How it works
From a free roadmap to a live website, or to ongoing SEO if you already have a site.
No deposit before I have shown you anything. The thinking comes first, and it is free. You only pay once you have seen the plan and decided it is right.
which one are you
Three situations. One starting point.
Everyone starts the same way, with a free roadmap. Where it goes next depends on what your business needs.
1
I need a website. That’s it.
Your customers already come through referrals, social, or word of mouth. You need a good, trusted site to back that up. Once it launches, the work is done. No ongoing fees.
Free roadmap, then build, then done.
2
I need a website, and I need Google to find it.
Your business needs search to bring in new customers. The site and the SEO are one plan from day one. Free roadmap, then a strategy-first build, then ongoing SEO.
3
I already have a site. I need it to rank.
The site is there. It just is not bringing anyone in. Before any work starts, I run a full check of the site, the search data, and the competition. Then I lay out a clear plan for you to agree. Free roadmap, then a check, then ongoing SEO.
4
I have a WordPress site that’s broken, slow, or needs looking after.
The site works, mostly. But it is slow, breaking, hacked, or nobody is keeping it updated. I check it, fix it on a safe copy first, then keep it running. For urgent help, message me on WhatsApp. A quick chat, then a fix, then optional care. See the WordPress developer page.
phase one
Phase one, free. You commit to nothing.
Three steps, no money, no pressure. By the end, you know what your site needs and what working together would look like.
01
Get your free roadmap
Fill in a short form, about 12 questions, two to three minutes, whether you have a site already or are starting from scratch.
02
I send back a plan
A custom roadmap for your business, plus a first design idea. Built around your customers and your real search chances, not a template. Back within 24 hours, with the full written roadmap inside 5 working days.
03
Refining it together
I talk it through with you, the right route, the site scope, and the SEO level, until it fits. No sales pitch. Just a clear plan and an honest recommendation.
Steps 1 to 3 cost you nothing. Paid work begins at step 4, once you have read the roadmap, seen the design idea, and decided it is right. No money changes hands before that.
route 1
The build. Eight steps from contract to launch.
For when you need a custom site built and handed over. The focus is the audience: who they are, what they need to see, and what makes them get in touch.
04
Proposal, contract, and first payment
A clear proposal and contract, then the first payment. This is where the build begins.
05
The deep content brief
You send your services, FAQs, and the real details of your business using my brief templates. Everything is built on this.
06
Research and keyword work
Competitor research, final page planning, and the keyword plan. Most of your search traffic will land on service pages and articles, not the homepage. That shapes the whole structure.
07
On-site visit, where possible
If you are in Edinburgh or Glasgow, I come to you within 5 working days to get a feel for the place and take photos. For clients elsewhere, I do this over a call.
08
Foundation design
I design two or three main layouts first, to set the type, the look, and the overall feel.
09
The full page build
The approved style runs across every page, so the whole site looks like one piece of work.
10
Review and quality checks
Up to two structural review rounds, plus speed, mobile, and caching checks. It has to be fast and stable before it goes near a live URL.
11
Launch and handover
The site goes live on your own hosting. I set up Analytics and Search Console, and training is built into the site so you can run it yourself from day one.
route 2
The strategy-first build. Website plus SEO.
For when you need a site that ranks from day one. Before any design starts, the SEO groundwork is done, so every page has a keyword, a purpose, and a place in the structure.
- Keyword research for every service and location page
- Full content plan: which pages the site needs and what each one should rank for
- Blog plan: which articles support which pages, and how they build up
- Off-page plan: directory listings, local signals, and outreach
Keywords and priorities may shift in the first 2 to 3 months as real data comes in. That is normal and expected. The strategy updates as the site grows.
From there the build runs much like route 1:
proposal and brief, an on-site visit where possible, foundation design, full build, review. But every page is built for two readers at once: the person, and the search engine. The structure and on-page signals are in place from day one, not added later. At launch, Analytics, Search Console, and, where it applies, your Google Business Profile are all set up, and the ongoing phase begins.
route 3
The check. Know where you stand before you move.
No work begins until I have a clear picture. This replaces the build for clients who already have a site. The first month goes into understanding where things stand and agreeing a clear plan, in order.
01
Site and structure review
How it is laid out, what each page is trying to do, and whether the structure fits how people search.
02
The content brief
Your services, FAQs, and business details, feeding the plan.
03
Technical and on-page check
Speed, Core Web Vitals, schema, headings, internal links, metadata.
04
Search Console and Analytics review
Where traffic comes from, what already shows up in search, what converts and what does not.
05
Google Business Profile review, for local businesses
How complete it is, categories, keywords, photos, reviews. Often the fastest win there is.
06
Competitor review
Who ranks above you, what they have that you do not, and a realistic path to passing them.
07
Action plan, agreed with you
A clear list of what happens, in what order, based on your business priorities, before any ongoing work begins.
The full check takes about one month. It is the base everything else is built on. Skipping it is how people end up fixing the wrong things and seeing no results.
phase three
What happens every month
After launch (route 2) or after the check (route 3), this is the monthly work. Search builds up over time, so it runs month by month.
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Keyword tracking and a monthly note
What moved, what did not, what is next, in plain English.
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Content and new pages
New pages and articles built around real searches. This is what builds up over 6 to 12 months.
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Local, where it applies
Google Business Profile and local signals kept clean and current.
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Technical checks and on-page updates
Nothing technical left to quietly break.
◇
Directory listings, where it applies
Your business details kept the same across the directories that matter.
Website-only clients: this phase does not apply. Your site is yours from launch. If you want support later, it is there as a care plan or hourly blocks. See the pricing page.
the timings
How long each phase takes.
Live Site
10 to 14 working days from the day your full content brief arrives, on routes 1 and 2. Your input moves it along.
Finishing Window
A 90-day window, counted from your contract start date, for deeper content, copy changes, and small fixes.
Full Check
About one month before ongoing SEO begins, on route 3.
First SEO results
3 to 4 months for lower-competition searches. 8 to 18 months for competitive or national terms. You will know which group you are in before you sign.
on commitment
What you are tied to, and what you are not
A website-only build has no ongoing contract once the work is done.
An ongoing SEO plan has a 6-month minimum, because search really does need that long to move. After the first six months you can cancel any time with 30 days notice.
On the website-plus-SEO route, on a 12-month plan, the build is included. That is £900 to £2,500 of design built into the plan, not charged on top.
Already have a site?
You get the same value back: one month of the fee credited across the year. The 12-month term is a commitment to the work. It is what lets the build be included.
It is not a hold on your site: you own the site, the domain, the hosting, and every file from day one, whatever happens.
good to know
A few honest details
Two revision rounds included
Every build comes with two major structural review rounds. More are possible, at £45 an hour.
No hidden plugin costs
If something needs a paid plugin or tool, I explain the reason and the cost first. Nothing goes on your bill without your okay.
Let down before?
Paid for SEO and saw nothing, or had a designer disappear after handover? That is exactly why the plan comes first, and why it is free. See it before you spend anything.
your move
Start with the plan. Decide on the build later.
Fill in a short form and I will send back a clear roadmap showing what your site or SEO needs, plus a first design idea where it helps. Free, before you decide to hire me. If it is not a fit, you keep the roadmap.
Want to ask something first?
That is what the free roadmap works out. You can also message me on WhatsApp or through the contact page .
