Liz Patey Makeup | WordPress Rebuild
A custom theme made room for photography-led services, galleries and a clear contact journey. The case study explains the design decisions and the limits of its recorded lab tests.
Web Development & UX
Custom Website Design
A website shaped around your customers, content and day-to-day work
- Layouts planned around your customer journeys
- Responsive design with practical usability checks
- Editable content and a clear handover
- Scope and budget agreed before the build
What We Deliver
Custom design is useful when an existing theme gets in the way of how your business works. You may need to explain several services, present a visual portfolio, support bookings or connect the website to another system. We start with those requirements and the decisions your customers need to make.
A well-chosen template can be a sensible option for a straightforward site. A custom build gives us more control over layouts, content structure and specific interactions, but it also needs a clear brief and an appropriate budget. We help you choose the level of work your business actually needs.
Together we agree the pages, content responsibilities, integrations and acceptance checks before development. The aim is a website your customers can navigate and your team can maintain, with a clear route to an enquiry or booking.
Why Choose Us
What makes our custom website design service different.
A Clear Brief
Customer tasks and business constraints shape the site structure before visual design begins.
Useful Enquiry Journeys
Relevant services, proof and contact routes help visitors decide whether your business is a good fit.
Mobile-First Approach
Layouts and interactions are reviewed on representative mobile and desktop screens.
Practical Handover
We agree what your team will edit, explain the content workflow and document ongoing responsibilities.
Simple, Transparent Pricing
One-off website packages. Confirm the pages, features and revision allowance in your written proposal before work starts.
Starter
£1,600one-off
A clean, professional 5-page brochure site to establish your online presence.
- Up to 5 pages
- Mobile-responsive design
- Contact form
- SEO-ready structure
- CMS integration
- Google Analytics setup
- 2 rounds of revisions
Business package
Business
£2,800one-off
A feature-rich website with blog, integrations, and conversion-focused design.
- 8–12 pages
- Blog setup
- Advanced contact forms
- CMS with full training
- SEO & speed optimisation
- Social media integration
- Analytics & tracking
- 3 rounds of revisions
Premium
£4,800+one-off
A scoped custom build for more complex content, features and integrations.
- Page count agreed in the written proposal
- Custom animations & interactions
- API integrations
- Advanced CMS workflows
- Multi-language support
- Performance optimisation
- Priority support
- Revision allowance agreed in the written proposal
All prices are in GBP and exclude VAT. Day rate of £400/day also available. Ongoing maintenance plans from £99/mo.
A Clear Path from Brief to Launch
Agree what success means, review the work in stages and leave with clear ownership and next steps.
1
Discovery & Scope
We agree the audience, customer tasks, pages and integrations. The written proposal sets content responsibilities, budget, revision allowance and the launch acceptance checks.
2
Structure & Design
We map the navigation and key journeys, then develop layouts using the content the site needs to communicate. You review the design before development.
3
Development & Content
We build the agreed layouts and editing tools, connect approved integrations and add the supplied content. You review the work on a private preview.
4
Testing & Launch
We check representative devices, navigation, forms, tracking and search essentials. For a rebuild, we test the agreed URL and redirect map before the launch is approved.
5
Training & Handover
We explain how to update the site, confirm access and ownership, and document hosting and maintenance responsibilities. Any ongoing support is scoped separately.
What You Get
These delivery areas are scoped to your package and confirmed in the written proposal.
Bespoke Visual Design
Page layouts are developed around your brand, content and agreed customer journeys, with design review before development.
Enquiry-Focused Layouts
Service information, project examples and clear next steps are connected so visitors can make an informed enquiry.
Responsive Design & Testing
We test the agreed layouts, navigation and forms on representative screen sizes and browsers, including keyboard use.
SEO Foundations
Crawlable pages, sensible internal links, metadata and launch checks support search discovery. For rebuilds, we agree the existing URLs to retain and the redirects needed before launch.
CMS Integration
We choose an editing workflow for the content your team needs to manage and include training on the agreed website features.
Analytics & Tracking Setup
We agree useful enquiry or booking events and test consent-aware collection. Reporting should distinguish recorded events from genuine, qualified leads.
Plan the Right Website for Your Business
Compare your options, prepare a useful brief and see how a real custom WordPress project was delivered before committing to a build.
Custom website or template?
Compare control, cost and maintenance. A template can be the right choice for a simpler brief.
Compare the optionsPrepare Your Website Brief
Use the existing proposal checklist to cover content, SEO migration, testing, ownership and support.
Read the planning checklistSee a Custom WordPress Rebuild
Explore Liz Patey Makeup’s photography-led site, editing approach and documented design decisions.
