WordPress Web Design Services WordPress web design you can actually manage yourself.
WordPress runs a bit over 40% of the web, which means it is both the most flexible option and the most badly built one. I build WordPress sites for small businesses the way they should be built: a custom theme instead of a bloated template, the smallest set of plugins that does the job, and a handoff that leaves you able to change a sentence without emailing me.
When WordPress is the right call.
You want to manage your own content
WordPress has a real CMS behind it. Update pages, add posts, swap images, change a price, all without calling anyone. This is the main reason most people end up here.
You need a blog that works
WordPress started as blogging software and still does it better than anything else. If publishing is part of how you plan to get found, this is the least painful place to do it.
You need a specific integration
Booking systems, payment forms, membership areas, reservation widgets, inventory feeds. Whatever the tool is, someone has already connected it to WordPress.
You want to be able to leave
The site is yours. Any host, any developer, any time. You are not renting your business off a platform that can change its pricing next year.
And when it is the wrong call.
WordPress is not automatically the answer. Plenty of the businesses I talk to would be better served by something simpler, and I would rather say so before we start than build the wrong thing well.
Squarespace or Wix
Often the better call
If you want a good-looking brochure site, you will never need an unusual integration, and you want zero maintenance, these are genuinely easier. The ceiling is lower, but plenty of businesses never hit it.
Shopify
Better if you sell products
If the main job of the site is taking orders for physical products, Shopify does that better than WordPress with a shop plugin bolted on. Not close, really.
A custom static site
Better for speed and quiet
Faster, nothing to update, nothing to hack. The tradeoff is that you cannot easily edit it yourself without a CMS layer. Good for sites that change twice a year.
WordPress
The flexible middle
Pick it when you need to edit your own content, publish regularly, or plug something specific in. Accept that it needs looking after in exchange.
Still not sure? Compare Shopify and custom builds, or just ask me and I will give you a straight answer in ten minutes.
What is included
Every WordPress project includes all of this. There is no tier where the SEO basics get left out as an upsell.
- Custom WordPress theme, built for your business, not a marketplace template with your logo dropped in
- Mobile-first layout, tested on real phones rather than a browser window dragged narrow
- Local SEO groundwork: page titles, meta descriptions, schema markup, XML sitemap, Google Business Profile setup
- Speed work that actually matters: image compression, caching, and not installing plugins you do not need
- Contact and lead capture forms wired to your email, with spam handling that does not annoy real people
- Blog setup, categories, and a publishing workflow if content is part of the plan
- Plugin selection and configuration, kept to the smallest set that does the job
- A handoff session, recorded, so you can update the site yourself afterwards
What WordPress costs after I hand it over.
Nobody tells you this part before you commit, so here it is. The software itself is free. These are the ongoing costs, and they are the same whether I build the site or someone else does.
Hosting
Roughly $5 to $15 a month shared, $20 to $40 for managed WordPress hosting
Managed hosting is worth it once the site is bringing in real work. Before that, shared is fine.
Domain
About $15 a year
Register it in your own name. I have seen too many businesses discover their old developer owns their domain.
Plugins
Most small business sites need zero or one paid plugin
Premium plugins run roughly $50 to $200 a year each. If a quote includes five of them, ask what each one does.
Maintenance
Twenty minutes a month, or a care plan
Core updates, plugin updates, backups. Skipping this is the single most common reason WordPress sites break or get hacked.
If you would rather not think about any of that
The care plan covers hosting, updates, backups, monitoring, and a bit of change time each month for one predictable fee. It is not required and you are not locked into it. Some clients take it, some handle their own updates, both are fine.
WordPress project pricing
Most WordPress builds land in the Starter or Growth range. Typical timeline is three to six weeks depending on how much content exists and what needs connecting.
Starter Site
A clean, modern website that gets your business online and ranking locally.
- 5 pages, fully custom designed
- Mobile-first responsive design
- Basic local SEO setup
- Contact form with email forwarding
- Google Business Profile setup
- 1 round of revisions
Best for
New businesses or first websites on a tight budget.
Growth Site
A bigger site with the SEO and integrations to actually grow your business.
- Up to 15 pages
- Full local SEO including 2 city pages
- Custom design system
- Blog setup with 3 starter posts
- Booking, payment, or CRM integration
- 2 rounds of revisions
- 30 days of post-launch support
Best for
Established businesses ready to grow.
Custom / E-commerce
Tailored builds with e-commerce, custom features, or larger scope.
- Scoped to your specific needs
- E-commerce or membership features
- Custom integrations
- Multiple revision rounds
- 60 days of post-launch support
Best for
Specific needs that don't fit a tier.
Migrating an existing WordPress site? That is usually cheaper than a rebuild. Tell me what you have.
WordPress questions I get asked
What does WordPress actually cost to run each year?
The software is free. What you pay for is hosting, a domain, and sometimes a premium plugin or two. Shared hosting runs roughly $5 to $15 a month, decent managed WordPress hosting more like $20 to $40. A domain is around $15 a year. Most small business sites need zero or one paid plugin. If someone quotes you hundreds a month in licences, ask what they are actually for.
Is WordPress hard to maintain?
It needs attention that a static site does not: core updates, plugin updates, backups, and the occasional security patch. That is maybe twenty minutes a month if you are comfortable doing it, and it is the single most common reason WordPress sites break. If you would rather not think about it, my care plan covers it for a flat monthly fee.
WordPress or Squarespace?
Squarespace is genuinely easier if you want a good-looking brochure site and you will never need anything unusual. WordPress wins when you need a real blog, a specific integration, or the ability to move the site somewhere else later. If the honest answer for your business is Squarespace, I will tell you that on the free chat.
Do you use page builders like Elementor or Divi?
Only when there is a reason to. Page builders make a site easy to edit and slow to load, and the tradeoff gets worse the bigger the site gets. I usually build a custom theme instead, which keeps the site fast and still lets you edit content. If you specifically want a builder because you know one already, that is a fair reason and we can do it.
Can I move my existing WordPress site to you?
Yes. Migrations are routine. I will look at what you have first, because sometimes the honest answer is that the existing site is worth keeping and only needs cleanup, which costs less than a rebuild.
Will my WordPress site be fast?
It can be, but it takes work that most WordPress builds skip: a custom theme instead of a bloated one, real image compression, caching, and not installing fifteen plugins that each load their own scripts. Speed is a build decision, not a plugin you add at the end.
Who owns the site when it is finished?
You do. You get the hosting login, the domain, and the WordPress admin. You can take it to any host or any developer at any point. I do not hold anything hostage, which is a low bar and yet somehow a differentiator.
Ready to build your WordPress site?
Free 30-minute chat. I'll tell you whether WordPress is right for you, and if it isn't, what is. Then a fixed-price quote with no surprises.
Working locally
I work with businesses anywhere, but I am based in West Covina and most clients are close enough to meet for coffee. Find your city, or start with small business web design generally.