Web development for business websites and custom web applications.
As a web development company we do two kinds of work: business websites that load fast and turn visitors into enquiries, and custom web applications such as client portals, dashboards and internal tools. Both are built full-stack, from the database to the page.
Business website development
A business website should be quick on a phone, easy to update, accessible, and clear about what you do and how to reach you. We build on WordPress when you want to edit content yourself, or as a static site when speed and security matter most.
Included
- Mobile-first design and accessibility checks
- Page speed and technical SEO
- Contact forms that actually deliver
- Analytics and conversion tracking
Custom web application development
When the job is more than pages, we build web applications: secure sign-in, roles, workflows and data, delivered through the browser.
Capabilities
- Client portals and dashboards
- Databases and reporting
- APIs and third-party integrations
- E-commerce and payment links where applicable
- Admin tools with audit logs
Do you need a website, a web application, or both?
A website explains who you are and how to reach you. A web application lets people sign in and do something: approve a document, track a job, see an invoice. Many businesses need both, and they should share a design and, ideally, one sign-in.
- Choose WordPress when staff want to edit pages and publish posts themselves.
- Choose a static site when speed, low running cost and a small attack surface matter most and the content changes rarely.
- Choose a custom web application when the site holds accounts, roles or business rules that no plugin should be asked to enforce.
We run our own client portal as a custom web application, described in inside our client portal, an internal project. For the broader decision about building or buying, see custom software development.
When should you not hire us for web development?
- You want a template site live this week at the lowest cost. A website builder will serve you better.
- You need brand identity, photography or copywriting as the main deliverable. We build to a brand, and a studio may be the better first stop.
- You need a very large online catalog with thousands of products and fast-changing stock. A dedicated commerce platform fits that better.
- You want a monthly content or social media service. We build and maintain sites, and we do not run campaigns.
- You need a specific design agency's look and have no developer. We can build from a design, but not replace it.
What do you get at each stage of a web project?
- Plan: a written brief with the pages or screens, the users, the content owner and the results you want from the site.
- Design: page layouts that work on a phone first, checked against contrast and keyboard use.
- Build: the site or application on a test address, with the source code in a repository under your account.
- Test: checks on phones, tablets and desktops, browser testing, accessibility checks and form delivery checks.
- Launch: DNS and hosting set-up with you, redirects from old addresses, and analytics where you want it.
- After launch: a short support period, documentation for whoever edits the site, and an agreed maintenance arrangement.
What makes a business website load fast and stay accessible?
Speed and accessibility are built in, not added afterward. Images are sized and compressed for the screen they appear on, fonts are limited to the weights actually used, and scripts load only where a page needs them. Text has enough contrast, every control works from the keyboard, and images have text alternatives. Our own accessibility statement describes the measures we apply to this site and how to report a problem.
What drives the cost of web development?
- The number of distinct page types and screens
- Whether you need accounts, roles and a database behind the site
- Integrations such as payments, a CRM or booking
- Content to be written, migrated or reorganized
- Accessibility, performance and search requirements
- Hosting, security updates and the length of the support period
We do not publish prices. You receive a fixed price or a rate with a ceiling in the written scope, before any invoice.
What are the risks, and how do we reduce them?
- The site is slow or hard to use on a phone. We design for phones first and test on real devices.
- Contact forms silently fail. We test delivery end to end, and good forms keep a copy of each message before sending it on.
- The site is hard to update. Content owners get a short walkthrough, or the site is built so edits do not need a developer.
- A plugin or dependency becomes a security hole. We keep dependencies few, and agree who applies updates.
- You lose access to your own domain or hosting. The accounts and DNS stay in your name.
How do you choose a web development company?
- Will they build what you need, or what they always build?
- Do they test on phones and check accessibility, and can they show how?
- Who owns the domain, the hosting account and the code?
- How do contact forms work, and where does each message go?
- Who applies updates, and how is that agreed?
- What does a handover include for whoever edits the site next?
Questions buyers ask
Tell us what you are trying to accomplish.
A conversation, then a written scope with a fixed price or a clear rate and ceiling. No discovery invoice before you know what you are buying.