendered which you have done.
Payment of InvC-17453 due on 12/15, paid on 12/11/23, provides full site, service, and support through the transition process. As your new provider, Chad, will have through the end of day 1/15/24 to transition your site away from our Brixhollow servers.
Have a very Merry Christmas and a joy-filled New Year!
to Karen Brennan
Thanks Karen.
I just want access to the WPadmin so I can do a one click migration. Please allow me to do that. I know you have it in the fine print that you don't allow that, and I get that for some other websites, but for this one, it's just not that serious.
You can remove your proprietary plugins now or at least take my word that we won't use them. Please make this as easy for Greg as possible.
Please let me know.
to Chad
Hi Chad: Thank you for your email. We have a contractual, legal obligation to all of our customers using a shared server. Our customers all have the option of having a dedicated server if this is needed or desired, although we do have an extra fee for this.
While we have had some ask along the way for Admin Access for a variety of reasons, it is generally because people doing the asking do not understand the possibilities of what could happen. As the Business Manager here for Brixhollow, I handle the Accounting and HR functions. I will leave it up to our Management Team to discuss this request on your behalf and ask that someone gets back to you as soon as possible.
to Karen Brennan
Thank you. Awaiting their reply.
to Chad
Good afternoon Chad,
As Karen stated, it is our policy to not give full admin access to our customers not only because they are on a shared server but because of the proprietary software we create and licenses we purchase for our customers. We have provided you with a copy of the site minus these assets along with the instructions for how to get the new site up and running. Please review these instructions and I'm sure you'll find this process is really simple for you.
to Bob Hall
Where did the copy of the site go?
to Chad
I've re-shared the dropbox with you. Below is a link to it as well: [link redacted]
to Bob Hall
Got it! Thank you.
to Bob Hall
What will Greg need to use this for? “Brixhollow has created an admin account for you to use once you have your site moved:”
to Chad
Chad, That ensures that once you re-create the site on the new server, you have a full admin account to use to manage the new site.
to Bob Hall
Gotcha. I didn't know if it was for Brixhollow invoice history or something. Thank you.
to Bob Hall
I keep getting stuck early on in the extraction. Can you send as a .zip please?
to Bob Hall
both archives, please, as zips.
to Chad
Sorry Chad, I can not. They are zipped up from the server and the source files have been removed from the staging server. You'll need to get an app that can handle .gz files. That should fix the issue you're having.
to Bob Hall
Thanks.
The process to leave as a client is far more difficult than it should be.
I can't believe the company was charging this client $1,000 a month for essentially just hosting. I know it, you know it. Please consider being more conscionable with clients. This situation is why web designers get a bad rap. The company was blatantly ripping him off for years. He didn't take advantage of the service, so they should have downgraded him long long ago.
But, personally to you, thanks for helping complete the process.
Names changed to protect the client and former agency. The exchange is real.
Tell me about your project.
Send me a message about your business, project or initiative. There are no dumb ideas and no stupid questions. Tell me your vision, big or small.
Email directly
chad@chadworks.coCall directly
(215) 872-1240Based in Pennsylvania, working with businesses across the country and beyond.