What Totera does

Totera is a privately held, bootstrapped full-service digital agency founded in 1998 and headquartered in Port Townsend, Washington, with additional offices in Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco. The company employs between 1 and 10 people and operates a portfolio that combines traditional web design, development, and digital marketing services with several proprietary product brands: Tada, a cloud-based drag-and-drop website editor hosted on Amazon AWS; MyCityScene, a community event calendar and local directory platform; NameGig, a domain registration and hosting service established in 2003; and TadaCMS, a custom content management system positioned as a streamlined alternative to WordPress. The company serves primarily small and medium-sized businesses, nonprofits, and mission-driven community organizations across the Pacific Northwest, with work spanning custom web applications, e-commerce, SEO, social media management, and ADA/WCAG accessibility compliance.

The underlying technology stack combines first-party proprietary platforms (Tada, MyCityScene, TadaCMS) with third-party infrastructure and services including Amazon AWS for hosting, Stripe, PayPal, and GoCardless for payments, Google Analytics for traffic analysis, and Tawk.to for sales and support chat. The flagship Tada platform supports drag-and-drop editing, real-time multi-device preview, e-commerce up to 2,500 products, integrated SSL, and automatic platform-wide security and performance upgrades. The company has begun layering AI capabilities onto the stack, notably an AI-powered accessibility compliance service that automates WCAG 2.1 AA remediation and generates alt-text, and a July 2026 Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) positioning effort based on Duda-supplied research on AI-crawler discovery.

The business model blends one-time project-based web design and development work (billed at $135/hour or fixed-fee with 50% upfront) with recurring revenue streams including monthly retainer programs averaging $1,000-$2,000/month (with 6-month commitment discounts and select clients at $5,000+/month), subscription maintenance and support contracts, domain and hosting fees through NameGig, a $8/month site-monitoring service, and add-on compliance and monitoring subscriptions. Go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, relying on direct client engagement, content marketing via the Tera-Bytes blog, search engine optimization, and a strong regional referral network. Totera has remained entirely founder-owned (Frank DePalma, President) with no external venture or private equity backing since inception.

Name

Totera

Legal name

Totera Incorporated

Website

https://totera.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Totera is a bootstrapped, founder-owned full-service digital agency founded in 1998 in Port Townsend, Washington, serving small businesses, nonprofits, and community organizations across the Pacific Northwest with custom web design, development, digital marketing, and AI-powered ADA compliance services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Port Townsend

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Web Design & Development Services: Project-based web design, development, and programming services billed at hourly rates or through fixed-fee project pricing. Initial payment of 50% upfront with balance due upon completion.
2. Monthly Retainer Program: Fixed-fee monthly retainer program for ongoing web design needs including consultations, site updates, SEO, support and training. 20% discount available for 6-month commitment of 10+ hours/month. Average retainer between $1,000-$2,000/month.
3. Website Maintenance & Support: Ongoing website maintenance services including security updates, performance monitoring, and technical support
4. Domain & Hosting Services: Domain registration, web hosting, and email services through NameGig brand
5. Website Monitoring Service: 24/7 site monitoring service checking security certificate status, uptime, latency for $8/month

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Totera is a full-service digital agency that designs, develops, and maintains websites for small-to-medium businesses, nonprofits, and community organizations primarily in the Pacific Northwest. The firm offers project-based web design and development, monthly retainer programs, ADA/WCAG accessibility compliance, SEO and digital marketing, and proprietary products including the Tada cloud website editor, MyCityScene community calendar, TadaCMS, and NameGig domain/hosting services.

