I’ve been designing websites for over 10+ years and approach all design work from an SEO, user and conversion perspective
WordPress design is a stage of the project that everyone wants to get to – seeing what the shiny new site is going to look like is often seen as the most important part of the project, but it’s far too often treated as cake decoration.
Design is not going to answer the visitors’ questions; it’s going to confirm, in less than 300ms, that the website the visitor is looking at is:
Professional means that it doesn’t look sh*t. Appropriate means that it feels right for the type of service the visitor is looking for.
You can have your site designed however you like, but f*ck the two above points up and you’re putting lipstick on a pig.
There, I’ve said it: the issue here is that people often give too much weight to what a website’s design will accomplish.
You’ve 300ms to check the ‘look and feel’ box for a new visitor: you need to make those milliseconds count.
Free and freemium themes can have you up and running in no time with a WordPress site that ‘looks’ great – the problem here is that many clients don’t understand that they are paying $1000s for something someone downloaded and colored in.
If you are looking to commission an agency or freelancer to design and build a new WordPress site, make sure you are getting something designed rather than the creative simply picking a free theme and claiming they designed it.
This may sound daft, but I’ve spoken to so many clients who thought an agency had designed their site, only to have to tell them that it’s just a theme.
Themes and frameworks such as Avada and Genesis make it easy for rookie WordPress developers to install something that looks great.
The only thing is, it looks like 55,000 other sites on the internet.
Nothing is wrong with that, but don’t pay a premium. Always check the cost of the design stages of your WordPress project and what you will get for your money.
Branding is more important than ever, so if your brand is important to you, you need a unique design for your site.
Any WordPress project should have a design stage where you are shown sketches, visuals and design for your site before it suddenly appears online.
The design process for websites is much the same as for printed material, but there’s more to consider in terms of information architecture, user experience, responsiveness and so on.
At the very least, you should expect to see some initial concept designs (that don’t look like every other website the designer has produced).
It’s often the most anticipated part of the project, and everyone wants to see what their shiny new site is going to look like.
The WordPress design is important, but it’s just one part of the process.
The design of your WordPress site should be guided by research and planning before you dive into the creative work.
Everything about your website design needs to be visitor-focused. This means:
Some clients I work with become too focused on that thing ‘that just has to be in the design’. Often, this can be a personal preference that has little to do with visitors or the site’s performance.
This is fair enough, creativity is subjective, but let’s make decisions on data, best practices, and the visitor rather than if you want a picture of your cat on the website.
I’ve answered a few of the most common ones here. I’m happy to help if you have any other questions; just drop me an email: support@kudawp.com
It depends on the scope. A straightforward brochure site with a custom theme starts from around $750 to $3,500. More complex builds with WooCommerce, custom plugins or extensive content architecture will be more. I always provide a detailed, fixed quote before any work begins so there are no surprises.
Yes. I build custom blocks and configure the block editor to work well for each project. I can also build with ACF Flexible Content or other content management approaches depending on what suits your team’s workflow best.
Yes. I’ve built and maintained a large number of WooCommerce stores. Custom product templates, checkout flow optimisation, payment gateway setup, shipping integrations and performance tuning are all part of what I do. I also offer dedicated e-commerce development as a service.
Yes. I offer monthly maintenance plans covering updates, security monitoring, backups, performance checks and priority support. I also offer longer-term development support for feature work, structural improvements and ongoing WordPress changes.
Yes, this happens more often than you’d think. I can audit what’s been done, identify what needs fixing and either finish the project properly or rebuild it. I’ll be honest about the state of things and what it’ll take to get it right.
Yes. I’m happy to work with existing page builder setups, and for some projects they’re a good fit, particularly when a client needs to make frequent layout changes independently. For new builds I generally prefer custom-coded themes because they tend to be faster, lighter and easier to maintain long-term. We can talk through which approach suits your situation.
Yes, I do this regularly. I’ll preserve your content, maintain your SEO value with proper redirects, and give you a cleaner, faster foundation to build on going forward.
A typical brochure site takes four to eight weeks depending on complexity and how quickly content and feedback are provided. WooCommerce builds and more complex projects may take longer. I’ll give you a realistic timeline during the planning stage.
Yes. WordPress performance issues usually come down to plugin bloat, unoptimized images, poor caching, database bloat or inadequate hosting. I’ll diagnose the specific cause and improve it as planned development work. I also offer dedicated SEO and performance work for more comprehensive optimization.
Yes. I regularly work with agencies, designers and in-house marketing teams who need a dependable senior WordPress developer for builds, rebuilds, feature work or overflow support. I can slot into an existing process or run the technical side directly.
A budget-friendly option for small businesses or individuals seeking a professional web presence with essential features.
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Perfect for WordPress website owners who rely on their website’s uptime and health, but do not have the time or resource to fully maintain it themselves.
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WordPress web design, development, and SEO for the businesses that make Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky run.
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