WordPress Websites
WordPress without the bloat.
A custom theme, a handful of plugins that earn their place, and a site your team can edit: that is WordPress website design done lean. Fast, secure and built to be maintained.
Why WordPress.
When you need flexibility, it is still the most capable platform there is.
- Anything is possibleContent, membership, bookings, shops, integrations: if it can be done on the web, there is a way to do it in WordPress.
- Familiar editingMost people have used it. The block editor is simple for text and images, and custom blocks keep layouts consistent.
- You own everythingOpen-source software on hosting you choose. No platform can raise the price or close the door.
- WooCommerce for shopsThe most flexible ecommerce option for anything beyond a simple catalogue.
- Content at scaleHundreds of pages, posts, products or listings, organised with custom content types.
- A huge ecosystemIntegrations with almost every CRM, booking, payment and email tool, when you need them.
What you get.
A WordPress site built the way it should be.
- Custom themeDesigned for your business and built lean. No multipurpose theme, no page builder, no dead weight.
- Block editor set upCustom blocks and content types so editing is quick and the design stays intact.
- Only the plugins you needEach one chosen for a reason, kept to a minimum, and documented so you know what does what.
- Speed from the startCaching, image handling and clean code, with Core Web Vitals checked before launch.
- Security hardenedLogin protection, firewall, least-privilege accounts and the basics most installs skip.
- SEO foundationsTitles, descriptions, structured data, sitemaps and redirects configured properly.
- Hosting that suitsRecommended and set up in your name, sized for the site rather than the cheapest plan available.
- Handover and trainingA walkthrough of editing, adding content and the basics of keeping things tidy.
- A care planUpdates tested and applied, backups, monitoring and small changes, month by month.
How it works.
Plan the content, then the theme.
WordPress rewards planning, and so does WordPress website design. The content types, the page structure and the keywords are decided before the theme is designed, so the editor fits the content rather than the other way round.
- Sitemap and keyword map
- Content types for the things you add often
- Plugin list agreed, and kept short
Build it lean.
A custom theme with only the code the design needs, images handled properly and caching configured. The result is a WordPress site that scores like a hand-coded one, because most of it is.
- Custom blocks for consistent layouts
- Performance budget from the first template
- Accessibility built in
Keep it that way.
WordPress needs looking after: updates, backups, security and the occasional fix. A care plan turns that from a worry into a line on a report, and keeps the site as fast in year three as on launch day.
- Updates tested before going live
- Daily backups kept off-site
- Monthly health check and report
WooCommerce, when the shop is the business.
The most capable platform for a shop that needs to do things its own way.
WooCommerce turns WordPress into a shop with no ceiling. Variable products, trade pricing, subscriptions, bookings with stock, deposits, local delivery rules: if the business needs it, there is a way to build it, and the shop lives alongside your guides and content rather than on a separate platform.
The trade-off is maintenance, which is why every WooCommerce site I build comes with a care plan recommended. Built lean and looked after, it is fast, secure and entirely yours.
Ecommerce websitesWordPress in practice.
Plymouth College and Hog Roast Catering are both WordPress builds, one for a marketing team, one for a family business. Not sure WordPress is right? Hand-coded or WordPress sets out the trade-offs honestly.
Often paired with.
Website Redesign
Keep what works, fix what doesn’t, and relaunch a site that is faster and easier to find.
Learn more about website redesignEcommerce Websites
Online shops built to be found, trusted and bought from.
Learn more about ecommerce websitesSoftware Development
Custom web tools, WordPress plugins and integrations when a standard site isn’t enough.
Learn more about software developmentCopywriting
Clear website copy that answers the questions your customers are already asking.
Learn more about copywritingWebsite Care
Updates, backups, monitoring and small changes, so the site keeps performing.
Learn more about website careWordPress questions, answered.
Because of how it is usually built: a heavy multipurpose theme, a page builder, thirty plugins and no maintenance. None of that is WordPress itself. A site built with a lean custom theme, a handful of well-chosen plugins and a care plan is fast, secure and easy to live with.
No. Page builders add weight, lock the content into their format and are the most common cause of slow WordPress sites. I build custom themes using the block editor, so the site is fast and your content stays portable.
Yes. I start with a review of the theme, plugins, hosting and speed, then recommend whether to improve what you have, rebuild the theme, or redesign. Taking over sites from other developers is a regular part of the work.
Yes. The block editor is familiar, and I set up custom blocks and content types for the things you will change often, so adding a service, a team member or a case study is a form to fill rather than a layout to wrestle with.
Yes. The core software, the theme and every plugin release updates, and some of them are security fixes. A care plan applies them tested, keeps backups and watches the site, which is the difference between WordPress being a liability and an asset.
Yes. From small features to full systems: bookings, members’ areas, calculators, integrations with other software. See software development.
Let’s build it on WordPress.
Tell me what the site needs to do and whether you have one already. I’ll suggest the right approach to your WordPress website design and what it is likely to involve.
- 1You send a few lines.What the business does and what the website needs to do.
- 2I reply, personally.Usually the same day, with questions and a time for a call.
- 3You get a written proposal.Scope, stages and price for exactly that. No obligation, no hard sell.
Monday to Sunday, 9am to 9pm. You talk to me, not an account manager.