BESPOKE WEBSITES — NEXT.JS + PAYLOAD CMS
A custom-coded website, with no builder telling you what you can’t do
Our premium website option: designed from scratch and hand-built in Next.js, with Payload CMS so your team edits content easily. Exceptional speed, clean SEO foundations, and no monthly platform subscription to Wix or Webflow.
Built for Core Web VitalsNo builder limitationsNo platform subscription
THE PREMIUM OPTION
WordPress, Wix and Webflow all ask you to design within their limits. A bespoke Next.js build has none, the design is drawn first, then coded exactly, on the fastest foundation we can give a website.
Who bespoke Next.js websites are for
This is the right choice when the website matters enough to be built properly, and a builder’s ceiling would cost you more than the extra budget does.
The website is a serious commercial asset and you want it built, not assembled
You have a brand or a bespoke design that a template would flatten
Speed matters, to your visitors, your ad spend and your search rankings
You want advanced animation and interaction without the page-weight penalty
Your content doesn't fit a builder's fixed field types, services, locations, guides, case studies
You want to own the code and the database, with no platform fee to stay online
You expect the site to grow, more pages, more integrations, more traffic, for years
A bespoke build may be overkill if…
We’d rather save you money than sell you the biggest option. If one of these is you, we’ll point you elsewhere.
Budget is the deciding factor and a simple brochure site would genuinely do
You need to be live in a fortnight
You want to drag layout around yourself, not just edit content
The site depends on a specific WordPress plugin or a Wix booking feature
What you actually need is a CRM, dashboard or internal tool, that's Business Systems
Key benefits
What you actually get for choosing the custom-coded route.
Bespoke design, no builder ceiling
The design is drawn for your brand and then coded exactly. Nothing gets compromised because a platform can't render it.
Exceptional performance
No theme, no plugin stack, no editor runtime. Pages are pre-built and served from a global edge network, so they load close to instantly.
Core Web Vitals as a build target
LCP, INP and CLS measured as we go, not audited after launch. Fast on mid-range phones and mobile data, which is where your traffic is.
SEO-friendly architecture
Server-rendered pages, clean URLs, per-page metadata, structured data, sitemaps and redirects built into the foundation rather than bolted on.
Mobile-first development
Designed and built for the small screen first, then expanded, not a desktop layout squeezed down at the end.
Advanced animation and interaction
Scroll narratives, sequenced reveals, page transitions and interactive components written directly, with a page-weight budget.
Flexible content structures
Payload CMS shaped around your real content, with no item limits or field-count tiers to upgrade past.
Integrations without workarounds
CRM, booking, payments, analytics, ERP, connected through proper APIs rather than a plugin that half fits.
Scales with you
Traffic spikes, new sections, new languages, new integrations, the architecture is designed to be added to, not replaced.
Next.js and Payload CMS, in plain English
Two names you don’t need to care about, doing two jobs you do. One builds the website your visitors see; the other gives your team a simple place to change what’s on it.
Next.js — the website itself
Think of it as the difference between a made-to-measure suit and one off the rack. Next.js is the framework the biggest sites on the web are built with, and it lets us write the site by hand rather than assembling it from a builder’s blocks. Pages are pre-built and served from a fast global network, so they appear almost instantly, which visitors feel, and Google measures.
Pages pre-rendered and served from a global network, fast anywhere
Only the code your site needs, so nothing slows the page down
Server-rendered HTML that search engines read cleanly
Built with the same framework used by some of the largest sites online
Payload CMS — where you edit
Payload is your private admin area: log in, change the words and pictures, hit save, and the website updates. There’s no plugin list to keep an eye on and nothing to break. We shape the editing screens around your actual content, a services page has fields for services, not a wall of generic boxes, and you can build new pages from the sections we’ve designed for you.
One login, plain forms, save and publish, no plugin maintenance
Editing screens shaped around your content, not generic boxes
Build new pages from the designed sections we hand over
Draft previews, version history and roles for your team
This page is about customer-facing websites, marketing sites, brochure sites, content sites. If what you actually need is a CRM, an internal dashboard, workflow automation or operational software, that’s a different service with a different process.
