Web & Digital · Web Development services
Websites engineered to be found, to be fast and to convert
A website is the one channel you fully own, and every other channel depends on it. We design and build sites where search requirements, performance budgets, accessibility and conversion paths are part of the specification, not a retrofit after launch.
Reviewed by the SERPMOZ web team on
- Best for
- Businesses replacing, rebuilding or first commissioning a site that has to earn enquiries
- Works alongside
- UI/UX design, technical SEO, CRO and paid media
- Typical horizon
- Often 8 to 16 weeks for a marketing site; longer with integrations, large migrations or slow content
- Measured in
- Core Web Vitals, visibility kept after launch, conversion rate, time to publish
In short
What does a web development agency do?
A web development agency plans, designs, builds and launches websites, then keeps them healthy afterwards. The work starts with what the site must do for the business, moves through choosing a platform that fits the content and the team, and continues into building templates and components, connecting forms, analytics and other systems, and testing on real devices. A good agency also migrates the old site carefully, so that existing search visibility survives the launch.
The problem
Signs it is time to rethink Web Development.
- 01
The site looks fine but is slow, hard to update or invisible in search.
- 02
A past redesign cost rankings and nobody knows why.
- 03
Marketing depends on developers for every small change.
- 04
Design, SEO and development were handled by three different suppliers.
Why Web Development matters
A website is the destination for every other channel, and the one asset you fully control. If it is slow, hard to change or built without search in mind, every campaign that points to it underperforms.
What is included
What do our Web Development services include?
Next.js, WordPress, Shopify and Webflow builds with SEO, speed and conversion designed in from the first wireframe. The scope is set by the audit: you get the parts you need, in the order that pays back soonest.
- 01
Discovery and requirements
Before anyone opens a design tool we establish what the site is for, who uses it and what it has to connect to. Requirements are written down and ranked, because an unranked list is how projects double in length.
- Business goals and the actions that count
- Audit of the current site and its analytics
- Content inventory: keep, rewrite, merge or retire
- Integrations and data flows listed
- Scope, budget and risks agreed in writing
- 02
Platform and architecture
The platform should suit the content and the people editing it, not the preferences of whoever builds it. We compare the realistic options against your requirements and explain what each one costs you later.
- Next.js, WordPress, Webflow or Shopify compared
- Content model and URL structure
- Hosting, environments and deployment
- Ownership of code, domain and accounts
- Total cost of running the site, not only building it
- 03
Design and component system
Pages are assembled from a set of components designed once and reused everywhere. That keeps the site consistent and makes the tenth new page as quick to produce as the first.
- Sitemap, navigation and page hierarchy
- Wireframes for key templates
- Visual design and responsive behaviour
- Component library with documented variants
- Accessibility considered at design stage
- 04
Engineering and integrations
Templates and components are built in version control, reviewed by a second developer and deployed through a staging environment. Forms and tracking are treated as part of the product, since a site that loses enquiries has failed whatever it looks like.
- Front-end build against a performance budget
- CMS configured for the editors who will use it
- Forms connected to CRM and email
- Analytics and consent set up correctly
- Code review and version history
- 05
Search-safe migration
A relaunch changes URLs, templates and content at the same moment, which is why it is the riskiest event in a site's life for organic traffic. We map the old site to the new one before launch and check the result afterwards.
- Redirect map for every indexed URL
- Metadata and structured data carried over
- Internal links updated to final URLs
- Staging kept out of search indexes
- Crawl comparison before and after launch
- 06
Testing, launch and care
Launch is a checklist, not an event. After it, a site needs updates, monitoring and small improvements, and we agree who is responsible for each before go-live.
- Cross-browser and real-device testing
- Accessibility and performance acceptance checks
- Launch runbook with a rollback plan
- Uptime, error and form monitoring
- Editor training and written documentation
How it works
What happens between a click and a page someone can use?
Every visit passes through the same five steps, and a slow or broken one loses the visitor before your content has a chance. Most of the decisions that determine how each step performs are made during the build, which is why they belong in the specification.
- 1
Request
The browser looks up your domain, opens a secure connection and asks a server or CDN for the page.
What we doConfigure DNS, TLS and a CDN so the first response comes from a location near the visitor.
- 2
Response
The server returns stored HTML or builds the page from templates and a database.
What we doCache what can be cached and choose a rendering approach that suits how often the content changes.
- 3
Render
The browser downloads styles, fonts and images, then paints the layout.
What we doSize and prioritise the main image, limit fonts and reserve space so the layout does not jump.
- 4
Interact
JavaScript loads and the page begins responding to taps, clicks and typing.
What we doShip less script, defer third-party tags and test responsiveness on mid-range phones.
- 5
Act
The visitor submits a form, books or buys, and the data travels to your systems.
What we doTest every form end to end and confirm each submission reaches the CRM and analytics.
Process
What does a typical Web Development engagement look like?
Timings are typical and depend on site size and how quickly changes can be shipped. You will know the plan, and the reasoning behind it, before execution starts.
Read our full methodology- 1
Weeks 1 to 2
Discovery
Stakeholder conversations, an audit of the current site and a ranked list of requirements. The content inventory starts here, because content is what most often delays a launch.
- Requirements document
- Content inventory with decisions
- 2
Weeks 2 to 4
Architecture and platform
Sitemap, content model and URL structure are settled, and the platform is chosen with the trade-offs written down for whoever inherits the site.
- Platform recommendation
- Sitemap and content model
- 3
Weeks 4 to 8
Design
Wireframes for the key templates, then visual design and a component library. Design is reviewed in the browser as early as possible, not only as static files.
- Approved designs for key templates
- Component library
- 4
Weeks 6 to 14
Build, content and testing
Components and templates are built in sprints while content is written and loaded. Testing runs throughout and intensifies before launch.
