We design and build custom websites from scratch; we don’t use pre-defined templates, instead we listen to your needs and we design specifically for you. We incorporate the fundamentals of excellent visual communication with very clean, very well-written code and our own tried and tested techniques. The result: beautiful design, intuitive functionality and positive user experience.
Why choose Winter Design for your WordPress website?
We’re a web design agency dedicated entirely to the WordPress platform, so it’s the one thing we focus on and do well. We design and build from scratch rather than relying on templates, themes or page builders, which means you get exactly what your brief asks for, not a layout adapted to fit someone else’s framework. We’ll also suggest improvements to your scope from the initial enquiry onward, not just execute the brief as given.
What does our WordPress web design include?
Mobile-first WordPress design
Integrated user experience (UX) design
High quality visuals and image optimisation
A flexible service offering
Your web design questions answered
Are page builders in WordPress bad?
Our view is that page builder frameworks are bad, for the following reasons:
- They are bloated, meaning they can load slowly and struggle to rank well in search engines and Ai;
- They tend to be filled with loads of features you’re not likely to use, making them cumbersome, confusing to work with and slow loading;
- They’re fragile, often breaking, causing downtime, unreliability and performance issues and are also vulnerable, making them susceptible to cyber attacks, malware etc.
- They require more maintenance effort. Page builder frameworks have so much crap in them that they need to be updated more frequenty; this means more time needed to maintain the site.
So, are page builders bad? Yes. Ask any WordPress purist and they’ll likely run a mile. Don’t do it! Get it done properly or you’ll be getting it done twice!
How can I make sure the images on my site look sharp but also load quickly?
There are three answers to this question.
Firstly, to make sure the images are sharp (HD), the image file size needs to be large enough. If you upload a 200px wide image to your site, you can’t expect to use it to fill the width of the web browser window without distortion, when the most common web browser window is 1920px wide. Factoring in Retina and HD displays, you’d need to upload an image 3840px wide at 72dpi to ensure it looks as crisp as possible on a 1920px HD window.
This brings us to the second answer: compression. An image that is 3840px wide is going to be a large file, so it’s important that the images are compressed at the point of upload to the website’s media library. Not only this, they should also be automatically saved down to a range of sizes, ensuring that the site can serve the right size image for visitors with different sized browser windows (you don’t want a smartphone user with a 600px wide window to have to download a 3840px wide image).
And thirdly, with file size and compresion addressed, the image file format is impotant to get right to ensure the images (and the pages they live in) load as fast as possible. The fastest loading image format is WebP and there are plugins available for WordPress that will auto convert jpeg, pmg etc into WebP at the point of upload. The one we like the most is EWWWW Image Optimizer.
Does my website have to be designed and built by the same agency?
To be honest, our recommendation is yes: you should work with the same agency for the design and the build. Working with a separate design team or designer to the developers will introduce a disconnect that will add delay to the projacty and likely cost you more too.
What's the best way to look after my WordPress website?
The simple answer is this: managed web hosting. You need someone who can maintain the site; it’s not simply a case of getting hosting for the site; it needs to be kep up to date.
We provide our clients with a managed web hosting service which includes the hosting of the site using best-in-industry hosting environments tailored to your exact needs, and it also takes care of all of the technical updates to WordPress core and plug-ins, as well as tech support, daily malware scanning, daily backups, etc – all put in place to keep your webaite functioning perfectly.
Our managed web hosting starts at £220 per month, read more about our Managed WordPress Hosting.
How much does it cost to get a custom WordPress website designed and built?
The price range for a new website is a huge as you can work with an individual freelancer right up to a multi-national agency. It’s not always easy to know if you’re comparing apples with apples, and even big brands often make the mistake of picking the wrong path.
This is how we do all websites:
- We deliver a bespoke design, created from scratch, with three rounds of revisions (more if needed, at extra cost)
- We deliver a custom built WordPress theme (we do not use any page builders, frameworks or pre-made templates)
- We deliver a content management system that ensures all content on the site editable by you, with ample flexibility and future-proofing
- We deliver a range of custom built flexible content editing blocks created using Advanced Custom Fields or Gutenberg meaning you can create varied content.
- We work with you long term to keep the site healthy and add new features if and when you need them.
Our fees are tiered based on the complexity of the site, as below:
Simple websites
Great for start-ups and brands who don’t need lots of functionality or complexity. These sites will typically consume 40+ hours of design and 80+ hours of development.
From £15,000 +vat
Mid-level websites
Suitable for many established brands. These sites will have a few intricate aspects. These sites will typically consume 60+ hours of design and 100+ hours of development.
From £20,000 +vat
Complex websites
Where you require a larger range of intricate features. E-commerce websites fall into this category. These sites will typically consume 80+ hours of design and 120+ hours of development.
From £25,000 +vat
Ready to create an engaging, accessible and high-performing website
Let’s talk.
CTA form
What our clients say