Business Systems →Performance, Core Web Vitals and motion
This is where a hand-built site pulls clearly ahead of a builder. There’s no theme, no plugin stack and no editor runtime to ship, only the code your site needs. That headroom is what lets us add real animation without paying for it in load time.
LCP
INP
CLS
Core Web Vitals as a target, not a hope
LCP, INP and CLS measured through the build, not checked at the end. Images sized and served in modern formats, fonts loaded without layout shift, JavaScript kept to what earns its place.
Advanced animation and interaction
Scroll narratives, sequenced reveals, page transitions and interactive elements written directly, not approximated with whatever a builder’s interaction panel allows.
Mobile-first, on real devices
Designed for the small screen first, then opened up. Tap targets, sticky actions and image weight tested on mid-range phones and mobile data, not just a fast laptop.
Images optimised and served responsivelyFonts loaded without layout shiftMotion kept inside a page-weight budgetRespects reduced-motion settingsTested on real mid-range phonesLighthouse and field data checked pre-launch
SEO architecture, integrations and room to grow
The parts of a custom build that pay off in year two, not just at launch.
SEO foundations
Server-rendered pages, per-page titles and descriptions, canonical tags, Open Graph images, structured data, automatic sitemaps and 301 redirects on migration.
Set up as part of the build
Information architecture
A URL and page structure planned around what your buyers actually search for, with room for service and location pages to expand into.
Planned before a line of code
API and third-party integrations
HubSpot, Salesforce, Stripe, Calendly, Mailchimp, review platforms, booking systems and internal tools, connected properly through their APIs.
Only what earns its place
Forms and enquiry capture
Custom multi-step or conditional forms with validation, spam protection, notifications, auto-replies and CRM handoff.
Tested end to end
Scalability
Edge caching and incremental rebuilds mean a traffic spike costs you nothing, and new sections get added without a rebuild.
Designed to grow
Multi-language and multi-region
Locale routing, translated content structures and region-specific metadata where you sell in more than one market.
Scoped as required
Deployment on Vercel, managed by us
Every change previewed on its own URL before going live, then deployed with instant rollback. Infrastructure, SSL and CDN handled on your plan.
One invoice from us
Ownership
The code, the content database and the domain are yours. No platform can raise a subscription on you or change what your site is allowed to do.
Yours to keep
What’s included in a bespoke build
Custom code is only worth paying for if it’s maintainable. Every build ships with a documented component system, a CMS shaped around your content, and a handover that leaves you able to run it.
Request a quoteDiscovery and a page structure planned around search intent and enquiry flow
A bespoke design for every key template, signed off before build
A documented component system so the site stays consistent and extensible
Hand-coded Next.js build, mobile-first, breakpoint by breakpoint
Payload CMS with content structures modelled on your business
Designed page sections your team can arrange into new pages
Animation and interaction built to a page-weight budget
On-page SEO: metadata, headings, structured data, sitemap, redirects
Forms, analytics, tracking and integrations tested end to end
Accessibility pass and Core Web Vitals check before launch
Deployment on Vercel, plus a walkthrough and a written guide for your team
Websites we build this way
All customer-facing: the site your buyers, candidates and investors land on.
Premium marketing websites
The site behind your ad spend and your sales conversations, fast, distinctive and measurable.
Brand and portfolio sites
Studios, architects, developers and manufacturers whose work deserves to be shown properly.
Multi-service and multi-location sites
Dozens of service and location pages generated from structured content, all consistent and all indexable.
Content and resource hubs
Insight libraries, guides, case studies and news with real editorial structure and internal linking.
Recruitment and careers sites
Employer-brand sites with job listings, application flows and ATS integration.
Replatforming from WordPress, Wix or Webflow
Rebuilt bespoke with URLs, redirects and rankings carried across carefully.
Interaction-led brand sites
Scroll narratives, product tours and animated brand moments, budgeted as a Bespoke Build.
See Bespoke Build pricing →Multi-region marketing sites
Locale routing, translated structures and region-specific SEO for businesses selling in more than one market.
Ask about localisation →Not a website?
CRMs, internal dashboards, workflow automation and operational software are a separate service with a separate process.