Product overview

Totera is a full-service digital agency offering a suite of web design, development, and digital marketing services. The core product portfolio centers on Tada, a cloud-based website editor platform that provides drag-and-drop website building with built-in hosting, SSL, SEO tools, and e-commerce (up to 2,500 products). Supporting products include MyCityScene (community event calendar and directory), NameGig (domain/hosting), and TadaCMS (custom CMS alternative). Totera also offers add-on services including ADA/WCAG accessibility compliance with AI-powered remediation and 24/7 site monitoring. All services are backed by maintenance support and digital marketing capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tada Website Editor Tada is Totera's cloud-based website editor offering drag-and-drop site building, built-in hosting on Amazon AWS, SSL certificates, SEO tools, e-commerce capabilities (up to 2,500 products), mobile editing, site comments collaboration, and real-time preview for desktop/tablet/mobile. The platform automatically rolls out security and performance upgrades to all users simultaneously.
• MyCityScene MyCityScene is a community-focused event calendar and local business directory platform designed for business districts, associations, and community hubs to power local engagement and event discovery.
• NameGig NameGig is a domain name registration and web hosting service operated by Totera, providing domain acquisition, hosting services, and email plans (email plans being retired with migration to Microsoft 365).
• TadaCMS TadaCMS is a custom CMS solution provided by Totera as a secure, streamlined alternative to WordPress for mission-critical organizations, designed to avoid plugin bloat.
• Site Monitoring Service A 24/7 website monitoring service that checks security certificate status, uptime, and latency every 60 seconds, with email or text notifications sent immediately if the website goes offline. Priced at $8/month and available as an add-on for any website.
• ADA & WCAG Compliance Service An accessibility compliance service using AI-powered technology to ensure websites meet WCAG 2.1 AA requirements under the ADA. Features include real-time AI remediation, automatic alt-text generation, accessibility and privacy statements, and an optional Litigation Support Program. Available for any website, including non-Totera built sites.
• Web Design & Development Totera's core service offering including custom web design, responsive development, e-commerce solutions, and custom web applications. Services also include SEO strategy, digital marketing campaigns, and social media management for SMBs, nonprofits, and community organizations.
• Website Maintenance Ongoing website maintenance and support services including software updates, security patches, and technical support provided through Totera's Maintenance Desk for businesses needing high-touch maintenance support.
• Domain Management Domain name registration, transfer, and management services delivered through Totera and its NameGig brand.
• Online Calendar / Event Management App An online calendar application for event scheduling and management, part of Totera's product suite. Powers community engagement through the MyCityScene platform for business districts, associations, and community hubs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 320% more human traffic for AI-optimized websites
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Google (Google Analytics, Google Workspace)coreTechnology or IntegrationGoogle Analytics for web traffic analysis and Google Workspace for internal productivity. Totera also recommends Google Workspace to clients for business email and collaboration tools.
• StripecoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment processing partner for online payments. Totera participates in Stripe Climate initiative, directing a portion of all electronic payments to carbon removal technologies.
• DudacoreTechnology or IntegrationWebsite platform partner providing AI crawler data. Totera's Tada platform leverages Duda's research on Answer Engine Optimization showing 320% traffic increases for AI-optimized websites.
• Amazon AWScoreTechnology or IntegrationCloud hosting infrastructure for Tada platform. All Tada websites hosted on Amazon AWS with 99.99% monthly uptime guarantee.
• Dailey Computer ConsultingminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRecommended implementation partner for Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace migrations. Has performed many migrations for Totera clients affected by NameGig changes.
• The CoLab Coworking & Meeting SpacecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founder of The CoLab coworking space in Port Townsend. Provides virtual mailbox and office membership services for Totera and shared clients. Partnership includes startup education and collaboration for entrepreneurs.
• NameGigcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRelated brand under Totera for domain registration, hosting, and email services. Established in 2003 for gathering customer domain and hosting needs in one place.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Duda: White-label website builder platform serving agencies and SMBs; explicitly listed as a Totera partner via the AEO research collaboration, and competes directly with Tada in the multi-site agency hosting space.
• Coalition Technologies: Web design and SEO agency offering custom development, design, and digital marketing to SMB and mid-market clients — overlapping service portfolio and customer profile with Totera.
• Lounge Lizard: Web design and digital marketing agency with retainer and project-based engagements for SMB and mid-market clients — closely comparable GTM and service mix.
• Blue Fountain Media: Digital agency offering web design, development, and integrated marketing services to SMB and mid-market clients — comparable service breadth and customer profile to Totera.
• Big Drop Inc: Full-service web design and digital agency providing custom web development, branding, and marketing — comparable agency model and SMB/mid-market focus.
• Thrive Internet Marketing Agency: Full-service web design, SEO, and digital marketing agency serving SMBs with retainer and project engagements — directly comparable service mix, customer size, and GTM motion to Totera.

Broad incumbents

• GoDaddy: Domain registrar and web hosting provider with website builder, marketing, and SMB-focused services — direct overlap with Totera's NameGig hosting/domain business and broader SMB customer segment.
• Squarespace: Consumer/SMB website builder platform with hosting, e-commerce, and marketing tools — broader incumbent alternative to Totera's Tada platform for the same SMB target market.
• Webflow: Visual website builder platform serving SMBs, agencies, and enterprise; competes with Tada at the CMS/website editor layer and represents the broader SaaS alternative to agency-built sites.
• Wix.com: Mass-market website builder platform with hosting, e-commerce, and marketing tools — represents the largest incumbent alternative to Totera's web design and Tada offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/toterawww
• Xx.com/totera

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Totera