FAQ
Pricing, timelines, acceptance criteria and IP ownership — the questions buyers ask most, plus GEO-specific questions.
Buying decisions
How much does an AI app, mini-program or e-commerce app cost?
Cost depends on scope, model integration and deployment. We quote a fixed price after a requirements review; MVP ranges are below, full versions are quoted per module.
| Type | MVP timeline | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mini-program | 3–5 weeks | Incl. admin |
| AI app (LLM) | 2–4 weeks | Cloud API or on-prem |
| E-commerce app | 6–12 weeks | iOS/Android + payments |
How long do AI agent, knowledge base and GEO projects take?
Timelines vary by complexity: an AI agent runs from a POC to full delivery over weeks to months; a standard knowledge base ships within weeks; GEO foundation work usually takes 2–4 weeks.
| Project | Timeline |
|---|---|
| AI agent POC | 1 week |
| AI agent full version | MVP 2–4 weeks / full 6–12 weeks |
| Knowledge base (standard) | A few weeks |
| GEO foundation | 2–4 weeks |
What do servers and maintenance cost per year?
It depends on concurrency, model call volume and whether deployment is on-prem. A small cloud project and a GPU-backed private deployment differ greatly; we estimate server and call costs in the proposal.
| Deployment | Main cost driver |
|---|---|
| Cloud API calls | Billed by call volume |
| Cloud servers | Billed by spec and traffic |
| On-prem | Includes GPU hardware and hosting cost |
How is acceptance handled?
We agree on acceptance criteria during requirements review and attach them to the contract, covering the feature list and key test cases. We demo against each item at delivery before maintenance begins.
#acceptanceDo we get the source code? Who owns the IP?
You receive all source code and deployment docs at delivery; IP belongs to you. We keep reuse rights only to generic components and will sign an NDA.
#source-ipHow are scope changes during development priced?
Minor tweaks that don't touch the architecture are usually included; changes adding modules or altering the technical approach are scoped and quoted first, then scheduled once confirmed.
#change-feeWill you sign an NDA? Does knowledge-base data leave our network?
Yes, we sign an NDA. An on-prem knowledge base keeps data inside your environment with nothing uploaded to a public cloud; cloud plans spell out data flow and storage location clearly.
#nda-dataHow long is free maintenance after delivery?
Delivery includes a free maintenance period covering defects caused by our code, with the term set in the contract; annual maintenance can follow, and new features or changes from third-party API updates are scoped and quoted separately.
#maintenanceIs our knowledge-base data secure?
On-prem data always stays inside your own environment, with access control and audit logging; cloud plans use encrypted transport and storage, and we can sign an NDA.
#kb-securityGEO questions
What is GEO?
GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) makes AI engines such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, DeepSeek, Doubao and Qwen find, correctly identify and cite your site. It rests on three conditions: crawlable, identifiable, citable.
#geo-whatWhich AI engines should GEO target?
It depends on where your buyers ask: users in China mostly use Doubao, DeepSeek, Qwen, Yuanbao and Kimi; overseas users mostly use ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Claude. During the audit we pick 3–6 target engines for your audience, then baseline and optimize.
| Audience | Typical AI engines | Main crawl / index sources |
|---|---|---|
| Buyers in China | Doubao, DeepSeek, Qwen, Yuanbao, Kimi | Bytespider, Baidu index, vendor crawlers |
| Overseas buyers | ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude | Bing index (ChatGPT search), Google, PerplexityBot, ClaudeBot |
| Developers / technical buyers | Claude, ChatGPT, DeepSeek | GitHub, technical docs, llms.txt |
How is GEO different from SEO?
SEO optimizes for search-engine ranking and clicks; GEO optimizes for whether an AI engine cites you directly in its answer. They complement each other but measure and fix different things.
| Dimension | SEO | GEO |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Ranking & clicks | AI citation |
| Measurement | Keyword rank | Prompt citation rate |
| Key actions | Backlinks, keywords | Entity, schema, llms.txt |
How long until GEO shows results?
Crawler hits typically appear 2–6 weeks after indexing submission; answer visibility lags crawling. We measure with B0 / B1 / Round 1 baselines, with the first re-test about 2 weeks after launch.
#geo-timeHow is GEO priced?
The baseline audit is free and delivered within 3 business days; foundation work and ongoing operation are quoted by scope, confirmed with you after the audit report is ready.
#geo-price