See Business Systems →Content structures shaped around your business
Builders hand you a fixed set of field types and a page builder that fights your layout. Here we define the structures with you, services, locations, case studies, team, guides, whatever your business actually has, and give you designed page sections you can arrange yourself.
Services, locations, case studies, team, jobs, guides, defined as your own structures
Relationships between them, so one edit updates every page an item appears on
Designed page sections your team arranges into new landing pages
Draft previews and version history before anything goes live
Roles and permissions, so the right people publish
Media library with automatic image optimisation on upload
No item limits, no field-count tiers and no plan upgrade when you grow, the structure is yours, in your own database.
Payload CMS admin screen preview
Our development process
Five steps. A bespoke build typically runs four to eight weeks depending on scope.
STEP 1
Discovery & scope
Understand the business, the buyers and the content, then confirm a bespoke build is genuinely the right call.
STEP 2
Architecture & design
Sitemap, URL structure and copy hierarchy, then bespoke designs for every key template for sign-off.
STEP 3
Build in Next.js
Component system, page templates, Payload structures, animation and integrations, mobile-first throughout.
STEP 4
Content & QA
Load content, tune motion and SEO fields, then accessibility, performance and cross-device testing.
STEP 5
Launch & handover
Deploy to Vercel with domain, redirects and analytics, then train your team on Payload.
A recent bespoke build
From problem to result.
Halden & Rowe homepage preview
Next.jsPayload CMSVercel
Halden & Rowe
A multi-location consultancy had outgrown a plugin-heavy WordPress site: slow on mobile, a page builder nobody trusted, and no clean way to add a new office or service. We rebuilt it as a bespoke Next.js site with Payload structures for locations, services and case studies, so new pages get created from designed sections in minutes.
Result
Green Core Web Vitals on mobile, and a site the team extends without us
Sitemate Hosting & Care
A custom site needs someone looking after it. We deploy to Vercel and manage the whole thing, infrastructure, updates, monitoring and small changes, on one monthly plan from £29/month. You keep the code and the domain either way.
Deployment and hosting
Your site runs on Vercel's global edge network under our management. SSL, CDN, backups and preview deployments included, nothing for you to configure or renew.
Updates and monitoring
Framework and dependency updates, uptime and performance monitoring, security patching and Core Web Vitals kept in the green as content grows.
Support and small changes
A named point of contact for content help, new page sections and small design changes, with larger work quoted separately.
Bespoke vs WordPress, Wix and Webflow
We build on all four, so there’s no incentive to oversell this one. Bespoke wins on design freedom, speed and long-term flexibility, with no platform subscription. It costs more up front and it isn’t the fastest route to live.
WordPress
CHOOSE THIS INSTEAD IF...
You publish at volume, depend on a plugin ecosystem or WooCommerce, or want a familiar admin your team already knows. Lower build cost, more maintenance.
WordPress websites →
Wix
CHOOSE THIS INSTEAD IF...
You want to be live fast on the lowest fixed price, edit layout yourself and need bookings out of the box. Least design control, subscription required.
Wix websites →
Webflow
CHOOSE THIS INSTEAD IF...
You want strong design control and a clean CMS at a lower build cost, and you're happy for Webflow to host it on a Site Plan you pay them for.
Webflow websites →
A quick read across the four
Three dots is strongest. For the full comparison including ongoing costs, see the platform comparison on our pricing page.
YOU’RE HERE
Bespoke (Next.js)
Premium, design-critical websites where speed and flexibility matter most.
WordPress
Flexible business websites that need strong content management and room to grow.
Wix
Small and local businesses that want to be live fast and run the site themselves.
Webflow
Design-led marketing websites with strong visual control and motion.
Design freedom
Performance
Animation & interaction
Content flexibility
Integrations & scale
Speed & cost to launch
Platform subscription
None required
None required
Required, paid to Wix
Required, paid to Webflow
Hosting provider
Vercel, managed by us
Sitemate Studio
Wix
Webflow
You own the code
Yes
Yes
No
Partly, static export only
Related services and pages
Where to go next, depending on what you’re weighing up.
Website Development
Our wider website design and development service, across every option we build on.
