WordPress Website Design & Build

WordPress your agency
can put its name on

Hand-coded custom themes, built to your designs or developed collaboratively — fast, clean, and maintained long after launch. No page builders. No shortcuts. No surprises.

15+ Years building custom WordPress
0 Third-party themes or page builders. Ever.
100% White-label when required

Every build includes

Custom theme, hand-coded
No Elementor, no Divi, no Avada. Clean PHP, CSS, and JS — nothing you didn't ask for.
Core Web Vitals targets
LCP, INP, and CLS performance baked in from the start — not bolted on after launch.
ACF-based content editing
Flexible, field-based blocks your client can manage without breaking the layout.
SEO & schema foundations
Clean IA, JSON-LD schema, sitemaps, and metadata — ready for rankings from day one.
Staging, testing & clean handoff
Structured review process, cross-browser testing, and full admin access on launch day.
Delivered for
Procurify (B2B SaaS) KH Digital Aukema & Associates Agency 59 Rockfish Marketing + agencies across Canada, US & UK

Why it matters

Three things that separate
good builds from great ones

Agencies have been burned by developers who ship something that looks fine on handoff and falls apart six months later. These three principles are why that doesn't happen with my work.

01 —

No page builders. Ever.

Page builders feel fast until they don't. Bloated output, unpredictable updates, plugin dependencies, and performance that degrades over time. Every site I build is coded by hand — which means faster load times, cleaner markup, and no fragile third-party dependencies between your client and their website.

Faster page loads — typically 40–60% leaner than equivalent builder output
No plugin lock-in or compatibility roulette on update day
Other developers can actually read and maintain the code
No licensing fees or subscriptions passed to your client
02 —

Performance built in, not bolted on

Core Web Vitals are a ranking factor — and a user experience one. I set performance targets at the start of every project and build toward them, rather than running a speed test the day before launch and scrambling to fix the score. LCP, INP, and CLS are considered at the architecture level, not the plugin level.

LCP target ~1–1.5s on modern hosting, set from kickoff
WebP/AVIF images, critical CSS, deferred JS as standard
Lightweight, vetted plugin choices — nothing unnecessary loaded
Performance maintained post-launch, not just at handoff
03 —

An editor your client actually enjoys using

The CMS handoff is where most WordPress projects fall down. Clients either can't update anything without breaking the layout, or they're handed a page builder that gives them too much rope. ACF block-based editing gives editors exactly the right amount of control — enough to manage their content, not enough to break the design.

Field-based blocks that match the actual page design
Guardrails that prevent layout-breaking changes
Editor documentation and Loom walkthroughs on request
Less "my client broke the site" calls for your team

What I build

Two types of project,
one standard of work

Whether it's a net-new build or an inherited site that needs rescuing — the quality bar doesn't move.

Most common

Custom WordPress
design & build

A completely bespoke WordPress theme built from scratch — either from your agency's Figma designs, or developed collaboratively if your team needs design input too. Every decision is made for your specific project. Nothing is reused from a template.

Talk about a project
Works from your Figma, Sketch, or XD
Pixel-perfect fidelity across all breakpoints, built to match your design system exactly.
White-label or client-facing
I can work invisibly behind your brand, or join calls and coordinate with your client directly.
Performance targets set upfront
Core Web Vitals goals agreed at kickoff — not discovered as a problem at launch.
Fixed quotes or hourly — your call
Clear scope, clear pricing, no surprises mid-project. I'm happy to work either way.
Rebuild

When the current site is the problem

If your client's existing WordPress site is slow, fragile, hard to edit, or built on a page builder that's become a liability — a rebuild on a clean foundation is often faster and cheaper in the long run than continued patching.

Heavy page builders replaced with clean ACF architecture
Performance overhauled — typically dramatic speed improvements
Editor experience rebuilt around how the team actually works
Content preserved and migrated cleanly
Migration

Moving platforms or consolidating sites

Migrating from another CMS, consolidating multiple sites into one, or moving to a better hosting environment. I handle the technical complexity so the transition is clean, the content arrives intact, and nothing gets lost in the move.

CMS-to-WordPress migrations (Webflow, Squarespace, Wix, HubSpot)
301 redirect mapping to protect existing SEO equity
Hosting environment setup and DNS coordination
Content audit and cleanup as part of the process

How it works

A build process designed
for agency workflows

01

Kickoff & scope

A brief call to lock in deliverables, timeline, and how we'll work together. I can take a full Figma file and run, or collaborate on UX and layout from the start.

02

Build & check-ins

Development on a staging environment with regular updates. You get access throughout — no black-box development, no surprises at review.

03

Review & refine

Structured feedback rounds with clear change tracking. I'll flag scope changes early rather than absorbing them quietly and resenting you later.

04

Launch & handoff

Deployment handled, cross-browser tested, full admin access transferred. Documentation and editor walkthroughs available on request.

"Page views are up by around 3k, average session duration up 13%, and bounce rate down by 15%. I can only assume the new design has everything to do with that."

David Tillyer
Average Joes Blog

Results after launch

+3k Monthly page views
+13% Avg. session duration
−15% Bounce rate

Results are client-specific and depend on content, audience, and existing baseline. These figures reflect one client's reported outcomes post-launch.

Working directly with a business, not an agency? I work primarily with agency partners, but I do take on a small number of direct client projects each year — particularly for B2B companies and growing businesses who need a long-term WordPress partner, not just a one-off build. Get in touch and let’s see if it’s a good fit.

Common questions

Things agencies
usually ask before starting

Can you build from our Figma designs with pixel-perfect accuracy?

Yes — and it's how most of my agency work runs. I build from Figma, Sketch, XD, or even well-annotated PDFs. If your design has edge cases or underdefined responsive states, I'll flag them early rather than make assumptions and disappoint you at review.

What if we don't have a designer? Can you help with that too?

Yes. I can collaborate on UX and layout from the ground up, or work from a loose direction and develop it into a full design. I'm not a dedicated designer, but I've been building and designing simultaneously for 15 years — the work speaks for itself.

Do you work with existing WordPress sites, or only new builds?

My preference is new builds or full rebuilds — I find that inheriting patchwork sites leads to compromised outcomes for everyone. That said, I'll always assess what you've got and give you an honest recommendation on whether a rebuild or incremental improvement makes more sense.

How do you handle scope creep mid-project?

Transparently. If something falls outside the agreed scope, I'll flag it with a quick note and a cost to include it rather than quietly absorbing it or billing a surprise invoice at the end. Clear change control is part of how I keep projects predictable for agencies.

Can my client see progress during the build?

Yes — staging access is standard. Clients and PMs can review in real time. I'll guide you on when it makes sense to share access versus waiting for a proper review milestone, so the feedback comes at the right point in the process.

What happens after launch?

You can hand the site off completely, or continue with managed hosting, maintenance, and ongoing development support. I work with several agencies on a monthly basis for exactly this — so there's no cliff edge after launch if you don't want one.

Got a build coming up?
Let's talk about it.

Whether you've got a full brief or just an idea — a short conversation is usually enough to know if we're a good fit and what the project looks like.