How it's honed

Coarse to fine, like every good edge.

Rough shaping first, polish last, and you see it at every stage. First call to live: about two weeks for a simple site, four to six for a bigger site.

  1. 01

    Rough-in

    One call: what you do, who rings you, and what the site has to say. We agree the structure before I draw anything. Check-in: you confirm the structure is right.

  2. 02

    Shaping

    I draw the design and show you early. Nothing is precious until you say it's right. Check-in: I ask you straight whether you're happy with it.

  3. 03

    Polish

    Motion, detail and speed. The pass that makes it feel expensive. Check-in: one last look before launch.

  4. 04

    Launch

    Your domain goes live, I hand the site over, and everything is yours.

Simple site

from £800

Up to 4 pages, your photos, your words, a contact form, your own web address and a year of hosting. Extra pages are £100 each. Most small businesses land between £800 and £1,200.

Bigger site

from £2,500

Online shops, lots of pages, custom features, or copy written from interviews.

Somewhere in between? Most people are. Tell me what you want and I'll give you an exact price on a free 15-minute chat. It doesn't change after that.

Extras for a simple site

Photo gallery page+£100
Booking calendar+£150 setup. The booking software has its own monthly fee, paid by you to the provider.
Google reviews on your site+£100 setup. A reviews widget can have its own small monthly fee, paid by you to the provider.

What a bigger site buys

Copy written from interviewsI interview you and write every page from it. You talk; the site says it properly. Every word on this site was written the same way.
Proof, built to persuadeCase studies and outcomes structured the way your buyers check you out, anonymised wherever your engagements demand it.
A CMS you ownAdd projects, people and case studies yourself. No developer on retainer, no per-edit invoices.
IntegrationsBooking, galleries, CRM, whatever your business runs on. Named and priced in your quote on the first call.
Half up frontHalf of the quote to start, the rest when you approve the finished site.
Or pay monthlyThe same fixed price, spread over up to 10 monthly payments instead of two halves, with no interest. Agreed on the first call. No VAT.
Regular check-insI check in with you at the end of Rough-in, when I first show you the design, and before launch, and I ask you straight whether you're happy.
Nothing is fixedWithin the pages and features we agree, you can change words, photos, colours and layout as often as you like. Adding pages or features is priced before I start.
Walk-away pointAfter you've seen the design, if you're really not happy and don't want to continue, you can stop. The first half covers the work to that point, and nothing else is owed. This is for when it isn't working, not for tweaks. Changes are always welcome.
30-day snag periodFor 30 days after go-live, anything broken, wrong or not what we agreed is fixed free.
HostingYour first year of hosting and your web address are included. After that it's £20 a month, and you can move the site to your own accounts any time, free.
After launchChanges are quoted before I start, so you decide first. No retainer and no care plan required.
You own itThe domain is registered in your name from day one, and renewals are passed on at cost. Code and content become yours once the final payment clears, and I'll move everything into your own accounts any time you ask, free.

What I don't do

No templates

Every site starts from a blank page. That's the whole point of Whetstone.

Policy

No retainers

I bill changes after launch one at a time. No care plan required, and ongoing help is there if you want it.

Policy

No hostages

The domain is in your name from day one, and the code and content are yours once the final payment clears.

Policy

No surprises

The price is fixed on the first call. If you're really not happy once you've seen the design, you can stop and pay only the first half.

Policy

Straight answers

The things people ask on the first call, answered before it.

How long does it take?

About two weeks from first call to live for a simple site, if you're quick with feedback. A bigger site runs four to six weeks, because interviews and case studies take honest time. Either way, the date is agreed on the first call.

What do you need from me?

One phone call, whatever best shows your work (job photos, projects, results), and honest answers about what you want more of. I write the copy.

What kind of businesses do you build for?

Anything from a one-man business upwards. Trades are where I started and a good part of what the portfolio shows so far, but the process is the same whatever the size of the business. Book the call and I'll tell you straight whether I'm the right fit.

Our work is confidential. What goes on the site?

Whatever we agree at close-out, and nothing else. Names redacted with sectors and outcomes published, or a project left off entirely. Your call, project by project. Westgate & Nash on the work page shows the approach: proof that reads credible with every client name blacked out.

What if I already have a website?

I'll tell you straight on the call whether it's worth rebuilding or fixing. If a fix is all you need, I'll say so and charge for it.

Do you use templates?

No. Every site is designed from a blank page for your business and the work it does. That's the whole point of Whetstone.

Can I pay monthly?

Yes. The standard split is half up front and half on approval, but the same fixed price can be spread over up to 10 monthly payments instead, with no interest. We agree the plan on the first call. The price doesn't change either way.

What happens after launch?

The site is yours: domain, code, everything, with hosting included for the first 12 months. For 30 days anything broken or not what we agreed is fixed free. After the first year, hosting is £20 a month, and you can move the site to your own accounts any time, free. Changes after launch are quoted before I start, so you decide first.

Ready when you are.

Book a 15-minute call