Frequently asked questions
All answers are shown below. If your question is not here, please contact us.
About HKONE
What services does HKONE provide?
HKONE provides four services: social media management, website design, AI customer service and GEO / SEO. One team handles all four. You can use them separately or together, linking “being found” and “getting a reply” into a single enquiry path.
What kinds of businesses do you work with?
We mainly work with SMEs, for example in food and beverage, retail, beauty, health, education and professional services. We do not take on projects involving illegal activity, gambling or adult content.
How do you keep your prices reasonable?
We use AI workflows for content production, data analysis and testing, which cuts repetitive manual work. Everything is reviewed by the person responsible before delivery. The savings are reflected in our prices.
Who will I deal with during the project?
You speak directly with the person responsible for your project, not through a salesperson, so nothing gets lost in between.
Website design
How long does it take to build a website?
About 1–2 weeks for the Basic plan, 2–3 weeks for Standard and 3–5 weeks for Advanced. The actual time depends on how quickly you provide content and approve the designs.
How are extra pages or changes charged after launch?
Minor changes within 14 days of handover are free. After that, extra pages or changes are quoted based on the work involved.
Can you update my existing website, or does it need rebuilding?
Either is possible. We review your current site first: if its structure and technology are still suitable, we can work on it; if it is outdated or hard to maintain, we will recommend a rebuild and explain why before quoting.
Who provides the text and photos for the website?
You provide your basic company information and photos, and we organise and write the website copy. Professional photography or AI-generated images can be quoted separately.
Who owns the website when it is finished?
You do. On completion we hand over the website files, the domain and ownership of related accounts. You can manage the site yourself or have anyone else maintain it.
Does the price include the domain and hosting?
Yes, for the first year, including the SSL certificate. Domain and hosting renewals from the second year are charged separately and listed in our quote.
Can you build an online shop or booking system?
Yes, but these are not part of our website plans. Online shops, shopping carts, membership and booking systems are quoted separately.
Are the websites bilingual?
The Standard and Advanced plans are bilingual (Chinese and English); the Basic plan is a Chinese site. Every plan is designed mobile-first.
AI customer service
How is AI customer service different from a regular FAQ bot?
A regular FAQ bot only gives fixed answers to preset questions. AI customer service understands the conversation and what the customer needs, replies based on your company information, asks follow-up questions, collects contact details, identifies intent and hands over to a member of staff at the right moment.
Can the AI give wrong answers?
The AI replies based on your company information. Questions outside that scope, or that need human judgement, are handed to a member of staff instead of being guessed. We test the system before launch.
Will customers know they are talking to AI?
Yes. The assistant is clearly labelled as AI, and customers can ask to be followed up by a member of staff.
Which channels are supported?
Channels such as WhatsApp, Instagram and your website. The Starter plan connects 1 channel, Growth up to 2 and Pro up to 3.
How long does it take to launch AI customer service?
About 2–3 weeks for Starter, 3–4 weeks for Growth and 4–6 weeks for Pro, including channel connection and system testing.
Can I keep my existing WhatsApp number?
Usually yes, but the number needs to be connected to the WhatsApp Business Platform, and Meta's official conditions apply. We confirm your number's situation before set-up.
Is customer data kept secure?
Customer data is used only to handle and follow up your enquiries, and is stored in our secure system with access limited to authorised staff. When we stop working together, you can ask us to delete the data.
What happens if I go over my contact limit?
The system does not stop immediately. We will let you know first, and you can upgrade your plan or pay for the extra contacts.
What costs are there besides the set-up fee?
Every plan has a monthly fee (from HK$1,800) covering system operation, maintenance and a set number of contacts. WhatsApp / Meta messaging fees, third-party platform fees, extra AI usage, contacts beyond the plan limit and additional development are charged separately.
GEO / SEO
What is GEO, and how is it different from SEO?
GEO (generative engine optimisation) is the work of helping AI tools such as ChatGPT, Google AI and Perplexity recognise, cite and mention your brand. SEO aims for rankings in search results; GEO aims for accurate mentions in AI answers. GEO builds on SEO, so all our GEO work includes SEO.
How long does GEO take to show results?
