Web Development

Most businesses do not need a web application until a spreadsheet, an inbox and three disconnected SaaS tools stop holding the process together. At that point the requirement is rarely “a website” — it is a system that encodes how the business actually works, used daily by staff or customers, where downtime and slowness cost real money.

What we build

• Customer portals and account areas — authentication, roles, permissions, self-service.
• Booking, scheduling and workflow systems where the business logic is the product.
• Internal operations tools replacing spreadsheets that have outgrown themselves.
• APIs and integrations connecting systems that were never designed to talk to each other.
• E-commerce where an off-the-shelf platform cannot express the pricing, fulfilment or product model.
• Performance work and migrations on platforms that already exist but no longer cope.

The stack, and why

We choose the stack for the problem rather than the other way round, and we are equally comfortable extending a codebase in a stack we did not originally pick.

When a custom build is the wrong answer

Worth saying plainly, because it saves everyone time. If an off-the-shelf product covers 90% of what you need and the remaining 10% is preference rather than competitive advantage, configure the product. Custom development earns its cost when the process is the differentiator, when integration requirements defeat packaged tools, or when per-seat licensing has started to scale faster than the business.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a web platform take to build?

A focused internal tool is typically six to ten weeks. An MVP with real users is usually eight to twelve. A multi-role platform with several integrations runs to four to six months. Discovery sharpens that estimate considerably, which is why it comes first.

Can you work with our existing codebase?

Yes, and a large part of our work is exactly that. We start with a short technical audit to establish what is genuinely load-bearing versus what needs rework, then agree a plan before touching production.

Who maintains it after launch?

Whoever you want. Many clients retain us on a monthly retainer; others take it in-house, which is why everything is built to hand over cleanly with documentation and no proprietary lock-in.

Do you write automated tests?

Where they earn their place — on business logic, money paths and anything with awkward edge cases. Tests are what let a system be changed safely a year later, so treating them as optional is a false economy on anything long-lived.

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 web 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.