View the Liz Patey case studyReading & Berkshire
Looking for a web design partner in Reading?
See how the service is delivered for Reading businesses, including local proof, project scope and the GTS Reading case study.
Planning a project in Surrey? Our web design service for Woking businesses explains the brief, editing choices and when improving an existing site may be enough.
Make an informed decision
Is this the right next step for your business?
Service businesses with several buying journeys, portfolio-led teams and stores whose requirements exceed a simple template. If an existing layout already supports the brief, improving it may be the better use of your budget.
What a useful brief includes
- List the three most important customer tasks and where the current site obstructs them.
- Bring approved examples, content owners, integrations and an indicative budget.
- Identify who will update the site and who approves design, content and launch.
Agree what success means
Agree representative mobile journeys, editable page types, enquiry tests and a launch checklist. Custom design should solve a documented problem—not simply replace a theme with more code.
Compare your options
What the actual project work demonstrates
GTS Reading | WordPress Redesign
A theme-based counterexample: transport services, industries and fleet information were organised around a quote journey. A bespoke theme was not necessary for this brief.
Beans Coffee Club | E-commerce Frontend
A PHP ecommerce frontend connected product browsing, editorial content, the basket and checkout. The documented contribution is frontend delivery, not ownership of the whole commerce operation.
These examples document the delivered work. They do not establish a before-and-after increase in enquiries, sales or search rankings.
What Our Clients Say
Real words from the businesses we've helped grow.
Matt and his team did the most wonderful job in creating our new website for Booked Images…
Angie Jones
Booked Images
I am the first author Matt has ever had, and it has worked like a dream. Everything I have asked for has been done quickly and efficiently. I cannot recommend Matt and his team highly enough…
Jeremy J Mills
Author
Matt did a fantastic job of creating my website and working on my SEO. He was very helpful and patient, and always happy to explain everything, which is very helpful if you are not very technical. I'm very happy with the results and would definitely recommend.
Liz Patey
Owner, Liz Patey Makeup
MattDarm manages social media for our real estate agency and we finally have everything in order. Their professional approach, quick responses, and excellent communication have made us far more visible to our clients. Highly recommended!
Alina Stefanovičiūtė
Owner, Global Properties AS Real Estate
MattDarm built the Cancer Black Care website from scratch and the result is an invaluable resource for our community. Their dedication and expertise were evident throughout, and they went above and beyond to meet every requirement. Highly recommended!
Paul Campbell
Managing Director, Cancer Black Care
We initially hired Matt for a specific project to help us improve and develop our LMS on LearnDash. He did such an excellent job that what started as one project quickly developed into an ongoing working relationship…
Marcelo Pereira
General Manager, Interface Aesthetics
I have used Matt on 2 brand projects. He is an extremely talented, resourceful and responsive creative force. He produces results for businesses ranging from millions to billions in value in variety of sectors. Highly recommended.
Paul Kells
After trying many different agencies, MattDarm is exactly what I was looking for. They don't just deliver — they consult on the why behind every decision. Everything is built around the long-term success of my business, and that's made all the difference.
Adam Saez
Owner, Plant Power Academy
I've worked with MattDarm for several years. They consistently produce the highest quality work with an excellent range of expertise. Always delivered on time and a pleasure to work with — highly recommended.
Daniel Ashby
CEO, Digitally Responsive
MattDarm's sites are visually stunning and technically up to date. A really great team to work with — professional, creative, and always on point.
Paul Harvey
Owner, Paul Harvey
Matt has been absolutely brilliant. I came into this project with a pretty clear idea of what I wanted, but also changed my mind about things constantly as we went. Matt just rolled with it. Nothing was ever too difficult and there was never any drama, he'd just work out how to make it happen…
Josh Broyda
Complete Office Fitouts
We recently used MattDarm to rebuild our website and add a shop. From the beginning, Matt was professional, helpful, honest and transparent, and surprised us with ideas we would never have thought of…
Amira Sari
Client, Tile In Progress
MattDarm built the Rockee website from scratch with excellent results. They took my brief, helped with wireframes and design, and handled both front-end and back-end development. The end result was a high-converting, successful website.
Matt Laybourn
Owner, Rockee
MattDarm did an amazing job with our Beans Coffee Club site. They handled all the technical work like pros and delivered everything on time. Easy to work with and super dependable — would hire them again in a heartbeat.
Richard Jones
Managing Director, Beans Coffee Club
MattDarm has been a reliable partner across several IT projects. Their technical knowledge is impressive, but what sets them apart is a problem-solving attitude and the ability to bring clarity to even the most complex situations. High-quality results, every time.
Michael Borzecki
Owner, 6 Pack Supplements
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know before getting started.
Related Services
Other services you might be interested in.
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