why have a website?
websites. they're brilliant. you should have one.
Websites. You can have small websites, medium sized websites, and even large websites. You can click websites, scroll websites, and even read websites. Some people have made their entire living from websites. Others have spent three weeks arguing with a builder about a shade of blue. Both experiences are valid. I'm here to help with the first one.
what is a website, exactly?
A website is your shop window, your business card, your loudest salesperson, and your most patient employee all at once. It works while you sleep. It doesn't call in sick. It doesn't eat your biscuits. It just sits there on the internet, being your website, telling people you exist and that they should probably give you money.
what is hosting?
Hosting is where your website lives. Think of it like this -- your website is a house. Hosting is the land it's built on. Without hosting, your website is just a very nice set of plans sitting in a folder on someone's laptop going absolutely nowhere. I provide the land. I keep the land running. The land does not go down at 2am because I've thought about this.
why me?
Because I'm local. Because I answer the phone. Because when you email me you get a response from an actual human who knows what they're doing and not a ticket number and a three day wait and eventually a reply that doesn't answer your question. I've experienced those people. I became me specifically to not be those people.
what i do
websites
I build them. From scratch. Properly. Not a template with your logo slapped on it and a hope that nobody notices. A real website, built for your business, that looks like you paid good money for it because you did and it was absolutely worth it.
hosting
I keep your website on the internet where it belongs. Reliably. Consistently. Without drama. Your website will be up. That's the whole promise and I take it very seriously.
domains
That's the www dot bit. I can sort that too. Yes, the one you want is probably taken. No, adding a number to the end is not the solution. Let's have a conversation about it.
maintenance
Websites need looking after. Updates happen. Things change. The internet moves and your website needs to move with it. I handle all of this so you can get on with running your actual business instead of staring at a WordPress dashboard at midnight wondering what a plugin is.
A proper email address that matches your website. Not a gmail. Not a hotmail. A you-at-your-actual-business-dot-co-dot-uk. You've worked hard for your business. It deserves a proper email address. So do you.
frequently asked questions
do i actually need a website?
Yes. I know you have a Facebook page. Facebook is not a website. Facebook is a website that belongs to someone else, runs by their rules, can change without warning, and could theoretically disappear tomorrow taking your entire online presence with it. A website is yours. Properly yours. Nobody can take it away or change the algorithm on it at the weekend.
how long does a website take?
Longer than you think but not as long as you fear. If you provide everything I ask for promptly and don't change your mind about the blue seventeen times, I can work very efficiently. The blue is always the bit that takes the longest. It's always the blue.
how much does it cost?
Enough to be worth doing properly. Not enough to require a second mortgage. We'll talk, I'll understand what you need, and I'll give you a straight answer. No hidden fees. No surprise invoices. No calling it a 'creative investment' to justify an unreasonable number.
what is SSL and do i need it?
SSL is the padlock that appears next to your website address telling people it's safe. Yes you need it. Everyone needs it. Websites without it look suspicious and Google actively dislikes them. I include it. It's not a bonus. It's just part of having a website in the current decade.
can i update the website myself?
Yes. I build websites you can actually manage without calling me every time you want to change a phone number. That said, if you'd rather just call me, that's also fine. I like hearing from you. Within reason.
what happens if my website goes down?
I find out about it, probably before you do, and I fix it. This is not a theoretical promise. This is what I actually do. It's why people stay with me.
i already have a website but it's terrible. can you help?
Yes. I've seen some things. I don't judge. I just fix it and make sure nobody ever has to see the before version again unless they want to frame it as a cautionary tale.
what's the difference between cheap hosting and your hosting?
Cheap hosting is cheap because something is missing. Usually it's speed, or reliability, or support, or all three. You'll find out which one it is at the worst possible moment. My hosting costs a sensible amount and works properly. I find this arrangement much more satisfying for everyone.
do you do SEO?
Yes. SEO is how Google decides whether to show your website to people or to bury it somewhere nobody will ever find it. I can help with this. It takes time and anyone who promises you the top of Google by next Thursday is lying to you and you should leave that conversation immediately.
what people say
"I had a Facebook page and thought that was enough. I was wrong. I now have a website and three new clients from it this month alone. I feel foolish about the Facebook years but I'm moving forward."
"My previous web developer disappeared. Not metaphorically. Just... gone. No reply. No handover. Nothing. I found this guy and he fixed everything and didn't make me feel stupid for not knowing what a DNS record was. Ten out of ten."
"Asked for a website. Got a website. It looks exactly like what I wanted and nothing like what I feared. The process was painless. I'm suspicious it was this easy but here we are."
"He told me my old hosting was slow. I said it seemed fine to me. He showed me the data. It was not fine. I had simply never known what fine looked like. I know now."
"Four stars because I kept changing my mind about the blue. He was very patient. The blue is now correct. This is entirely my fault and I accept that. The website is five stars."
"My website went down on a Saturday. I panicked. I sent an email expecting nothing until Monday. It was back up within the hour. I don't know how. I don't need to know how. I just need it to keep happening."
"Three quotes from three different companies. Two of them said things I didn't understand and looked at me like that was my fault. One of them just talked to me like a normal person and built me a brilliant website. You can probably guess which one I went with."