FAQs
Frequently asked questions
Straight answers about Wildcurrant Marketing: websites, SEO, AI visibility, prices and how working with me goes. I'm Melissa Critchley, a website designer and SEO consultant based in Ludlow, Shropshire, working with small businesses across the UK.
About Wildcurrant
Who is behind Wildcurrant Marketing?
Wildcurrant Marketing is run by me, Melissa Critchley. I design websites for established small businesses and get them found on Google and in AI answers. I've spent over 20 years in marketing and the last 8 building websites and doing SEO for small businesses, and I've helped more than 250 UK businesses. I handle every project myself, from the first call to launch.
Where is Wildcurrant based?
Ludlow, Shropshire. My office is at The Coach House, Brand Lane, Ludlow, SY8 1NN.
Do you work with businesses outside Shropshire?
Yes. Most of my clients are elsewhere in the UK, and I work with them over video calls, email and a shared project board. Closer to home I work with businesses in Hereford, Leominster, Ludlow and across the West Midlands.
Can we meet in person?
Yes, if you're in or near Ludlow, or happy to come into town. We can meet in a cafe. Everyone else works with me online, and location has never got in the way of a well-run project.
What do clients say about Wildcurrant?
Wildcurrant has 48 five-star Google reviews. You can read real results, such as 300 clicks from Google in 28 days and 25 to 30% more clients in four months, on my case studies page.
Websites
How much does a small business website cost with Wildcurrant?
A Website in a Week of up to seven pages costs £2,400, or £4,400 with full keyword research, competitor analysis and advanced SEO. A bespoke website starts at £4,800, and a ten-page bespoke site is around £6,000. Every website also comes with my care plan at £65 a month. Everything is set out on my pricing page.
How do payments work?
Every project is split into three payments: a 50% non-refundable deposit to book your start date, then 25% at design sign-off and 25% at launch. On a £4,800 build that is £2,400 to book and two payments of £1,200.
How long does it take to build a website?
A Website in a Week is built in five working days once your content is ready. A bespoke website takes four to six weeks for a service business and six to eight weeks for an online shop. The biggest factor is how quickly your words and images are ready.
Which platforms do you build on?
WordPress and Shopify. WordPress suits most small businesses because it is flexible, you own it outright and it works well for SEO. Shopify is the better choice when selling products online is the main purpose of your site. I'll recommend the right one on our first call.
Which website package is right for me?
If you need a clean, professional site quickly and your content is ready, Website in a Week is a strong starting point. If you want proper SEO done at the same time, add the SEO upgrade. If you need more than seven pages, a fully bespoke design, or you are in a competitive market, choose the bespoke package. A free 15-minute call is the quickest way to get a clear recommendation.
How much of my time will a website project take?
Around four to five hours in total. Once you're booked in, you get a Trello board that takes you step by step through what I need, such as logins, images and your website copy, plus a guide to writing your copy.
Do I need to write my own website copy?
Usually, yes, because you know your business better than anyone. I give you a copy guide and most people manage it well. If writing isn't your strong point, I can bring in a trusted copywriter as an add-on, priced and agreed before anything starts.
Is SEO included in your websites?
Every website includes SEO foundations: the right page structure and headings, clean web addresses, meta descriptions, image optimisation and Google Search Console set-up. The SEO upgrade adds full keyword and competitor research with on-page optimisation. The bespoke package includes advanced SEO and AI visibility throughout the build.
Will I lose my Google rankings if you replace my website?
Not if it is done properly. Before I change anything, I map your existing pages, find the ones already ranking or bringing in visitors, and redirect the old addresses so Google follows the new structure. This is included as standard.
Should I redesign my old website or start again?
In most cases a new build gives a better result, because old sites often carry technical problems and poor structure. Any rankings worth keeping are protected with page mapping and redirects. Sometimes the answer is that your site is fine and something else is the problem, and I'll tell you if so. More on my website redesign page.
Can I update my website myself?
Yes. Every site is built for its owner to edit, and you get a video walkthrough made for your site showing how to change text, swap images and add content. If you'd rather not, the care plan includes 15 minutes of small changes each month.
Why not just use Wix or Squarespace?
You can, and for some businesses it is the right place to start. The trade-off is your time, and a site that is harder to optimise for Google and AI search. With WordPress you own the site outright, it can grow with you, and the search side works. Most of my clients come to me after a DIY site has stopped bringing in enough of the right enquiries.
Do you design websites for artists?
Yes. I build WordPress portfolio and shop websites for established artists selling their work, designed around your images and optimised so people find you. They start at £4,800. See my website design for artists page.
The care plan and ongoing costs
What are the ongoing costs of a website?
Two things: your domain name, usually £10 to £20 a year, and my care plan at £65 a month. Any third-party tools your site needs are flagged before the project starts. Ongoing SEO is a separate monthly choice, never a requirement.