Learn more →
WordPress
The usual alternative when content volume, plugins or a familiar admin matter most.
Learn more →
Wix
The faster, cheaper route for a small business that wants to edit everything itself.
Learn more →
Webflow
Strong design control and a clean CMS, hosted by Webflow on a Site Plan.
Learn more →
Ecommerce Website Design & Development
Online stores built on Shopify or WooCommerce, from catalogue to checkout.
Learn more →
Business Systems
CRMs, internal dashboards, workflow automation and operational software.
Learn more →
Hosting & Care
Managed hosting, updates, monitoring and support for the site once it's live.
Learn more →
Pricing
Build prices and ongoing costs for every platform, side by side.
Learn more →
Get a Quote
Tell us what you need and we'll come back within one business day.
Learn more →
Industries we build bespoke sites for:Professional servicesDesign & creative studiosManufacturing & B2BPlumbersAll industries
Common questions about bespoke websites
What does “bespoke” actually mean here?
It means the website is designed for your business and then written as code, rather than built inside a website builder's editor. There's no theme, no template and no set of blocks defining what's possible, if we can design it, we can build it. We use Next.js for the site itself and Payload CMS for the admin area where your team edits content.
Why would I choose this over WordPress, Wix or Webflow?
Three reasons, usually. Design: nothing gets compromised to fit a platform. Speed: with no theme or plugin overhead, a hand-built site is consistently faster, which shows up in Core Web Vitals and conversion. Cost of ownership: there's no Wix or Webflow subscription required to keep the site online, and no plan tier capping your pages or CMS items. It costs more to build, so if a simple brochure site would genuinely do, we'll say so.
Do I need to be technical to update the site?
No. You log in to Payload, change the words or pictures, and save. It's closer to filling in a form than using a page builder, and the screens are shaped around your content, a services page has fields for services. We hand over a walkthrough and a short written guide for the edits you'll make most.
How much does a bespoke website cost?
Our Standard Build starts at a fixed £1,795 for one core custom-coded website with a bespoke design, Payload CMS, mobile-first responsive build and on-page SEO foundations. Larger sites, advanced animation, deeper integrations and multi-language work are scoped and quoted as a Bespoke Build. Full detail is on our pricing page.
Is there a monthly subscription?
No platform subscription, that's one of the main advantages over Wix and Webflow. There is a hosting and care plan from £29/month if you want us running the infrastructure, updates, monitoring and small changes, which most clients do for a custom build. That's billed by us, on one invoice.
How long does a bespoke build take?
Typically four to eight weeks depending on scope, against two to three weeks for a Standard Build on Wix, Webflow or WordPress. The extra time goes into design sign-off, the component system and QA. If you need to be live sooner than that, say so early and we'll talk about the alternatives.
Will it be good for SEO?
Yes, the architecture is one of the strongest reasons to build this way. Pages are server-rendered so search engines read them cleanly, and metadata, structured data, canonical tags, sitemaps and redirects are part of the foundation. Speed helps too. Rankings still come mostly from structure, content and links, so we plan the URL and page structure around what your buyers search for.
Can you move my existing site over?
Yes, and it's a common project. We audit the current site, map every URL, rebuild the pages properly, migrate content into Payload structures and put 301 redirects in place so rankings carry across. We quote it once we've seen the size of what exists.
Who owns the code and the content?
You do. The codebase, the content database and the domain are yours, and we can hand the repository over at any point. You're not locked into us, and no platform can change the terms of your site staying online.
Can it handle e-commerce or customer logins?
For a small product range or a simple gated area, sometimes yes, we'll scope it. For a serious catalogue with stock control and fulfilment we'd point you to our dedicated e-commerce service instead, and for customer accounts, dashboards or internal tooling that's Business Systems rather than a website project.
What if my needs change in a year?
That's the point of building it this way. New sections, new content structures, new integrations and new languages get added to the existing architecture rather than fought against or replaced. Nothing caps you at a plan tier.
Ready for a website built exactly your way?
Tell us what the site has to do and we'll tell you straight whether a bespoke build is worth it, or whether WordPress, Wix or Webflow would serve you better.
Request a quote