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West Midlands

Web design West Midlands

Strategic, SEO-led WordPress websites for small businesses across the West Midlands.

If your website is not bringing in the right enquiries, it is not doing its job. A good-looking site that sits on page four of Google or fails on mobile is costing you work every day.

I am Melissa Critchley, founder of Wildcurrant Marketing. I work with small businesses across the UK, including throughout the West Midlands, building strategic WordPress websites that are optimised for search and built to convert.

The whole process works online, so wherever you are based in Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Solihull or anywhere across the region, we can work together smoothly without either of us needing to travel.

Book a free discovery call

Book a free discovery call to talk it through.

What small business owners say about working with me:

What you need

What small businesses across the West Midlands actually need from a website

The West Midlands is a competitive place to run a small business. Whatever your sector, your potential clients are searching online before they make a decision, and if your website does not make a strong impression quickly, they will move on to someone whose does.

The websites that work are not necessarily the fanciest. They are the ones that are clear, fast, easy to navigate and visible on Google. Most small business websites fall short on at least two or three of those things.

A website that earns its place in your business will:

  • tell visitors straight away what you do and why you are worth their time
  • load quickly and look sharp on every device, especially mobile
  • rank well enough in search that the right people can find it
  • guide visitors towards calling, emailing or booking
  • be easy for you to manage without needing technical help for every small update

The three levels

West Midlands website design packages, built around where you are right now

There are three levels. Each one includes everything in the one before it. The difference is how long I stay with you after your site goes live.

The Launch

From £4,000

For established businesses that need a site built to be found. Your new site, built and live in four to six weeks. See The Launch

  • Up to six pages, designed for your business and built in WordPress. Each extra page is £400.
  • A strategy call before anything is designed. The site is built around your goals, your best clients and what you sell.
  • Competitor and keyword research first, so every page is built around what your customers type into Google.
  • Technical and on-page SEO done as the site is built. Google and AI tools can read it from launch day.
  • Your old pages mapped and redirected if you are replacing a site, so you keep the rankings you have already earned.
  • Testing on phones, tablets and desktops before it goes live.
  • Google Analytics and Search Console connected. You can see who is finding you and how.
  • A Friday email every week. You always know where things are and what I need from you next.
  • Training at handover, with a video made for your site. You can make everyday changes without calling anyone.
  • A fixed price in writing before you commit.

The first 30 days

From £5,500, website build included

For businesses whose customers come from a town or region. I stay for a month and put your Google profile and directory listings right. See The first 30 days

  • Your website build, with everything in The Launch.
  • A record of how your business shows up in Google and in AI answers before we start. It gives us something to measure against later.
  • A full audit of your Google Business Profile, with the fixes made for you: categories, services, description, photos and opening hours.
  • Your name, address, phone number and description corrected across your profiles and the main directories, so every place that lists you says the same thing.
  • Tracking set up, so you can see what changes after launch.
  • All finished within a month of your site going live.

Investment: £4,000 for the site and £1,500 for the month of work after launch = £5,500 in total

The first 90 days

From £7,750, website build included

For owners who will not have time for the follow-up. I stay for three months. Your customers' questions are answered on your pages, your email list is started, and your Google profile gets a new post every week. See The first 90 days

  • Your website build, and everything in The first 30 days.
  • Eight questions your customers are asking, found in your Google Search Console data. Each question and its answer is added to the right page of your site.
  • Email marketing set up in MailerLite: a sign-up form, a lead magnet and a three-email sequence.
  • A Google Business Profile post every week for three months. That is 13 posts, written and published for you.
  • A before-and-after report at the end, in plain English.

Your final investment depends on the size and complexity of the project: number of pages, whether this is a new build or replacing an existing site (replacements need SEO protection, page mapping and redirects), any content support required, integrations needed such as booking systems or CRMs, and how competitive your market is.

Everything is scoped and priced transparently. Nothing outside the agreed scope is added without discussion first.

Investment: £4,000 for the site and £3,750 for the three months of work after launch = £7,750 in total. Payment: 50% non-refundable deposit to book, 25% before the project starts and 25% before the site goes live. Care plan £65 a month.

Supporting services to complement your West Midlands website

If your project needs more than the core build, I work with a trusted network of collaborators and can bring in the right people at the right stage:

  • Copywriting
  • Photography and video
  • Branding and visual identity
  • Email marketing set-up and automations
  • Ongoing SEO and Local SEO
  • Google and Meta Advertising

Each is scoped and costed separately so you only invest in what is useful.

Start to finish

How your West Midlands website design project works from start to finish

01

Discovery call

A free discovery call to talk through your business, what you need from your website and which level is the right fit. No commitment required.

02

Proposal and agreement

You receive a clear written proposal covering the scope, cost and timescale. Once you are happy with it, you sign and return it with the contract and terms.

03

Deposit and onboarding

Your deposit secures your start date. I share a Trello board that lays out exactly what I need from you and when. Most clients pull everything together in around four to five hours.

04

Strategy and research

We hold your strategy call, then I carry out keyword and competitor research and plan your site structure. This stage shapes everything that follows and is where the real thinking happens.

05

Design and build

I build your site in WordPress, keeping you informed at agreed review points. A Friday email goes out every week with a progress update and any questions for the week ahead.

06

SEO, testing and launch

Once the build is complete I run through the on-page SEO and test the site on different devices, including every form. Then I connect Analytics and Search Console before launch.

07

Training and handover

You get a walkthrough of your finished site, a video guide to making updates yourself, and a clear handover so you leave the project feeling in control rather than dependent.

