04.01Grow
Website design and development
Website design and development from Hot Rocket Software, a team of software, website and digital marketing specialists based in the UK, with 19 years in IT. eCommerce, bespoke, trade, brochure and public sector websites, plus portals and redesigns: fast, accessible and built to be found in Google and AI search.
04.01.0
What is website design and development?
A good website makes it easy for the right people to trust you, buy from you or get in touch. We build every kind: online shops, bespoke sites that take bookings, give quotes and sign customers in, trade and local service sites, web portals, simple brochure sites and large public sector sites. Each one loads fast on a phone, meets accessibility standards, is easy for you to update and is set up from day one to be found on Google and in AI assistants. We designed, built and host this site ourselves.
04.01.1
Who is it for?
- Trades and local services that need the phone to ring: electricians, plumbers, builders, cleaners
- Shops and brands selling online, from a first shop to a large catalogue
- Professional firms, clinics and venues that need bookings, quotes, customer accounts or CRM links
- Companies replacing a slow template site that does not bring in enquiries
- Software companies that need a site technical buyers will respect
- Large companies, local authorities and NHS organisations that need accessibility, security and many editors done properly
04.01.2
Every kind of website, not just simple ones
From a five-page site for a local firm to a large online shop or a customer portal. Pick the one closest to you.
JUMP TO eCommerce websites · Bespoke websites with functionality · Trade and local service websites · Web apps and portals · Brochure and small business websites · Redesigns and migrations · Ongoing care
W1
eCommerce websites
Online shops, from a few products to large catalogues.
WHAT YOU GET A shop your customers can browse and pay on from their phone, with stock, orders and delivery handled behind the scenes, on Shopify or built custom.
- Product catalogue and search
- Card, wallet and pay-later payments
- Stock and order management
- Delivery rates and click-and-collect
- Shopify, or custom and headless
- Links to your accounts and stock systems
W2
Bespoke websites with functionality
Professional websites that do real work, not just display pages.
WHAT YOU GET A site designed around your business that takes bookings, gives quotes, signs customers in and feeds your CRM, with a content system so your team can edit it.
- Bookings and calendars
- Customer accounts and portals
- Quotes and price calculators
- CRM and email integration
- AI chat and lead qualification
- Multilingual sites
- A CMS your team can edit
W3
Trade and local service websites
For electricians, plumbers, builders, cleaners and other local services.
WHAT YOU GET A site that gets the phone ringing: clear services, the areas you cover, your reviews, and quote, call and WhatsApp buttons that work with one thumb.
- Quote request forms
- Reviews shown properly
- Service area pages
- Google Business Profile set-up
- Call and WhatsApp buttons
- A ready-made trade theme to start from
W4
Web apps and portals
When the website is really software: portals, dashboards and online tools.
WHAT YOU GET Software that runs in the browser for customers or staff, such as a client portal, an online application process or a dashboard, built and supported by the same team.
- Secure sign-in and user roles
- Customer and supplier portals
- Online forms and applications
- Dashboards and reports
- Integration with your systems
W5
Brochure and small business websites
A clear, fast site that says what you do and how to get in touch.
WHAT YOU GET A handful of well-written pages that load fast, look right on a phone and make it easy to contact you, without paying for features you do not need.
- Home, services, about and contact pages
- Contact forms that reach you
- Simple editing
- Search basics built in
- Room to grow later
W6
Redesigns and migrations
Moving an old or slow site on, without losing what already works.
WHAT YOU GET A new design and build that keeps your search rankings, links and content, moved across carefully from WordPress, Wix, Squarespace or an older custom system.
- Audit of the current site
- Content and URL mapping
- Redirects so old links keep working
- Search traffic checked after launch
- Moves between platforms
WHAT YOU GET Your site kept fast, secure, backed up and up to date, with small changes made for you and regular checks on search performance.
- Hosting and backups
- Security updates and monitoring
- Speed checks
- SEO and AI search checks
- Small changes on request
Built in Every site we build, whatever its size, is built for speed, accessibility (WCAG 2.2 AA), search engines and AI search from the first day.
04.01.3
Build your website, as an example
Tick what your website should do. The line work draws each feature onto a sketch, and the list shows what would be included. An example only: not a quote.
ExampleRuns in your browser
Loading the example…
04.01.4
Website styles we build
Concepts are original designs we made for fictional brands, to show styles we can build for you. Each one is a working page you can try on your phone.
The brands in our concepts are invented. Nothing is for sale and no form sends anything. See all our concept websites.
04.01.5
From a small business to a large organisation
The same team takes on a single tool for a small business and long-running work for large companies and the public sector. Here is what each end looks like.
For a small business
A clear, fast website for a local business or trade that makes it easy to call, message or ask for a quote.
For large companies and the public sector
Large and complex websites for companies and the public sector: many contributors, accessibility to WCAG 2.2 AA, integrations and careful migration.
- eCommerce and headless commerce
- Public sector websites
- Content migration and redirects
- Multi-site and multilingual platforms
04.01.6
What you get
- 01A short plan: who the site is for, what they need to find and what you want them to do
- 02Page designs you can click through on your phone before anything is built
- 03A site built for the job: a shop, bookings, quotes, customer accounts, CRM links, AI chat or several languages, as you need
- 04Fast, accessible (WCAG 2.2 AA) and tested on real phones
- 05Search basics built in: page titles, structured data, sitemap and clean links
- 06A simple way to edit your own pages, or a support plan if you would rather we did it
- 07Hosting, backups, security updates and a handover session
04.01.7
How we approach it
Chat
What your business does, who your customers are and what is not working today.
Plan
The pages, the words that matter and how people will get in touch.
Design
Designs you can try on your phone, changed until they feel right.
Build
Custom code, tested for speed, accessibility and search before launch.
Look after
Updates, backups and small changes, so the site stays current.
04.01.8
Typical stack
04.01.9
Questions
Do you only build simple websites?
No. We build simple sites when that is what you need, and we also build online shops, bespoke sites with bookings, quotes, customer accounts and CRM links, trade sites, web portals and large sites for companies and the public sector.
Why custom-built rather than a template?
A template is a fine starting point for some businesses, and we will say so if it suits you. Custom-built makes sense when you want the site to load fast, look like nobody else's, be fully accessible and do something specific such as bookings, quotes or a customer area. You also own the code outright.
Can you build an online shop?
Yes. We build shops on Shopify when that suits you, and custom or headless shops when you need more control, unusual pricing or links to your own stock and accounts systems.
Will I be able to update the website myself?
Yes. We set up simple editing for the pages you change often, such as news, services and prices, and show you how to use it. If you would rather not, a support plan covers changes for you.
Do you write the words and provide photos?
We can help with the words, and we always edit them so they read clearly. Photos work best when they are real: your team, your work, your premises. We can advise on what to take and arrange a photographer if needed.
How long does a new website take?
It depends on the number of pages and features. After a first chat we give you a written plan and a timeline before you commit to anything.
04.01.10
What could this look like for you?
Example ideas, not client case studies.
- Instant quote builder: Customers answer a few questions on your website and get a ballpark price.
- A website that is quick on a phone: A clear, fast website that loads quickly on a phone signal and makes getting in touch easy.
T+99Next step
Talk it through with us
A free 30-minute first chat, with no obligation. Tell us what is getting in the way; we tell you honestly what we would do, roughly what it would take, and whether it is worth doing at all.