Usually several months. Each platform decides when and how it updates, so we do not guarantee rankings or AI recommendations. Instead we re-test the same questions regularly and record the actual changes.
Can you guarantee ChatGPT will recommend my brand?
No. AI answers are decided by each platform, and nobody can guarantee them. What we can do is make your information clear, consistent and easy to cite, and track progress with regular re-tests.
How will I know whether GEO is working?
We re-test a fixed set of target questions on ChatGPT, Google AI and Perplexity every 1–3 months, tracking brand mentions, cited sources and competitor changes, alongside Google search impressions, clicks and enquiry conversions. The results are explained in the performance report and review meeting.
Can you do SEO + GEO for a website you did not build?
Yes. The assessment only needs your website address and view access to Google Search Console and Google Analytics. Ongoing optimisation needs access to your website's back end, or your web provider's help to make changes.
Do I have to sign up for the monthly service after the assessment?
No. The assessment report and 90-day action plan are yours, and you can carry them out yourself or with another team. If you choose SEO + GEO Ongoing Optimisation, we use the assessment as the starting point.
How are the 30 target questions chosen? Can I add my own?
Yes, you can add your own. We draft the initial list with a specialist AI assessment company, based on your services, target customers and competitors, and confirm it with you.
Pricing and working together
How long from first contact to starting work?
Usually 1–2 weeks. After the free consultation we send a proposal and quote within 2–3 working days, and work starts once you confirm and pay.
What happens in the free consultation, and what should I prepare?
We learn about your business, target customers, current challenges, budget and timing. It helps to prepare a company profile, links to your website and social media, and the problems you want to solve; examples you like are a bonus.
How does payment work?
One-off projects require a 50% deposit on confirmation, with the balance due before handover. Monthly services have a minimum term of 3 to 6 months depending on the service, and fees are paid at the start of each month. We accept bank transfer and FPS.
How long is the contract for monthly services?
Monthly services have a minimum term of 3 to 6 months depending on the service, set out clearly before you sign. Social media and SEO + GEO need time to build up content and data before the changes become clear.
Can I cancel or change my plan during the contract?
Contracts cannot be cancelled or refunded once signed, but you can change plans. After the minimum term of a monthly service, you can upgrade or adjust your plan month by month.
Are your prices public?
Yes. Standard plan prices for every service are published on this site, with no hidden fees. Items charged separately, such as advertising spend or messaging fees, are listed too. Final quotes depend on your requirements.
Can I use more than one service?
Yes. One team handles all four services, so your website, social media and customer service stay consistent. Tell us what you need during the consultation and we will recommend a combined plan and quote.
Who owns the accounts and data?
You do. Social media accounts, websites and domains are held in your name. Customer data collected by AI customer service also belongs to you; it is stored in our secure system and you can ask us to delete it when we stop working together.
Can I verify the figures in your reports?
Yes. Social media figures come from Meta's official dashboards and website figures from Google's official tools. You can log in and check them yourself.
Tell us about your business first. Then decide.
The consultation is free. We will understand your situation before recommending a plan and a quote.
Social media management
Which platforms does social media management cover?
Facebook and Instagram, managed together. Content is adapted to each platform's format rather than simply duplicated.
Can you manage platforms other than Facebook and Instagram?
Yes, quoted separately. All our social media plans focus on Facebook and Instagram; for Threads, Xiaohongshu (RED), TikTok, LinkedIn or others, we quote based on your needs.
Will I approve content before it is published?
Yes. You receive each month's content calendar for approval, and posts are published on schedule only after you approve them.
How many revisions are included for posts and videos?
The monthly content calendar includes 1 round of revisions, and each post and short video includes 2 rounds.
Do you reply to comments and direct messages?
No. None of our social media plans include replying to comments or direct messages; your team handles these. If you receive many enquiries, our AI customer service can help.
Does the monthly fee include advertising spend?
No. The monthly fee covers content planning and production only. Advertising spend, on-location shoots and KOL fees are charged separately. Ad management is available as an add-on.
Do I need to provide footage for short videos?
Yes. Short videos in the Growth and Pro plans are edited from footage you provide, and we write the scripts and monologues. On-location shoots can be quoted separately.