- Working staging site
- Test report and redirect map
- 5
Launch and after
Go-live and stabilise
The launch follows a runbook. For the following weeks we watch crawl errors, rankings, forms and speed, and fix what real traffic reveals.
- Launch checklist signed off
- Post-launch monitoring report
Deliverables
What you receive.
- Information architecture and sitemap
- UI/UX design and design system
- Responsive front-end build
- CMS setup and editor training
- Technical SEO and schema
- Performance optimisation
- Redirect map and launch plan
Technology and tools
- Next.js
- WordPress
- Shopify
- Webflow
- Figma
- Vercel
- Core Web Vitals tooling
Platforms we typically work across. Named for clarity, not as partnerships or endorsements.
Expected business outcomes
How is Web Development success measured?
- 01Core Web Vitals (LCP, INP, CLS)
- 02Organic visibility retained and gained after launch
- 03Conversion rate
- 04Time for marketing to publish a new page
Targets are set after the audit, against your own baseline. We do not promise figures before we have seen the data, and results vary by market and starting point.
Who does what
AI accelerates
- Accelerating component and test scaffolding
- Content migration and reformatting
- Automated accessibility and performance checks
- Image optimisation and alt-text drafts
Experts decide
- Architecture and platform choice
- Design craft and brand expression
- Code review, security and maintainability
- SEO and conversion requirements
Compare
Custom-coded site or a CMS platform build: which fits?
This is the decision underneath most web projects. A custom-coded front end removes limits and adds responsibility; an established platform does the opposite. Neither is the better answer in general.
| Custom-coded (Next.js) | Platform (WordPress, Webflow, Shopify) | |
|---|---|---|
| Flexibility | Anything that can be coded | Whatever the platform and plugins allow |
| Speed ceiling | Very high when built with care | Good, with more effort to keep |
| Editing | Through a separate headless CMS | Built in and familiar |
| Who maintains it | Developers, permanently | Editors, with occasional developer help |
| Time to first launch | Longer | Shorter |
| Best fit | Custom features, scale, strict performance | Content sites, standard stores, small teams |
Our viewChoose a platform when your needs match what it already does well, and custom code when you can name the specific limit you would otherwise hit. If you cannot name it, the simpler option is usually right.
See our Next.js development serviceWho it is for
Is Web Development right for your business?
- Businesses relaunching an outdated site
- Marketing teams blocked by developers
- Companies replatforming
- Brands that need a faster, more credible site
Web Development by industry
Web Development by market
Questions
Web Development services: frequently asked questions.
Something we have not covered?
Talk to a Growth StrategistHow much does a new website cost?
Cost depends on the number of unique templates, the integrations, how much content has to be written or migrated and the platform. A five-template brochure site and a multi-language site connected to a CRM are different projects. We scope after a growth audit and give a proposal with the reasoning shown.
How long does it take to build a website?
A typical marketing site takes roughly two to four months from discovery to launch. Complex integrations, large migrations and multiple languages add time. The most common cause of delay is content and approvals on the client side, so we plan those from the first week instead of leaving them to the end.
Should we rebuild our website or improve the one we have?
Improve it if the platform is sound and the problems are content, speed or conversion. Rebuild if the platform itself blocks what you need, the code cannot be maintained or the structure no longer matches the business. We audit before recommending either, because a rebuild is often proposed when a repair would do.
Which platform is best for a business website?
There is no single best platform. WordPress suits content-heavy sites with editorial teams, Webflow suits design-led marketing sites, Shopify suits standard online stores and Next.js suits custom functionality and strict performance needs. The right choice depends on your content, your team and what the site must connect to.
Will a redesign damage our SEO?
It can, and when it does the usual causes are missing redirects, removed or rewritten content and changes to internal linking. All three are preventable. We map every indexed URL to its new address, carry over metadata and structured data, and compare crawls before and after launch.
Is a website builder enough, or do we need an agency?
A builder is enough for a small site with simple needs and someone willing to maintain it. An agency earns its cost when the site has to rank in a competitive market, integrate with other systems, meet accessibility requirements or support a team publishing regularly. We will tell you if you do not need us.
What do you need from us before a web project starts?
Access to the current site, analytics and Search Console, a named decision-maker, brand assets and an honest view of who will supply content. If the site connects to a CRM, booking tool or payment system, we also need someone who understands how those are set up today.
Who owns the website and the code when it is finished?
You do. The domain, hosting, CMS and analytics accounts are registered in your name, and the code sits in a repository you control. This matters more than most buyers realise: a site held in a supplier's accounts is difficult to move if the relationship ends.
Is the website finished once it launches?
No, and that is the most common misconception about web projects. Software needs updates, content goes out of date and real visitors behave differently from what the plan assumed. Budget for maintenance and for a period of improvement after launch, when you finally have data on how the new site performs.
Related services
What works best alongside Web Development?
- SEOTechnical, content and authority work prioritised by commercial value and measured against pipeline.
- Conversion Rate OptimizationResearch, analytics, landing pages and experimentation that raise the return on every visit.
- Marketing AutomationCRM, lead routing, email and WhatsApp journeys, and AI agents that qualify and nurture.
More in Web & Digital:Next.js DevelopmentWordPress DevelopmentShopify DevelopmentWebflow DevelopmentEcommerce DevelopmentUI/UX Design
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What happens next
- 1
You tell us where you are
A short form about the business, its goals and what is holding growth back.
- 2
A strategist reviews it
Search, AI visibility, paid media, content and conversion, read together.
- 3
You get the priorities
The highest-impact opportunities, in order, with the reasoning shown.
No obligation, and no guaranteed outcomes promised. Just an honest read of where you stand.
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