Custom WordPress Development
Bespoke themes and plugins built from the ground up with clean, maintainable code that scales with your business.
16+ Years Experience • UK-Based Developer • WordPress + WooCommerce Specialist
WordPress Development That's Built to Perform
Custom WordPress websites, themes and builds for agencies and businesses who need fast, scalable and maintainable solutions.
Why custom WordPress development matters
Too many WordPress sites are built with drag-and-drop page builders that promise speed but deliver bloated, slow-loading pages that struggle at scale.
These tools generate excessive code, create maintenance headaches, and often fail when you need custom functionality.
Custom WordPress development takes a different approach.
By building themes and plugins from scratch with clean, purposeful code, you get a site that’s faster, more secure, and easier to maintain. Every feature is built exactly to your requirements, with no unnecessary overhead.
Whether you’re a business launching a new website, an agency needing a reliable development partner, or an organisation that’s outgrown their current setup, custom WordPress development gets you a site that’s quick, easy to update, and doesn’t fall over the first time you need something custom.
Services Included
Everything you'd expect, and a few things you might not. Here's what's covered.
Gutenberg & ACF Development
Custom blocks and flexible content architectures that give editors full control without touching code.
WooCommerce Integration
High-performance online stores with custom checkout flows, payment gateways, and subscription management.
Theme Development
Pixel-perfect custom themes that match your brand identity and deliver exceptional user experiences.
Performance Optimisation
Core Web Vitals improvements, caching strategies, and database tuning for lightning-fast load times.
Website Maintenance
Proactive monitoring, security updates, and ongoing support to keep your site running smoothly.
Why work with me?
Agency-quality WordPress development without the agency overhead. Based in Bath, working with clients across the UK.
Direct access
You work directly with me. No layers, no handoffs. Clear conversations and faster decisions.
Fast communication
I reply within hours, not days. You will always know where your project stands.
Clean, maintainable code
No shortcuts and no technical debt. Any developer can pick up where I left off. Built to last.
SEO that works
Semantic HTML, fast load times, and Core Web Vitals baked in from the start.
Long-term support
Optional maintenance plans to keep your site secure, fast, and bug-free. I do not disappear after launch.
Design and development together
I team up with freelance designer Jon Bolton when you need both skills. One conversation, one timeline, one bill.
How We Work Together
No mystery process. Here's exactly what happens from first chat to launch day.
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Discovery
Understanding your business goals, target audience, and technical requirements through detailed consultation.
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Planning
Creating a comprehensive project roadmap with clear timelines, milestones, and technical specifications.
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Design Collaboration
Working closely with your design team or creating wireframes and prototypes to ensure pixel-perfect implementation.
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Development
Building your WordPress solution with clean, maintainable code and industry best practices.
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Testing
Rigorous quality assurance across all devices and browsers, ensuring optimal performance and accessibility.
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Launch
Smooth deployment with minimal downtime, including DNS configuration and SSL setup.
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Support
Ongoing maintenance, security updates, and technical support to keep your site running flawlessly.
Recent WordPress projects
All built from scratch for the clients needs, simple editing
Schools Go Surfing
Bespoke WordPress websites for Schools Go Surfing and Schools Go Skiing with GSAP animations, interactive destination maps, and easy content editing.
We Are Reach
Custom WordPress website for We Are Reach, a creative agency for entertainment brands, showcasing video, design, social, and fandom-led IP campaigns.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about WordPress development services
Yes. Many of my projects involve improving existing WordPress sites rather than building from scratch. This can include performance optimisation, Core Web Vitals improvements, redesign implementation, or adding custom functionality that your current setup can’t support.
Timeframes depend on complexity, but most WordPress projects take between 1 to 8 weeks. Larger builds with custom functionality, integrations, or ecommerce requirements may take longer. A clear timeline is always provided before work begins.
Yes. All builds are created with SEO best practices in mind, including clean semantic markup, fast loading performance, mobile optimisation, and Core Web Vitals considerations. I also ensure the site structure is easy for search engines to crawl and understand.
Custom WordPress development typically includes bespoke theme or plugin development, integration of custom functionality, ACF or Gutenberg block development, performance optimisation, and full responsiveness across devices.
I generally avoid heavy page builders, preferring custom-built solutions using WordPress core, Gutenberg, and ACF. This approach delivers faster, more scalable, and easier-to-maintain websites with less technical debt.
That said, I know every project is different. If you need support with an existing page builder site, or prefer to use one for a new project, I’m happy to work with that too. I’ll deliver a quality site either way; I simply recommend custom builds for the best long-term results.
“Steve helped us build our company website, and our team absolutely loved working with him. Patient, accommodating, and with a real can-do attitude to everything we threw at him.”
Let's build something exceptional
Whether you're starting from scratch or need to elevate an existing site, I'm here to help.