WordPress website design
We help businesses grow with custom WordPress websites, designed and developed properly: no templates, no shortcuts, no lock-in. And as one of the few UK agencies recognised as a Pro Agency Partner by Automattic, the company behind WordPress, you’re in specialist hands.
Our latest WordPress websites
ACS Office Cleaning
A website and booking journey for London's award-winning ISO-certified commercial cleaning specialists.
Quel Tap
A rebrand, a rebuilt store and a domain migration that grew organic sessions 28%.
WordPress, done properly
Anyone can install WordPress. The difference is in how it's designed, how it feels to edit, and how it's looked after for the years that follow. We obsess over all three.
Designed
Designed, never themed
Your website shouldn’t be a £40 theme with your logo dropped in. Every WordPress site we build starts as a blank canvas and becomes a custom design around your brand, your customers and your goals, then gets built as its own lean, fast theme.
Nothing your competitors can buy. A design that’s yours alone, built to load fast and rank well from day one.
Effortless
A joy for your team to edit
The real test of a WordPress site is the Tuesday afternoon someone in your team needs to change a price, add a page or publish a post. We build every site so those jobs are simple: clearly structured, safe to edit, and impossible to accidentally break.
Watch it happen: click, change, save. No developer required, no design broken.
Maintained
Looked after, long after launch
WordPress rewards good housekeeping. Our care plans keep your core, plugins and security patched, your backups nightly and your speed scores high, quietly, in the background, while your site just keeps working.
Hosted with us on Google Cloud, monitored around the clock, and supported by the team that built it.
Whatever your business needs, we build it
Selling online, winning enquiries, running a membership: whatever your website's job is, we design and build it on WordPress, the platform behind over 40% of the web, shaped entirely around your business.
WooCommerce stores of every size, built by a Woo Pro Agency Partner.
Ecommerce & WooCommerce
Lead generation websites for trades, clinics and professional services.
Lead generation websites
Membership and e-learning platforms with courses, communities and paywalls.
Membership websites
Corporate and B2B websites that carry serious businesses properly.
Corporate & B2B
Blogs, magazines and content hubs built for readers and rankings.
Blogs & publications
Charity and nonprofit websites with donations and campaigns built in.
Charities & nonprofits
Booking-driven websites for venues, clinics, classes and hire.
Bookings & reservations
Property and directory websites with search, filters and listings.
Property & directories
Restaurant and hospitality websites with menus and reservations.
Restaurants & hospitality
Portfolio and creative websites where the work does the talking.
Portfolios & creative
Multilingual websites serving customers in every market you trade in.
Multilingual websites
Fast, focused landing pages for product launches and ad campaigns.
Landing pages & campaigns
How our WordPress web design process works
Five clear stages from first call to life after launch. You'll always know what's happening, what's next and who's doing it.
Discovery
Before anything gets designed, we get to know your business inside out, so every decision from here has a purpose.
- Kick-off call to understand your business, your customers and your goals
- Review of your existing site, what’s working and what isn’t
- Sitemap agreed so we know exactly what we’re building
- Project timeline confirmed with clear milestones
Design
We create a design built around your brand and your customers. You'll see and approve everything before we write a single line of code.
- Wireframes to map every journey through your site
- Full visual design presented for your feedback
- Two rounds of revisions included as standard
- Final sign-off from you before we move to build
Build
Our developers bring the approved design to life. Every website we build is custom, fast and built to grow with your business.
- Custom WordPress theme built from scratch, lean and fast
- Fully responsive across all devices
- Plugins vetted and kept to a minimum, integrations set up properly
- Tested across browsers and devices before you see it
Handover and training
Before we go live, we make sure you and your team are completely comfortable running the site. No technical knowledge needed.
- Walkthrough of your new site on a staging link before launch
- WordPress training so your team can manage content with confidence
- Bespoke training videos provided for future reference
- Any final amends completed before sign-off
Launch and beyond
Go-live is just the beginning. We handle the technical side of the launch and stay on hand to make sure everything runs smoothly.
- Pre-launch checklist completed in full
- Redirects and SEO migration handled to protect your existing rankings
- 30 days of post-launch support included as standard
- WordPress care plans to keep your site fast, secure and up to date
What we can build into your website
Every business is different, so every build is scoped around what yours actually needs. These are the kinds of things we can do for you with WordPress, added when the job calls for them, and nothing bolted on that doesn't earn its place.
