Websites that earn their keep
What A Small Business Website Actually Needs
The short list a small business website has to get right: what you do, where, a contact route that works, proof, speed on a phone, and what can safely wait.
Web Design
Web design for small businesses in Staffordshire and Cheshire
Fast, mobile-first websites built around your business, with everything search engines and AI assistants need to read them set up before launch.
In short
We design and build websites for small businesses and sole traders, quoted as a fixed price before work starts. Each website is mobile-first, accessibility-checked, and launched with the technical search basics and structured data already in place. You own the finished website and its code. An optional monthly plan keeps it hosted and looked after.
- For
- Local businesses with an outdated website, or none
- Where
- In person across Staffordshire and Cheshire, remote UK-wide
- Price
- Fixed quote per project
- Turnaround
- Around 1.5 to 4 weeks, depending on size
How it works
The same website on phone, tablet and desktop
Phone first
Most visitors to a small business website arrive on a phone, so the layout is designed for a narrow screen first: one column, large tap targets, the phone number within reach.
Tablet
As the screen widens the same content rearranges into two columns. Nothing is duplicated or hidden; it is one website that adapts.
Desktop
On a large screen it settles into a wider layout. Search engines and AI assistants read the same content in every case, so nothing is lost between versions.
Included
What every website includes
Built to be found
The page titles, heading structure, descriptions, canonical tags (the line telling search engines which address is the main copy of a page), sitemap, robots file and structured data are set up before launch.
Designed around you
Pages planned around how your customers decide, not a template with your logo dropped in.
Mobile-first
Designed for a phone first, then adapted for tablet and desktop, rather than patched for phones afterwards.
Accessibility checked
Checked before handover so someone using a screen reader, a keyboard or high-contrast settings can still get around it.
Hosting and launch
Hosting, domain connection and deployment handled at launch, with analytics in place from day one.
Contact that works
Direct phone, email and booking links by default. A contact form only goes in where there is a real system behind it to receive the message.
Who it is for
Local businesses whose website no longer reflects them, or who have been getting by on a social media page. It suits an owner who wants a website that brings in enquiries and does not need constant attention.
What this means for you: you get a website that can be found and that you own outright, with no rebuild needed later to fix the basics.
How it works
- A call about what the website needs to do, and what it does not.
- A written scope and a fixed quote with the timeline.
- The build, with shared previews so you see it take shape.
- Checks for speed, accessibility and search before launch.
- Launch, with hosting and analytics in place.
Pricing
How the price works
Every website is scoped individually and quoted up front. The quote reflects what the build actually needs: how many pages, any features beyond the standard, and any systems it connects to.
The two halves of the price buy different things. The build price buys the finished website and its code, yours to keep. The optional monthly plan keeps it running afterwards, from hosting alone to SEO, weekly post drafts and maintenance. The plans are compared on the services page.
If the scope changes partway through, the extra work is quoted separately and only goes ahead once you have signed it off.
★★★★★
Highly recommend Scorpion AI Tooling, They've recently built a fantastic new website for my business and are also helping with my marketing and online presence.
Great communication, professional service and always happy to help. They genuinely care about helping your business grow. Really pleased with everything.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a website take?
Around a week and a half for a small website of a few pages, and three to four weeks for a larger custom build. Your quote includes the timeline.
Do I need a monthly plan?
No. You can take the website and host it yourself. Most clients choose a plan because it covers hosting, monitoring and, on the higher plans, SEO fixes and upkeep. Plans run for a minimum of 6 months, then month to month with 30 days' notice.
Can you redesign my existing website?
Yes. We start by checking what is already working on your current website, such as pages that bring in visitors, so a redesign keeps that and redirects any addresses that change.
Can I have 3D or animation on my website?
Yes, where it helps. 3D built with three.js (a JavaScript library for 3D in the browser) can be added to any build, with a still version for visitors who prefer reduced motion. It is quoted as part of the build.
Do you work with businesses outside Staffordshire?
Yes. In person across Staffordshire and Cheshire, and remotely anywhere in the UK over video calls and shared previews.
Reading on this topic
Websites that earn their keep
Do You Actually Own Your Website?
Four things get bundled together as “my website”: the domain, the hosting, the content and the build. Each is held differently. The question to ask about each.
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Why Your Website Feels Slow, And What Usually Fixes It
Website speed is mostly weight, and most of the weight is images. The causes in order of impact, how to measure fairly, and six fixes to try before a rebuild.
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Making Your Website Work For Everyone
Where the Equality Act and WCAG sit for a private UK business, the eight things that matter most, how to check your own website, and why overlays fall short.
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Who Is Looking After Your Website After It Launches?
The eight maintenance jobs that keep a website working, the four usual answers to who does them, what to ask before paying for a care plan, and a minimum.
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Contact Forms That Go Nowhere
A contact form can fail completely while looking healthy. How forms break, a ten-minute test that catches it, and why a phone number often works better.
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What Happens When Your Web Designer Disappears
Recovering a website when the person who built it stops answering: finding who holds the domain, the routes back to control, and what can be recovered.
Talk it through first
Book a call at a time that suits you, or email if you would rather write it down. You speak to the person who would do the work, and you get a straight answer and a fixed quote.