What does the £65 a month care plan include?
Secure UK hosting for WordPress, powered by 100% renewable energy, with an SSL certificate. Daily backups, WordPress, theme and plugin updates, and uptime, security and malware monitoring. The cost of any paid themes and plugins I use. And 15 minutes of small changes done for you each month. Full details are on my care plan page.
Can I use my own hosting?
No. I only build websites that I also host, because I can't troubleshoot problems on hosting I don't manage. I ask clients to stay on the care plan for at least the first two years after launch.
Can I leave the care plan later?
Yes, after the first two years. Give me 30 days' notice and I'll hand everything over with a website owner's manual. Any premium themes or plugins will then need buying separately.
What happens if my website is hacked?
Updates and daily backups make a hack less likely, but nothing is foolproof. If it happens, the first step is rolling your site back to an earlier backup. I'm a one-person business, so I'll respond as quickly as I can, but it may not be instant.
SEO and local SEO
What is SEO for a small business?
SEO means helping your website get found on Google. On-page SEO is the work on your own pages, such as your text, page titles and images. Off-page SEO is what happens elsewhere, such as links from other websites and directory listings, which builds your site's authority. My SEO services cover both.
How long does SEO take to work?
You may see some movement within a few weeks, but bigger results usually take three to six months. That's why the work is done properly from the start.
Can you guarantee my business will be number one on Google?
No, and be careful of anyone who does. Nobody outside Google controls how it ranks websites. What I can promise is a site that is researched, structured and optimised to give you the strongest chance, with client results that back it up.
How much does ongoing SEO cost, and is there a contract?
Monthly SEO support is £695 for half a day, £1,200 for one day or £1,885 for a day and a half each month. There is a minimum three-month commitment, and after that it is flexible.
What is local SEO?
Local SEO gets your business found by people searching in your area, including in the Google Map Pack. It covers your Google Business Profile, local pages and reviews. My local SEO service is £1,195 a month with a minimum three-month commitment, and includes Google Business Profile set-up and management.
How quickly does local SEO work?
You'll usually see movement in map views and impressions within four to eight weeks, and stronger improvements in rankings and enquiries over three to six months. Progress is tracked every month.
Is there a cheaper way to start?
Yes. An SEO Power Hour at £197 gets you clear next steps without committing to monthly work, and an SEO audit tells you exactly what needs fixing. If you're in Herefordshire, see my Hereford SEO services.
AI search and AI visibility
Can you help my business show up in ChatGPT and other AI tools?
Yes. This is a growing part of my work. What helps you appear in AI answers overlaps heavily with good SEO: clear content, consistent business information across the web, and genuine authority in your field. I build this into websites and SEO work from the start.
What is an AI visibility audit?
My AI visibility audit is a full review, done by hand, of how your website performs when people ask ChatGPT, Google's AI results and other AI tools to recommend a business like yours. It shows where you appear, where competitors appear instead, and what to fix in what order. It costs £995, paid on booking.
My website ranks well on Google. Do I still need to think about AI?
Possibly. A site can rank well in Google's normal results and still be hard for ChatGPT and other AI tools to read, because they read websites differently. Ranking well today doesn't tell you how you appear in AI answers.
Can my own web person make the fixes from the audit?
Yes. The fix list is written so any competent web professional can act on it. Some people do it themselves, some hand it to their web person, and some ask me to carry it out, which is a monthly arrangement with a three-month minimum.
Power Hours, workshops and getting started
What is an SEO Power Hour?
A 60-minute one-to-one call about your website, where I tell you what is holding it back in search and what to focus on. It costs £197 and ends with a written action plan. You don't need any technical knowledge. I also run website and digital marketing Power Hours in the same format.
What are your AI workshops?
Hands-on AI workshops for small business teams, built around the RISEN framework for briefing AI so it gives professional results. They run for groups of 4 to 8 people, in person across Shropshire and Herefordshire or on Zoom anywhere in the UK. A one-hour workshop is from £200 and a 1.5-hour workshop from £300, at £50 per attendee per hour. Free AI accounts are all you need.
How far ahead should I book?
For workshops, six weeks' notice is ideal. For a website, get in touch as soon as you know you need one and I'll give you the next available start date.
How do I get started?
Book a free 15-minute discovery call, email melissa@wildcurrant.co.uk or call 07771 623276. We'll talk through what you need, and I'll tell you honestly whether I can help.
Melissa Critchley
Founder of Wildcurrant Marketing, specialises in website design and search engine optimisation for small businesses. Based in Ludlow, Shropshire, she works with clients across the UK (and sometimes beyond!)
Still have a question?
Ask me directly. I'm happy to help, even if it's a quick one.
Email: melissa@wildcurrant.co.uk
Call: 07771 623276