Custom theme design
A bespoke WordPress theme designed around your brand and built lean. No bloat, nothing off the shelf.
Easy to update yourselves
Change prices, photos, pages and posts without calling us. Every site is structured so editing is simple and safe.
WooCommerce stores
Full ecommerce on the platform you own, built by a Woo Pro Agency Partner. From boutiques to trade catalogues.
Plugins, governed
Only vetted, necessary plugins make it onto your site, and every one earns its place. That’s why our builds stay fast.
Speed as a feature
Custom themes, clean code and Google Cloud hosting. Speed scores your competitors will envy.
Security, hardened
Hardened logins, SSL, firewalls and monitoring. WordPress is secure when it’s built and kept properly.
Nightly backups
Your whole site backed up every night, restorable in minutes. Sleep easy.
Updates, handled
Core and plugin updates tested and applied on our care plans, so nothing ever falls behind.
SEO-ready structure
Clean markup, schema, sitemaps and speed. The technical foundations search engines reward, on every build.
Forms and enquiries
Contact forms, quote requests and bookings, connected to your inbox and your tools.
Blogs and content hubs
Content that wins customers: categories, authors and archives, structured for readers and rankings.
Multilingual sites
Serve every market you trade in, with translations managed properly in one place.
Memberships and gated content
Paywalls, member areas and courses, built on the same platform you already own.
Bookings and events
Appointments, classes, tables and events, booked straight into your calendar.
Integrations and APIs
CRMs, accounting, email platforms and custom APIs, connected cleanly and reliably.
Roles and permissions
Editors edit, authors write, admins administrate. Everyone gets exactly the access they need.
Analytics and reporting
GA4, Search Console and conversion tracking wired in from launch. Know what’s working.
Reviews and social proof
Google reviews and testimonials pulled in automatically and shown where they persuade.
A website your team can actually update
Most WordPress frustration comes from sites built with no thought for the person updating them. We build yours the opposite way: clearly organised and safe to edit, so day-to-day changes take minutes, not support tickets.
- Pages organised clearly, so you always know where things live
- Edit anything without ever breaking the design
- Roles and permissions, so everyone has the right access
- Full training and bespoke videos included with every build
Partnered with the people behind WordPress
designbox is one of the few UK agencies in Automattic's Pro Agency Partner programme, and a Woo Pro Agency Partner too. It's the platform's own makers vouching for the quality of our work.
Automattic Pro Agency Partner
Automattic is the company behind WordPress.com, WooCommerce and Jetpack. Partner agencies are vetted for the standard of their builds and get direct access to the teams and resources behind the platform itself, which every client project benefits from.
Woo Pro Agency Partner
The same recognition on the ecommerce side. As a Woo Pro Agency Partner, our WooCommerce builds are backed by a direct line to the people who make it, from early feature access to expert support when it matters.
Real businesses, real results
Every one of these started as a website holding a business back. Here's what a proper WordPress rebuild changed.
BeforeAfter
BeforeAfter
BeforeAfter
A website that works for your business
Your website should feed the tools that run your business. We connect it to your CRM, accounting, email and marketing stack, cleanly and reliably. Here are just some of the solutions we can integrate for you.
Inherited a WordPress site that's a mess?
Slow, hacked, held together by forty plugins, or abandoned by the agency that built it: we see it every week, and we fix it. We'll audit what you have, stabilise it, and restore it to health or rebuild it properly.
- Full technical audit: hosting, plugins, security and speed
- Existing SEO protected, whether we restore or rebuild
- Zero downtime: your site stays live throughout
✓
✓
✓
✓
What our clients say about working with us
Sarah Aspinall
Breaking Ballet
“We have seen great work from the team at designbox. From WordPress development to liaising with our in-house and remote dev teams, to paid search, the results have been great. I would highly recommend them.”
Kim Waller
Lick Library
“I have been working with designbox for the past two years and have always had exceptional customer service and support. We used them initially to redesign our website. The work is always delivered to the highest standard and the team are fantastic. Highly recommend.”
Emily Bryant
Amberjack
Nicole Osborne
Wunderstars
“Great hands-on service from start to finish. From idea generation, logo and branding through to a functioning website, the team were always on hand with suggestions and high quality implementation. Would happily recommend to all.”
Richard Combs
Intrinsic Capital
“designbox have been brilliant in supporting us in both marketing and web development. The team have been reliable and efficient in everything they have done for us.”
