Web Design · Lancashire
Web design in Nelson
I'm a web designer and developer based in Burnley, a few minutes down the road. I build fast, hand-coded websites for Nelson businesses — the sort that turn a search into a phone call rather than just sitting there looking the part.
Getting found in Nelson
Plenty of good traders, not enough found online
Nelson has a strong independent streak — family firms, market traders, small outfits that have been doing solid work for years and built it up mostly on word of mouth. The trouble is, a lot of them barely show up when someone reaches for their phone and searches for what they do. The work's there to be won; it's just going to whoever turns up in the results.
A website's job is to be there at that moment and make getting in touch the obvious thing to do. That's the kind of site I build. Not a brochure that sits unread, but something that keeps working while you're out on a job or busy behind the counter.
I've built sites for service businesses across East Lancashire and a fair bit further out, so I've a decent idea of what a small firm actually needs from one. Usually that's the phone going more often — not thirty pages of waffle nobody reads to the end.
Why local helps
Someone you can actually get hold of
A lot of websites get put together by agencies hundreds of miles off, or through a portal where you never get to speak to the person doing the work. It can do the job, but it tends to mean slow replies and a site that could just as easily belong to a business in any other town.
I'm in Burnley, ten minutes from Nelson. If you'd rather sit down over a brew and go through it properly, that's no bother. And if you'd sooner keep it all to phone and email, that suits me fine as well — most jobs run that way without any fuss.
- You deal with me — No account manager, no ticket queue, no call centre. Email me and it lands with me, and I answer it.
- I know the patch — I understand the sort of customer a Nelson trade or shop is after, and the nearby towns like Brierfield, Colne and Barrowford you probably want work from as well.
- Straight answers — If something isn't worth paying for, I'll tell you. I'd rather give you honest advice than flog you pages you'll never use.
- Easy to reach — A quick question after launch does not become a support ticket. You just ring or message me like you would anyone local.
How I build
Hand-coded, and built to keep working
I write every site by hand. No drag-and-drop builders like Wix, and no WordPress theme weighed down with a dozen plugins that drag the speed down and break the day one of them updates. I work in Laravel — the same framework plenty of bigger companies trust — and that keeps a site quick, secure and easy to change down the line.
The phone comes first when I design. That's where most people in Nelson are going to land on your site, so I make sure it loads fast on a small screen, reads without any squinting, and steers people towards the one thing that counts: ringing you, messaging you, or filling in a short form. Nothing daft in the way.
Search gets thought about from the start as well. I lay each page out so Google can work out what you do and where you're based, which is what gives you a fair shout at coming up for the "near me" searches around the town. It isn't a trick and it isn't overnight, but it's set up right from day one.
Who it's for
The businesses I tend to help
Most of my work is with small, local firms that live on people finding them and trusting them online. If that's you, we'll get along fine. A few of the trades I build for again and again:
Trades
Plumbers, heating engineers, electricians, builders and joiners who live or die by the phone ringing.
Takeaways & restaurants
A clear menu, directions that make sense, and an order or booking button that actually works on a phone.
Driving schools & instructors
Calm, reassuring sites with the prices laid out plainly and booking only a tap away.
Garages & car services
MOTs, repairs, detailing — sites that show the standard of the work and make booking in simple.
Salons & barbers
A smart shopfront online that shows off the look, lists the prices, and puts the booking link where people will spot it.
Independent shops & market traders
Nelson's full of them. A tidy site that tells people what you sell, where you are and when you're open.
Recent work
A few sites I've built lately
None of these is in Nelson itself, but they're the same kind of local, hands-on business — and the way I build works just as well here. Have a look at the live sites:
Plumbing & Heating · Burnley
SK Plumbing
A straightforward site for a local plumbing and heating firm. Emergency call-out and free-quote buttons kept front and centre, with WhatsApp on hand for the quick jobs.
Visit the siteGas Safe Engineer · North West
HK Heating & Plumbing
A lead-focused site for a Gas Safe registered engineer, built around local search so it shows up across the North West. Boiler installs, servicing and repairs set out plainly.
Visit the siteCar Detailing · Lancashire
BH Detailing
A mobile car detailing service covering Lancashire. The site shows off the standard of the work and lets people book in with a couple of taps over WhatsApp or a quick call.
Visit the siteHow it goes
From first chat to live site
01
A quick chat
Tell me about the business and what you want the site to manage. It costs nothing and there is no hard sell.
02
A fixed price
I come back with a clear cost and a sensible timeline, in writing, before any work begins.
03
Design & build
I build it and let you see it taking shape as I go, so the finished site is never a surprise.
04
Live and looked after
I handle the launch, test it on real phones, and stay on hand to look after it if you want me to.
Questions
Web design in Nelson — the common questions
What does a website cost for a Nelson business?
It comes down to how big the site is and what you need it to do. A neat site for a trade or a shop usually starts in the low hundreds, and the price rises if you want extras like online booking or a long list of pages. I work out a fixed price for your job and put it in writing before I start, so there are no surprises.
Do I have to be in Nelson to use you?
No. I'm just down the road in Burnley, ten minutes or so on the M65, so I can pop over and talk it through in person if you'd prefer. Most of the work runs over the phone, email and a preview link though, so a good few of my clients I never actually meet face to face.
Can you get my Nelson business onto Google?
That's usually the main reason people get in touch. I build each site so Google understands what you do and that you do it around Nelson and Pendle, which gives you a proper chance of coming up when someone local searches. I won't pretend you'll be top by the weekend, but the foundations are there from the off.
Will it look right on a phone?
Yes. I build for the phone before anything else, because that is where most people will find you. The site loads quickly on a small screen, reads cleanly, and the call and message buttons are sat where a thumb can reach them. It then scales up neatly for laptops and desktops.
Can you redo a website I already have?
Usually, yes. If your current site is slow, looking dated, or just not bringing the work in, I can rebuild it from scratch. Where it's worth it I'll hold on to the pages that are already doing well on Google, so you don't drop down the rankings while we sort the rest out.
Do you keep an eye on the site after it launches?
Only if you want me to. Some people are happy to run it themselves once it's live, others would sooner I handle the updates, backups and the odd change as things move on. There's a small monthly arrangement for that if you fancy it, and no long contract tying you in.
Thinking about a website for your Nelson business?
Tell me what you're after and I'll come back with a clear, fixed price. No pressure, and none of the jargon.