From an idea to a finished website.
I like it when everything is clear from the start – both sides know what happens and when. That's why I run every project through the same simple steps, with no surprises along the way.
HOW A PROJECT RUNS
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Step 01
First contact
It all starts with a message or a call – an initial talk about what you need and expect from the site.
No commitment. This is the moment to tell me what the company does and what the site should achieve – a new one, a refresh of an existing site, or a shop. I listen, ask questions and tell you plainly whether and how I can help, and what to expect.
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Step 02
Brief
I send a short briefing form. Filled in at your own pace, it gives me a clear outline of the whole project.
The brief is a few simple questions – about goals, audience, examples of sites worth following, and the content you already have. No technical knowledge needed, in your own words. The more we settle at this stage, the fewer revisions later.
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Step 03
Design
Based on the brief I prepare the visual design. If something needs changing, I make the revisions – until the design is exactly right.
The look of the site – layout, colours, typography – takes shape before anything goes into code. This is the moment for feedback: changes at this stage are quick and cost nothing but a conversation. The build only starts once the design is approved.
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Step 04
Approval and deposit
Only after the design is approved do I ask for a deposit – right before moving to the build.
The deposit applies to a design that's already approved – no buying a pig in a poke. It reserves the date and lets me sit down to the code. Scope and cost I agree in writing beforehand, so they're clear to both sides.
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Step 05
Build
The materials I need – text, photos, logo – come over to me. With the full set I code and deploy the project, show the result and we make the final tweaks.
I turn the approved design into a working site – fast, polished on mobile and desktop, ready for search engines. I work on a staging version with a live preview, so progress is visible at every stage and feedback can come as we go.
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Step 06
Launch and settlement
We set a date, the site goes live, and after launch I issue the final invoice.
On the agreed day I point the site to its target domain and check that everything works – forms, certificate, display across devices. To finish: the final invoice, a short walkthrough, and a contact for the future should anything need changing.
WHAT I BUILD ON
Sites are built on my own Flat Cake engine, which I develop and maintain myself. In short: it's a lightweight site engine, without the heavy machinery and dozens of plugins you know from popular builders. Fewer redundant parts means a site that's faster, safer and easier to maintain. What does that mean in practice?
DOMAIN, HOSTING & SSL
Domain
When the domain already exists, all it takes is configuring it at the last stage – when the site launches. Without your own domain I'll point you to where to buy it cheapest, or register it in the client's name – you pay for it yourself, so it's yours from the start.
Hosting
Flat Cake is my own system, so I host the site myself. It runs on a proven server, and the yearly upkeep is settled with a single invoice – no choosing a provider, no technical settings, no chasing renewal dates. I handle the technical side; content is managed from a simple panel – no FTP, no server settings.
SSL certificate
The site runs over HTTPS – a secure connection and protection for visitors' data. A Let's Encrypt certificate as standard, part of the hosting and adding nothing to the cost; if a commercial one is ever needed – that can be installed too.