Esther Smith
Battlesbridge Horse & Country
Tommie Hession-Harris
Player Path
“designbox have been a huge support for me and my business for the past five years. Their up-to-date knowledge of digital design, marketing and the tech industry itself is fantastic, and I would recommend them to anyone.”
Samantha Wells
Tern Heads
“We’re absolutely delighted with the service we receive from designbox, who manage my website and SEO among other things. They have helped us to grow the business over the last few years with a website to be proud of and a steady stream of new clients. Would highly recommend.”
Penny Hawker
CHC Aesthetics
Dale Harris
Greenoaks
“Very helpful and professional company with some of the most friendly and talented staff I’ve met. They made us a beautiful website and have been cooperative with any assistance that we’ve needed since. Would highly recommend!”
Danny Whitefoord
Chiltern Co
“We have been working with Brandon and the team for the last few years and are very happy with their work. Brandon is very responsive and easy to work with.”
Tom Billings
Beach Equity
Kirsty Pile
KA Naturals
“Excellent service, highly professional staff who are all more than happy to give an extensive insight into online marketing campaigns in a digestible, understandable presentation. We have since moved all of my online marketing over to designbox across multiple companies.”
Robert Foster-Jones
Sunshine Co
“designbox completely saved my website and have created a completely unique website tailored to my needs. The support is second to none, nothing is ever too much to ask, and they go above and beyond to provide solutions or meet my design requirements. I have had nothing but great feedback from customers and the team are always at the end of the phone if we have any queries.”
Daisy Lethbridge
Mermaids Swimwear
Why designbox
A few honest reasons clients choose us, and stay with us.
WordPress is our home ground
We’ve built on WordPress for over a decade, deeply enough that Automattic, the company behind it, counts us among its Pro Agency Partners. That depth shows in how our sites are designed, built and maintained.
You talk to the people doing the work
No account managers in the middle. From your first call to your launch day, you deal directly with the designers, developers and content writers building your site. Faster decisions, clearer communication, no misunderstandings.
We think beyond the build
A well-designed website that nobody finds isn’t much use to anyone. We build with SEO, speed and conversion in mind from day one, so your site is set up to perform from the moment it goes live.
Our clients don’t tend to leave
We think that says more than any award could. When an agency gets results and treats clients well, they stick around. We’re proud of the long-term relationships we’ve built and we work hard to keep earning them.
See what AI has to say about us
Don't take our word for it. Ask the machines. Each button opens a live AI with a pre-filled question about our WordPress website design, so you can sanity-check everything on this page yourself.
A WordPress website is just the start
The best WordPress websites are launched, then grown. Because everything at designbox is in-house, the team that built your website can also fill it with visitors.
SEO
WordPress gives you the perfect technical foundation. Our SEO team builds on it with content, links and local optimisation.
AI search optimisation
Show up when people ask ChatGPT, Claude and Google AI who to work with. The next frontier of being found.
Google Ads & Shopping
Search, Shopping and Performance Max campaigns that put your website to work, managed by a Google Partner.
Website care and support
The care plans this page keeps mentioning: updates, security, backups and a team on call, keeping WordPress at its best.
Meta ads
Facebook and Instagram campaigns that put your business in front of the right people.
Email marketing
Automated flows and campaigns that turn one-time visitors into customers, and customers into regulars.
Questions we're asked most
Can't see yours? Ask us anything on a quick call, no obligation.
How much does a WordPress website cost?
How long does a WordPress website take to build?
Do you use pre-built themes or templates?
Is WordPress secure?
Can you take over or fix our existing WordPress website?
Will I be able to edit the website myself?
Will I own my WordPress website?
Can you build an online store with WordPress?
What does being an Automattic and Woo Pro Agency Partner mean?
Why choose designbox for WordPress web design?
How should we compare WordPress web design agencies?
WordPress website design at designbox
designbox is a WordPress website design and development agency based in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, helping businesses across the UK sell more, win more enquiries and grow online. For over ten years we’ve designed and built custom WordPress websites, and today we’re one of the few UK agencies recognised as a Pro Agency Partner by Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com and WooCommerce, with the same partner status on the Woo side.
Behind every build sits Cyber Essentials certification, Google Cloud hosting and a team you can actually talk to: the people who design and build your WordPress website are the same people who look after it and help it grow once it’s live.
Ready to put WordPress to work for your business?
Tell us about your business and we'll come back with honest advice and a realistic figure, usually within one working day.
