CMS Development

Most CMS frustration traces back to one decision made early: the content was modelled as pages instead of as structured information. Once that has happened, every new requirement becomes a plugin, every plugin becomes a dependency, and eventually publishing a simple update requires asking a developer. That is a modelling problem wearing a technology costume.

What we build

• Bespoke WordPress themes written for the site rather than bought and bent into shape.
• Custom plugins where functionality genuinely belongs in the CMS.
• Headless CMS builds — Strapi, Sanity, Contentful or Payload, consumed over GraphQL or REST.
• Content modelling — the structure underneath, which determines everything else.
• Editorial workflows with drafts, review and scheduling that match how your team signs things off.
• Multi-site and multi-language estates sharing components without sharing constraints.
• Migrations from legacy platforms, including the parts of the old content nobody documented.
• Editor training, because a system nobody was shown how to use gets worked around.

Traditional or headless?

Frequently asked questions

Is WordPress secure enough for a business site?

Yes, when it is built deliberately. Nearly all WordPress compromises come through abandoned plugins, outdated installs and weak administrator access rather than core itself. A lean plugin list, managed updates and proper access control address the actual risk.

Can you migrate us from another platform?

Yes. The content moves fairly mechanically; the work is in mapping the old structure onto a better model, and in preserving URLs so search rankings survive the move. Redirect mapping is part of the job, not an afterthought.

Will we be locked into you for changes?

No, and the build is deliberately structured to prevent it. Standard patterns, documented code, no proprietary framework, and editor training so routine changes never need us. You own the repository outright.

Do you use page builders like Elementor or Divi?

Not for bespoke builds. They are useful for quickly assembling a simple site, but they carry a performance cost, they make content hard to reuse, and they are difficult to leave once a site is built around them. We use the block editor with custom blocks instead.

How the engagement runs

• Scoping call, then discovery. We establish what you actually need before quoting. You approve scope before we write a line of code.
• Fixed price or capped time and materials. Tightly specified work suits a fixed price; genuinely new work suits a capped retainer. We recommend one rather than offering both and letting you guess.
• Weekly demos. You see working software every week, so nothing surprising turns up at the end.
• You own everything. Repositories, infrastructure and documentation transfer to you on payment. No vendor lock-in, no licensing you do not control.
• NDA as standard, usually before the first detailed call. We will often send one ourselves if you do not.

If you are planning a CMS or content platform and want a straight assessment of scope, timeline and cost, tell us what you are building. We work with clients across the UK, EU and US.