Essential · Hand-coded HTML/CSS
A proper web presence.
Built in a week.
For small businesses that need a website that looks right, loads fast and ranks on Google. Hand-coded. No page builders. No monthly plugin fees.
What it costs
| Site size | Price range |
|---|---|
| Small | R9,000 – R15,000 |
| Medium | R16,000 – R28,000 |
| Large | R30,000 – R50,000 |
Exact quote depends on content, functionality and how much of the existing material can be reused. Quote lands within 48 hours of your brief.
What's included
- Hand-coded responsive layout. Works on every phone, tablet and desktop
- Clean, semantic HTML5 + modern CSS. No framework bloat
- SEO foundation: meta, schema markup, sitemap, robots, llms.txt
- Performance-tuned. Target Lighthouse ≥ 90 on mobile
- WebP image optimisation with JPG fallbacks
- Accessibility baseline. WCAG 2.2 AA
- Google Analytics 4 setup + basic event tracking
- Deployed, tested and handed over
What's not included
- A CMS. You want a CMS, that's Publisher tier.
- An online store. That's Commerce.
- Ongoing content updates (can be added as a retainer).
How it runs
Process
- 01
Conversation
We talk about your business, your audience, what the site needs to do.
- 02
Brief & quote
I send you a written brief with scope, timeline and fixed quote. No surprises.
- 03
Design & build
I design, you see it at 40% and 90%. Two rounds of structured feedback.
- 04
Review
Final review. You approve. I deploy.
- 05
Handover
You own everything. Code, assets, domain, analytics.
Questions, straight answers
How fast can a small site actually launch?
Seven working days for a 3–5 page Essential site, assuming you have content ready. If content isn't ready, I'll help scope that and adjust the timeline honestly.
Do you handle hosting?
I help you set up hosting with a reputable SA or international provider. I don't resell hosting. You own the account and the relationship. Typical monthly cost: R80–R200.
What about SEO?
Every Essential site ships with a proper SEO foundation: meta, schema, sitemap, llms.txt, semantic markup, fast load. That gets you indexed well. Ongoing keyword work and content writing sits outside the base tier.
Can I edit the site myself later?
Essential sites are hand-coded, so edits are done by a developer. If you need to post updates yourself, Publisher (WordPress) is the right tier.
What if my site needs to grow later?
Essential is designed to extend. Adding pages or moving to a CMS later is straightforward. You own the code.
Do you do copywriting?
I can, for an additional fee based on word count. Most clients provide their own copy; I'll give honest feedback on what's working.
Ready to brief me?
Send the brief. Reply within 24 hours.
Full 7-field form on the contact page. Or WhatsApp +27 82 496 3849 / email webcontact@skilld.design.