frequently asked questions

A professional hand-coded website starts at £499 one-off. Fully managed with hosting and ongoing updates is £499 plus £30 a month. Premium websites (larger, more complex) start at £999 plus £40 a month. There are no hidden costs and you can spread the setup fee over 12 or 24 months if you prefer. Full breakdown on the pricing page.

For most small business websites, one to three weeks from brief to launch. The main variable is how quickly I get the content I need from you. If you have copy and photos ready, it goes faster. If we are writing everything from scratch, allow a little longer. I will give you a realistic timeline before we start.

Yes. A Facebook page is useful for staying visible to existing customers, but it does not appear in Google search results for services and locations the way a website does. You also do not own your Facebook page. Facebook controls who sees it and organic reach has declined significantly over the years. A website is an asset you own that works in search 24 hours a day. I've written more on this here.

No. I build websites by hand using HTML, CSS and JavaScript. This produces faster, more secure sites with no plugins to update, no subscription software to renew, and no vulnerability surface from third-party themes. The site you get is lightweight, owned by you, and does not depend on any platform or CMS continuing to exist.

On a fully managed package, I handle updates for you as part of the monthly fee. For text changes, photo swaps, or adding a new page, just drop me a message. If you want to be able to edit content yourself, mention it upfront and I can accommodate that. Most clients find it easier and quicker to let me handle it.

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is the technology that puts the padlock in your browser's address bar and makes your URL start with https rather than http. It encrypts data between your website and your visitors. Yes, you need it. Google marks sites without SSL as not secure, which affects both trust and rankings. All websites I build and host include SSL as standard.

On a managed hosting package, I monitor the site and am usually aware of downtime before you are. I investigate and resolve it. If it is a hosting issue, I deal with the provider. If it is a code issue, I fix it. For clients on non-managed packages, I can help on an ad-hoc basis from £65 an hour.

Cheap shared hosting is fine for hobby sites. For a business website, slow loading times hurt your Google ranking and your conversion rate. Shared servers are also more likely to have security issues that affect your site through no fault of your own. The managed hosting I provide sits behind Cloudflare's CDN, which makes your site fast for visitors across the UK and adds a layer of security. More detail here.

Local SEO is making your business visible in location-based searches. When someone searches for a plumber in Bury or a cafe near Ramsbottom, local SEO determines who shows up. It involves your Google Business Profile, your website content and structure, online reviews, directory listings, and consistent contact information across the web. I offer local SEO at £199 setup and £20 a month ongoing. Full explanation here.

There is no shortcut. First-page rankings come from a well-built website with relevant content, a complete and active Google Business Profile, genuine reviews, consistent directory listings, and time. For local searches with lower competition, results can appear within weeks. For competitive terms in larger areas, allow three to six months of consistent effort. Anyone who promises guaranteed first-page rankings is not being straight with you.

Structured data (also called schema markup) is code in your website that tells search engines exactly what your business is and does. It declares things like your business type, address, phone number, opening hours and services using a standardised vocabulary. Google uses it to produce rich results in search, including business panels, FAQ answers, and star ratings. All websites I build include appropriate structured data.

Business email means email on your own domain, like [email protected], rather than a free Gmail or Hotmail address. It looks more professional, builds trust with customers and suppliers, and gives you control over your communications. I set up Microsoft Exchange and Microsoft 365 email from £8 a month per user.

Yes. I migrate your existing emails across as part of the setup, so nothing is lost. Your domain stays the same, your address stays the same, and your email history comes with you. The process is straightforward and I handle all of it.

Microsoft Exchange is email only. Microsoft 365 includes Exchange email plus the full Office suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams and more) depending on the licence tier. For a small business that just needs reliable email on their own domain, Exchange at £8 per user per month is often sufficient. If you need the full productivity suite, M365 Business starts at £15 per user per month.

An AI chatbot is a conversational assistant that lives on your website. Visitors type questions and the chatbot responds in plain English. The ones I build are trained specifically on your business: your services, your prices, your opening hours, your frequently asked questions. They run 24 hours a day and handle enquiries when you are not available. They are powered by large language model AI and hosted on a server I manage. Setup is £199 and ongoing is £20 a month.

The chatbot only answers questions based on the information it has been given about your business. It will not guess or make things up about your services. If a question falls outside what it knows, it tells the visitor and directs them to contact you directly. The prompt is also hardened against attempts to manipulate it into saying something inappropriate.

A growing number of people ask AI assistants like ChatGPT or use Google's AI Overviews for local recommendations rather than scrolling through search results. AI tools synthesise information from your website, Google Business Profile, reviews, and online mentions to form recommendations. Businesses that are well-represented online are more likely to appear in those answers. I've written about this in more detail here.

Fixed prices, no surprises. Web design starts at £499 one-off or £499 plus £30 a month fully managed. You can pay the setup cost in full (50% at sign-off, 50% on launch) or spread it over 12 or 24 months with nothing upfront. Monthly costs reduce to the ongoing rate once the spread payment term ends. Full pricing is on the pricing page.

Yes. All setup costs can be spread over 12 or 24 months with nothing upfront. No credit checks, no interest. The first payment is due on launch. Monthly payments reduce once the spread term ends. If you prefer to pay in full, it is 50% at sign-off and 50% on launch.

On a fully managed package, the monthly fee covers hosting, updates, backups, SSL, and ongoing support. Your domain registration is separate (typically £10 to £15 per year). There are no surprise add-ons. If we agree something at the start, that is what it costs.

I am based in Ramsbottom and cover the local area including Bury, Tottington, Radcliffe, Whitefield, Prestwich, Rochdale, Bolton and across the Rossendale valley. For web design, hosting, email and AI services, location does not matter and I work with clients across the UK. For onsite IT support, I cover Greater Manchester and surrounding areas. Full areas page here.

I focus on small businesses, typically fewer than five employees. Sole traders, partnerships, family businesses. The people who need a professional online presence and reliable IT support without paying enterprise prices for it. If you are a larger organisation with more complex requirements, I am happy to have a conversation, but my pricing and approach are designed for small businesses.

You own your website and your domain. I will provide you with the site files and transfer your domain to a registrar of your choice. There is no lock-in. I would rather you stay because the service is good than feel trapped. On a managed package, normal notice terms apply as per the terms and conditions.