Website design
Freelance website designer building sites that bring in business.
I’m Rob, a freelance website designer based in Wilmslow, Cheshire. I plan, write and build websites for businesses across the UK, designed around one question: what do you want a visitor to do?
Freelance web design
A website designer who also runs the marketing
Most websites are designed to look good in a presentation. I design them to do a job: turn a visitor into an enquiry, a booking or a sale.
That comes from the other half of my work. I manage paid search and paid social campaigns every day, so I see which pages convert the traffic they are sent and which waste it. Every site I build is shaped by that.
You deal with me from the first call to launch and beyond. I plan the structure, write or edit the copy with you, design and build the pages, and set up the tracking.
What you get with every website
- A site designed around your brand and your customers.
- A clear next step on every page.
- Fast loading, and easy to use on a phone.
- A search-friendly structure from day one.
- Analytics and conversion tracking set up before launch.
- A site you can update yourself.
Services
Website design services
From a single landing page to a full rebuild. Take what you need.
New websites
A first website or a fresh start, planned around what your customers need to know and what you want them to do.
Redesigns and rebuilds
A new look and structure for a site that no longer reflects the business, with redirects so you keep the search visibility you have earned.
Landing pages
Single pages built for one campaign and one action. Often the quickest way to improve the return from paid search and paid social.
Website copywriting
Clear, persuasive page copy that explains what you do and why it matters, written in your voice.
Website optimisation
Improving the speed, usability and structure of an existing site, when a full rebuild is not needed.
Tracking and analytics
Analytics, conversion tracking and cookie consent set up properly, so you can see what the site produces.
Built to convert
What makes a website bring in business
A good-looking site that nobody acts on is an expensive brochure. These are the things I build into every page, because they are what separate a site that produces enquiries from one that does not.
What I build into every site
- A clear message at the top of the page: what you do, who it is for and what to do next.
- Proof: reviews, results, client names and real photos.
- One obvious action per page, repeated where it helps.
- Speed. Slow pages lose visitors before they have read a word.
- A layout designed for phones first, then desktop.
- Forms that ask only for what you need.
Design follows the customer. Before I open a design tool I ask who is visiting, what they are trying to find out and what would make them get in touch. The design comes from the answers.
Portfolio
Websites I have built
A selection of recent sites. Each one started with a different problem.
Meller Speakman
A new website to refresh the brand and bring in estate agency services, with working filters and property search.
UKVS Solicitors
A restyle and rewrite of an overseas-built site that relied on stock imagery, to build a trustworthy legal brand.
QBS Technology Group
A redesign with portfolio search and repositioned content, plus French, German and Northern European sites.
Tavistock Building Solutions
Their first website, built to drive estimate requests and fully optimised for local SEO.
BB's Plastering
A clean, professional site for a Plymouth plasterer who wanted to stand out from other trades.
Essentia Group
A rebuild with clear design for both of their recruitment solutions, office and engineering.
How it works
How a website project works
Four stages, with you involved at each one.
Discovery
We talk through your business, your customers and your goals, and agree which pages the site needs and what each one is for.
Structure and copy
I map out the site and write or edit the copy with you, so the words are settled before the design begins.
Design and build
I design and build the pages, and you see the site take shape on a private link, with chances to give feedback along the way.
Launch and support
I test the site, set up redirects and tracking, put it live and show you how to update it yourself.
After launch
A website is the start, not the finish
A new site needs visitors, and then it needs improving. I can help with both.
"I have used Ascend for support with building a new website, SEO and running Google Ads. The results from the work that they have done have been clear to see and they have shown an ambitious approach to wanting to help me grow my business."
BB's Plastering
FAQ
Freelance website design: common questions
How much does a website cost?
The cost depends on the number of pages, whether I am writing the copy and any special features, such as search or booking.
How long does a website take to build?
The biggest factor is usually how quickly content and feedback come back. However a normal timeframe for a small site would be around 4 weeks,
What platform do you build websites on?
WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, Shopify are the main platforms I work with.
Will I be able to update the website myself?
Yes. I build sites so you can change text, images and pages without a developer, and I show you how before handover.
Will my website be optimised for search engines?
Yes. Every site is built with a clear structure, fast pages, proper page titles and descriptions, and redirects from any old addresses. That is the foundation. Ranking for competitive terms takes ongoing work beyond the build.
Do you write the content?
Yes, if you want me to. I can write the pages from a conversation with you, or edit what you already have.
Can you redesign my existing website?
Yes. I can restyle and restructure an existing site, rewrite the content or rebuild it from scratch, depending on what it needs. I will tell you honestly which is the better value.
Do you offer hosting and maintenance?
[Add what you offer here: hosting, updates, backups and support, or who you recommend.]
Do you only work with businesses in Cheshire?
No. I am based in Wilmslow and have built websites for businesses from Cheshire to Devon. Most projects are run remotely.
Get in touch
Let's talk about your marketing.
Choose whichever is easiest. I’ll tell you honestly where I can help.
Send me a message
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