What is web development, really?
Web development is everything that goes into building a website, from the code that runs it to the servers it lives on. Design is how a site looks. Development is how it actually works.
You can have the prettiest design in the world, but if the site's slow, breaks on mobile, or falls over when someone tries to buy something, the design doesn't matter. That's why development matters so much, it's the bit that determines whether your website actually makes you money or just sits there looking nice.
There are three main ways to build a website in 2026: WordPress (best for content-heavy sites, blogs, service businesses), Shopify (best for ecommerce), or custom (best for unique apps, booking systems, or anything off the shelf can't do). We build on all three.
How much does a website cost in the UK?
Website costs in the UK vary wildly. You can get something slapped together on Wix for £300, or pay an enterprise agency £100,000+ for a custom build. Most proper agency builds sit somewhere between £3,000 and £30,000 depending on what you need.
We quote per project because every build's different. A simple 5-page WordPress site for a local service business is a completely different job to a 500-product Shopify store with custom integrations, or a full-blown booking platform built from scratch in React.
Here's rough pricing to give you an idea of where projects land:
- Simple WordPress site (5 to 10 pages, standard features): usually £2,000 to £5,000
- Shopify store (custom theme, product setup, integrations): usually £3,500 to £10,000
- Complex WordPress build (custom functionality, membership, booking, integrations): usually £5,000 to £15,000
- Custom application (React / Next.js, full backend, bespoke logic): usually £10,000 to £40,000+
We'll scope your project properly and give you a fixed quote upfront. No hourly billing, no surprise costs when we're halfway through.
How long does it take to build a website?
Most of our builds take 4 to 12 weeks from kickoff to going live. Here's roughly how that breaks down:
- Simple WordPress site: 3 to 5 weeks
- Shopify store: 4 to 8 weeks
- Complex WordPress build: 6 to 10 weeks
- Custom application: 10 to 20+ weeks depending on scope
The timeline depends more on you than us, honestly. If you've got your content ready, know what you want, and can give us feedback quickly, we'll move fast. If content's dragging or feedback cycles are slow, it stretches. We'll always tell you straight what's on the critical path.
WordPress, Shopify, or custom, which one do you need?
WordPress
WordPress is the best choice for content-heavy sites, service businesses, blogs, and anything that needs a flexible CMS. It powers about 40% of the web for a reason, it's reliable, well-supported, and easy to extend. We build on WordPress using clean custom themes (no Divi, no Elementor bloat), which means sites that actually load fast and rank properly.
Shopify
If you're selling products, Shopify is usually the right call. It handles the ecommerce side so you don't have to worry about payment processing, inventory, shipping, or tax. We build Shopify stores with custom themes (no bought-off-the-shelf templates everyone else has) and integrate whatever tools you need, Klaviyo, ReCharge, custom apps, the lot.
Custom (React, Next.js)
For anything off the shelf can't do. Custom booking platforms, membership apps, marketplaces, SaaS MVPs, bespoke dashboards, anything that needs its own logic. We build these using React and Next.js, hosted on our own infrastructure. Takes longer and costs more, but you get something that's genuinely yours and does exactly what your business needs.
We host on our own servers
Most agencies build your site and then push you onto GoDaddy or some cheap shared host to save you £5 a month. We don't. We host our builds on our own managed infrastructure because it's faster, more secure, and means one team is responsible when something goes wrong, us.
What you get with our hosting:
- Fast SSD servers based in the UK for low-latency loading
- Daily automated backups (so nothing's ever actually lost)
- SSL certificates and proper security hardening
- Staging environments so we can test changes before pushing them live
- Monitoring and uptime alerts
- Someone to actually call if something breaks, not a ticket queue in Mumbai
Ecommerce development
If you're building an ecommerce store, development choices matter even more. A slow checkout kills conversions. A buggy product page costs you sales every hour it's live. A site that can't handle a sudden traffic spike from a viral post means you've just watched money walk away.
We build ecom on Shopify or custom depending on scale. Most brands do best on Shopify, we set up custom themes, sort out proper collection and product page templates, integrate Klaviyo for email, set up analytics properly, and make sure the whole thing converts. For bigger or more complex brands, we'll build custom headless setups on Shopify Plus with a Next.js front end for maximum speed and flexibility.
What's actually included in our web dev projects
- Proper discovery and scoping, we won't start building until we've agreed exactly what we're making
- Clean custom code, no page builder bloat, no lazy template work
- Responsive across all devices, mobile-first builds that actually work on every screen size
- SEO-ready architecture, proper meta tags, schema, clean URLs, fast load times
- Integration with your tools, CRMs, email platforms, payment processors, analytics, whatever
- Managed hosting on our own servers, included for 12 months on most builds
- Training handover, we'll show you how to update the site yourself where it makes sense
- Ongoing maintenance available as an add-on, security updates, plugin updates, bug fixes
Common web dev questions we get
Do I own the site when you're done?
Yes, completely. All code, all assets, all accounts transfer to you on final payment. We'll never hold your site hostage, some agencies do that and it's gross.
What if I want to move hosting later?
Fine. We'll help you migrate cleanly. We host on our own servers because it's better, not because we're trying to lock you in. If you want to go to Kinsta or WP Engine later, we'll hand over clean, documented code.
Do you build using page builders like Elementor or Divi?
No, and we'd recommend you don't either. They look easy upfront but they slow your site down, make it harder to maintain, and usually mean a full rebuild two years later. We build with custom themes that load fast and last longer.
Can you rebuild my existing site?
Yes, we do rebuilds all the time. Send us a link to your current site and we'll tell you honestly whether it needs a full rebuild, a redesign, or just some technical fixes.
Do you do ongoing maintenance after launch?
Yes, as an optional monthly plan. Covers security updates, plugin updates, uptime monitoring, bug fixes, and small content changes. We'll scope it based on what your site actually needs.
Can you integrate with my CRM / email tool / payment system?
Almost certainly yes. We've integrated with HubSpot, Salesforce, Klaviyo, Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, Stripe, PayPal, GoCardless, Klarna, ReCharge, Calendly, Cal.com, Airtable, and loads of others. If your tool has an API, we can plug into it.
Ready to build something properly?
If you're planning a new site, a rebuild, or something custom, drop us a message. We'll have a proper conversation about what you need, what platform makes sense, and give you an honest quote, no sales scripts, no upselling you into stuff you don't need.