How to prepare for your project: what I will need from you

A smooth project starts with good preparation. Before we begin I will need:

  • Your logo and any brand guidelines, such as colours and fonts
  • Your website copy: the words for each page
  • Your images
  • A clear sense of your services and who your ideal clients are
  • Access to your domain and any existing website or hosting
  • Your legal pages, such as your privacy policy and terms of business

Everything doesn’t need to be perfect before we start, although the more you have ready, the faster and calmer the build. If you are missing anything, I can recommend trusted copywriters and photographers, or help you put a plan together.

What is not included, so there are no surprises

  • Branding or a full visual rebrand
  • Copywriting as part of the standard fee
  • Photography or image sourcing
  • Creating legal policies from scratch
  • Ongoing SEO campaigns or paid advertising management, unless agreed separately
  • Third-party tool, app or plugin subscription costs
 Book a free discovery call

The SEO advantage

Why SEO-first website design gives West Midlands businesses a real advantage

There are a lot of web designers in the West Midlands. Most will build you something that looks good. Fewer will build you something that ranks.

The difference is not a small one. A beautifully designed website that Google cannot read or that targets the wrong keywords will sit quietly in the background while your competitors pick up the enquiries you should be getting.

Building SEO in from the start, rather than as an afterthought, means:

  • The site structure is planned around how people actually search, not just how it looks in a sitemap
  • Every page has a clear purpose and a target keyword it is optimised to rank for
  • Technical foundations are right from day one: fast load times, clean code, proper indexing
  • You are not paying twice: once to build the site and again to fix what was missed
  • The site is ready to build authority and visibility from the moment it goes live

This is what separates a website that costs money from a website that makes money.

If you are interested in search engine optimisation, you may enjoy my post on SEO-friendly website design.

Herefordshire business Vintage Vehicle Restorations, pictured, who kindly left this review:

“We remain on page one, position one on Google for our chosen keyword and come first in the AI overview too. Working with Melissa is the best thing I ever did for my business.”

Jason Mills

Working with small businesses across the West Midlands and beyond

I work with small businesses across the West Midlands, from Birmingham and Wolverhampton to Worcester and everywhere in between. I also work with clients throughout the UK.

Every project is managed remotely via video call, email and a shared Trello board, which means the process is efficient and well-organised regardless of where you are based. Most clients find they barely notice the distance.

If you are curious, I am based in Ludlow in Shropshire, just over the border from Worcestershire. It means I have a good understanding of the business landscape across the wider Midlands region, and I am an easy drive from many parts of the West Midlands if a face-to-face meeting would be useful.

I also work with businesses across Herefordshire, including website design in Hereford and web design in Leominster and Ludlow.

Choosing a web designer in the West Midlands

I am Melissa, and I have spent 20 years in marketing and 8 years building websites for small businesses. I keep you informed throughout a project, and I am still here once the site goes live.

The clients who work best with me are the ones who are serious about their business and want a website that reflects that. They have usually tried something cheaper before and found it wanting. They want it done properly this time.

  • 20 years in marketing, 8 years building websites
  • 48 five-star Google reviews
  • Clients across the UK including throughout the West Midlands
  • Every project starts with strategy rather than a template
  • Proper support after launch

Have any questions, or ready to book? Drop me an email: melissa@wildcurrant.co.uk or book a free discovery call.

Contact me today

Questions

Frequently asked questions about website design in the West Midlands

Do you work with businesses based anywhere in the West Midlands?

Yes. I work with businesses across the whole region, including Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Solihull, Dudley, Walsall and Worcester. The entire project is managed online so location is never a barrier.

How is working with a designer outside the West Midlands different from using a local agency?

In practice, very little. The whole process runs on video calls and a shared project board, and you get the same level of contact as you would with a local studio, often more. What matters is whether your designer understands your business and what your website needs to achieve.

Which package should I choose?

If you need a site built to be found, start with The Launch. If your customers come from a town or region, The first 30 days adds a month of work on your Google profile and directory listings. If you will not have time for the follow-up, The first 90 days keeps me with you for three months. A free discovery call is the fastest way to get a clear recommendation. Book a discovery call.

Is SEO included in all your West Midlands website design packages?

Yes. Every website includes competitor and keyword research, with technical and on-page SEO done as the site is built. Ongoing SEO management can be added after launch.

Can you redesign an existing website rather than building from scratch?

Yes, although in most cases a new build produces better results than redesigning on top of an existing site. Old sites often carry technical debt that causes problems further down the line. If you have existing rankings worth protecting, they are handled carefully, with redirects and page mapping included in the project scope and cost.

How long does a website project take?

Most builds take four to six weeks for service businesses and six to eight weeks for ecommerce builds. Content readiness is usually the biggest variable. Clients who come to the project prepared tend to have a much smoother experience.

What do I need to have ready before we start?

You will need your logo and brand basics, your website copy and images, and a clear idea of your services and who you want to reach. I will also need access to your domain and hosting, and your legal pages. I provide a detailed Trello board and a copywriting guide at onboarding to make this as easy as possible.

Will I be able to manage the website myself after launch?

Yes, that is a priority. Every project includes a bespoke video walkthrough covering the updates you are most likely to need, such as changing text or swapping images. You will not need a developer for day-to-day management. If you would rather hand that off entirely, my hosting and management plan at £65 a month covers updates and backups, plus a small amount of edit time each month.

What are the ongoing costs after launch?

Hosting and management is £65/month and includes updates, backups, security monitoring and 15 minutes of small edits per month. Any third-party tools or plugins your site requires are additional, but these are flagged before the project begins.

How do payments work?

Every project is split across three payments: a 50 percent non-refundable deposit to book your start date, then 25 percent before the project starts and 25 percent when the site is ready and before it goes live. Full details are set out in your proposal.