Registrar, DNS & Hosting
| Role | Provider | Status | Notes |
|---|
| Registrar |
Namecheap |
Migrating from A2 |
charleshardt.com currently at A2 Hosting; transfer to Namecheap in progress. Client sites: client owns the domain, registered on Namecheap (see Domain Ownership Policy below). |
| DNS |
Cloudflare (DNS-only mode) |
Migrating from A2 |
Free tier. DNSSEC/DDoS/WAF included at no cost. Standardized across every client site, not just charleshardt.com. Proxy must stay DNS-only (grey cloud) when paired with Kinsta — see gotcha below. |
| Web hosting |
Kinsta (primary) |
Migrating from A2 |
Pressable remains the budget alternative for price-sensitive clients. |
| Email |
Proton Mail |
Unchanged |
charles@charleshardt.com, billing@charleshardt.com (forwarding alias). Not affected by the DNS/hosting migration — MX/SPF/DKIM/DMARC records simply move to Cloudflare's zone. |
Known gotcha: Cloudflare + Kinsta double-caching
Cloudflare's proxy ("orange cloud") must be set to DNS-only for any domain pointed at Kinsta, to avoid double-caching conflicts between Cloudflare's edge cache and Kinsta's own caching layer. This applies to every client site using this combination — document it in the build checklist each time, don't rely on memory.
Domain Ownership Policy
The client always remains the registered owner of their domain. HWD never registers a client's domain under its own name or holds it as registrant — only requests delegated access to manage DNS and hosting.
- New domain needed → registered in the client's name, on Namecheap
- Existing domain → confirmed during onboarding; flagged before build starts if registered somewhere unexpected
- HWD gets full collaborator/admin access — enough to do the work, not ownership of record
- Documented explicitly in the Website Handoff Document at project close
Core Tools
| Category | Tool | Notes |
|---|
| CMS / theme | WordPress + Kadence Full Bundle | License renewal: September 8 — never let lapse |
| Local dev | DevKinsta | Replaced LocalWP due to performance issues |
| CRM / PM | Notion | Pipeline: Email 1 Sent → In Sequence → Responded → Call Scheduled → Proposal Sent → Retainer |
| Contracts / invoicing | Bonsai | |
| Payments | Stripe | |
| Scheduling | Calendly | Discovery calls: Wednesday afternoons only |
| Forms | Fluent Forms | |
| Performance | Perfmatters, WP Rocket | Target: 90+ mobile PageSpeed on every site |
| Security | Wordfence | Cloudflare doubles as a security layer (see above) |
| SEO | RankMath | GA4 via built-in Measurement ID field, not Site Kit |
| Cloud storage | pCloud | |
| Password manager | Proton Pass | Likely upgrading to 1Password, deferred until after LLC formation |
| Static hosting | Netlify | ops.charleshardt.com |
Active Infrastructure Gaps
- Virginia LLC formation (Northwest Registered Agent) — next legal infrastructure step
- Business bank account, following LLC formation
- Expat CPA consultation — FEIE eligibility, self-employment tax obligations
- Bookkeeping: Wave now, QuickBooks Online post-LLC
- Google Workspace — deferred, needed before outreach sequencing tools (OAuth requirement)