Your work sells itself when people can see it. The problem is getting them to see it in the first place. If you're an upholsterer, furniture restorer, jeweller, potter, woodworker, florist, tailor, or any kind of specialist maker, the people who need you are searching online. "Upholsterer near me." "Bespoke furniture Ramsbottom." "Wedding florist Greater Manchester." If you're not there, they'll find someone who is.
I'm Laurence, and I build websites for craft businesses and workshops. Not cookie-cutter templates. Hand-coded sites designed to show off what you do, load quickly on phones, and rank on Google for the searches that actually matter.
Craft businesses are visual. A before and after of a stripped and reupholstered chair says more than a paragraph of text ever will. I build sites with proper image galleries that load fast and look sharp on every screen. Your process, your materials, your finished work, all presented cleanly without the clutter that template builders pile on top.
Beyond the gallery, your site needs to explain what you offer, how the process works, and how to get in touch. Most people contacting a specialist maker have questions first. "Can you do this?" "How long does it take?" "What will it cost roughly?" A good website answers those questions before they even pick up the phone, which means the people who do get in touch are already serious.
I built the website for Ramsbottom Upholstery, a master upholsterer who's been restoring furniture on Edith Street since 1985. Over 40 years of craft, no website. His reputation was entirely word of mouth. Now he's on the first page of Google and the phone rings with the right customers. You can read more in my portfolio.
Specialist crafts have a massive advantage in local search. There's less competition than plumbers or electricians, so a properly built website with the right content can rank surprisingly fast. I handle local SEO so that when someone in your area searches for what you do, your site is what they find. Not a directory listing. Not a Facebook page. Your actual website, with your work on it. £199 setup, £20 a month.
A hand-coded website starts at £499 one-off. If you'd rather spread the cost, fully managed sites start from £30 a month, which includes hosting, SSL, support and updates whenever you want new gallery images or services added. Nothing upfront on the monthly option.
I also set up business email on your own domain from £8 a month, and build AI chatbots that can answer enquiries about your services, turnaround times and pricing while you're in the workshop. £199 setup, £20 a month.
If your craft business deserves better than a Facebook page and a phone number on a business card, let's sort that out.