Custom Web Design & Development

For the projects a template cannot carry. Next.js, headless WordPress and platform migrations, where speed and control genuinely justify a developer being involved.

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Preston Vawdrey, web developer, seated at a desk in a bright office

Custom Development Services I Offer

Next.js & Headless

Modern React sites on Next.js and Vercel when speed and control matter, including headless WordPress setups that keep the editor your team already knows.

Platform Migrations

Moving between WordPress, Shopify and custom stacks with the redirect map, structured data and rankings handled rather than hoped for.

Custom Functionality

The calculators, portals, integrations and booking flows that a page builder cannot carry without becoming a liability.

Performance Engineering

Core Web Vitals treated as an engineering problem, because a fast site earns rankings and a slow one quietly loses conversions.

How a Custom Build Works

Scope

We establish what the site has to do that an off-the-shelf build cannot, which is the only reason to be here.

Architect

Stack, hosting and data model chosen against what you will actually maintain after I hand it over.

Build

Shipped in stages on a staging environment, so you see progress rather than waiting for a reveal.

Launch & Hand Over

Redirects, tracking and documentation done properly, and the whole thing in your accounts and your name.

Custom Web Development FAQs

When is a custom build worth it over WordPress or Shopify?

When the site has to do something the platform fights you on: unusual data, real integrations, or speed requirements a theme cannot meet. If a good theme will do the job, I will tell you, because a custom build is more to maintain.

What stack do you build on?

Mostly Next.js deployed on Vercel, sometimes with headless WordPress behind it so your team keeps the editor they know. The choice follows the project rather than a preference.

Will I be locked into you afterwards?

No. The code lives in your repository, the hosting is in your account, and you get documentation. If you want someone else to take it on later, they can.

Can you migrate an existing site without losing rankings?

Yes, and the redirect map is the part that decides it. Every old URL needs a 301 to its closest equivalent, and structured data and internal links need to survive the move. Done properly, rankings usually recover within weeks.

From the Blog

Web Design

Vibe Coding a Headless WordPress Migration: From Vite SPA to Next.js + Vercel + SiteGround

How GLM 5.2 and opencode handled a security pass and a three-domain headless WordPress migration plan for Draftly.blog in a single AI session.

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Web Design

WordPress Web Design Beginners Guide: Setup and Best Practices

A simple WordPress web design guide for beginners. The three habits that prevent rookie mistakes and the four steps to launch a site from scratch.

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Web Design

How to Save Money on WordPress Web Design Without Cutting Corners

You do not need a $20,000 budget to launch a great WordPress site. Here is how I help small business clients get pro results on a small budget.

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Got Something a Template Cannot Carry?

Tell me what the site has to do, and I will tell you honestly whether it needs a custom build.

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