Notes from the studio.
What I've learned building, hosting and looking after websites for small businesses. Prices said out loud, opinions owned, no jargon.
How much does a website cost in the UK in 2026? A freelancer's honest breakdown
Real prices from a freelance web designer in Surrey. What £750 gets you, what £3,000 gets you, and what actually moves the number.
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14 September 2026 · 2 minI run my own servers for thirty client websites. Here's what that actually involves
Why a freelance web designer hosts client sites on his own infrastructure instead of renting from a big host, and what it takes to keep thirty sites answering in under 50ms.
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19 August 2026 · 2 minWhy I won't take over your existing WordPress site (and what I'll do instead)
A freelance web designer explains why inheriting a WordPress site usually costs more than rebuilding it, and what a clean rebuild looks like.
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8 July 2026 · 2 minWordPress, WooCommerce or Next.js: how I decide which to build your site on
A freelance developer who builds all three explains how he chooses between WordPress, WooCommerce and Next.js for small business websites, with real examples.
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23 June 2026 · 2 minThe custom plugin that lets a talent agency manage 90 clients without touching code
How a custom WordPress plugin replaced a dated site for a celebrity talent agency, letting their team manage over ninety clients and a changing events calendar themselves.
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12 May 2026 · 2 minWhat PCI compliance means for a small WooCommerce shop (from someone who's done it)
PCI DSS for small online shops, explained plainly by a developer who has taken WooCommerce sites through it. What's in scope, what to check, what to change.
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16 April 2026 · 2 minYour brand guidelines shouldn't live in a PDF
Why a PDF is the wrong home for brand guidelines, and what a living, password protected brand site does better for small businesses, podcasts and their collaborators.
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5 March 2026 · 2 minWhat I learned building a brand from scratch for a podcast
Designing the identity for the Clonestar Podcast, from the logo and cover art to Patreon tiers and platform icons. Practical lessons for anyone branding a podcast.
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10 February 2026 · 2 minThe 20 minute check I run on every website before launch
A practical pre-launch checklist from a freelance web developer: speed, accessibility, SEO basics, images, forms, security. Use it on your own site.
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21 January 2026 · 2 minDesigning a starship interface taught me more about UI than any course
A web designer on what years of drawing sci-fi computer screens taught him about hierarchy, colour and constraint, and how it shows up in the client websites he builds.
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Based in WokingWoking, Surrey
Independent studio
Working with clients worldwide
Mon–Fri, 9am to 5pm UK time
Calls in person or on video