Aardvark Web

What I build

Static websites. No database, no plugin stack, nothing rented by the month. Every site starts as a blank page, and I build it up by hand. I use Hugo to create HTML pages, styled with aardCSS, a CSS framework I tailored for this purpose.

“Static” means every page is a plain file. It’s already built and ready to serve. A database doesn’t have to create it every time someone visits. That’s most of the appeal, really. There’s nothing to keep updating. Nothing that breaks when a plugin is discontinued or hacked. No login page for someone to try their luck against.

What you get is a set of ordinary web files that will still open in a browser in twenty years.

And if you’re no longer happy with my service, you can be confident you can download the files that make your site and host them somewhere else with minimal changes. You only need to stay with me as your dev and your host if you’re happy with the service I’m providing. Nothing is stopping you from leaving. I hope you won’t, and I’ll aim to provide a service that makes you decide not to.

Recent work

All of these are live. “End to end” means I did the design, build, deployment and hosting. “Rebuild” means the look and the words were already there, and everything underneath is new and mine.

Fidget Music

Client rebuild: their design and copy, my code

A record label's site, rebuilt from a broken CMS. Faster responses, better security, and stronger SEO and marketing.

Fidget Chart Awards

Client rebuild: their design and copy, my code

Independently verified chart award plaques for artists and labels, rebuilt from a broken CMS for speed, security and search.

SCORE

Client site, end to end

Support for small charities and community groups across the Lichfield District.

Burntwood Spoonies Connect

Client site, end to end

A free peer support community for people with chronic illness and disability, and their carers.

AarDHD

My own site, end to end

Binaural beats and focus music for ADHD and autism.

Therapy Challenges

Client site, end to end

Independent person-centred counselling and supervision in Stratford-upon-Avon.

theaardvark

My own site, end to end

My own blog, covering film, food, music, politics and web dev.

Who it’s for

• Micro and small businesses,
• Sole traders, and
• Community groups, small not for profits, and new charities

If you want a website that just works - one that doesn’t need constant babysitting, won’t lock you into agency retainers, and won’t break every time some theme or plugin gets updated - this is for you.

People dealing with chronic illness, disability, or who are neurodivergent are a particular interest of mine to work with. I want to build sites that are genuinely accessible for that audience, not just tick-box accessible.

Working with business owners who want something low-effort to live with, without being talked down to, motivates me.

That’s not a marketing angle. It’s where a fair bit of my own life sits. I’m AuDHD, a trustee of a community hall, a founding member of a peer support group for “Spoonies” and a local councillor with a passion for helping those who just want to help others.

Where things stand

I’ve been building websites for years, first for fun and to teach myself the trade, and now for other people. Client sites are live. Fidget Music and Fidget Chart Awards were both rebuilt from a broken CMS and now run faster and more securely, with search and marketing built in from the start. SCORE and Burntwood Spoonies Connect are live as well, and so is Prince Cleaning.

I’m still learning, same as anyone who’s good at a technical trade. I’m not a ten-year agency. I’m one person, being careful, who won’t hand over something that isn’t right. As I approach retirement, I’m building a business around what I’ve taught myself.

Get in touch