Malvern has always been a wonderful place for small businesses. It has drawn artists, musicians and makers for generations, it is full of brilliant independents, and the people here really do love to support them. So if you are setting up or growing a business in Malvern, why not have a local studio who truly cares be the one to build your website?
I lived in Malvern my whole life before we moved just over the hills to Suckley, so the town will always feel like home to me. We are Bear Left Studio, a small husband and wife studio, and Malvern sits right at the heart of everything we do.
What a good local business website needs
Before I say a word about us, here is the properly useful part. Whether you build your site yourself or have someone do it for you, a small business website tends to need the same handful of things to work hard for you:
- A clear message in the first few seconds, so a visitor knows what you do and who you help
- A mobile-ready design, because most people will find you on their phone
- Fast, reliable hosting, so pages load quickly and stay online
- An obvious way to get in touch, with a phone number, a contact form and click-to-call
- Warm, honest copy that sounds like you, not a brochure
- Real photos of you, your team and your work, rather than stock images of strangers
- A simple, sensible structure, so people find what they need without hunting
- The basics of local SEO built in, so the right people nearby can find you
You do not need all of it on day one, and a single strong page can do a great deal. The point is to start with the things that actually bring enquiries in.
A quick checklist before you brief a designer
A little preparation makes the whole thing smoother, and usually cheaper. Before you approach anyone to build your site, it helps to have these ready:
- The three or four things you most want your website to do
- Any logo, colours or brand bits you already have
- Your domain name sorted, or the one you would like (a .co.uk or .uk is worth checking on Nominet)
- The pages you think you need, home, about, services and contact are a good start
- Any photos you have, or a note of where new ones are needed
- A few sites you love, and a few you do not, with a note of why
- A rough, honest budget, so you get options that actually fit
- Your Google Business Profile claimed or tidied up
Even a rough version of this saves time, and it helps any designer, us or otherwise, give you a straight answer.
Built to be found around Malvern
A beautiful website is lovely, however it also needs to bring people in. So alongside the design, we build every site to be found by the right people locally, and we will gently nudge you to keep your Google Business Profile filled in and a steady trickle of reviews coming, because that is the real engine of local business. It is the loveliest, simplest thing you can do to help Malvern find you.
As local to Malvern as it gets
There are plenty of people who will tell you they cover Malvern… some of them are based a long way off, and you would never actually meet them. We are the opposite. Because we are so close, we can pop in and visit your business before we even start building, or meet for a coffee in Great Malvern or here in Suckley at The Glasshouse Cafe (their coffee is worth the trip alone!).
That closeness is really the whole point. We build close working relationships with all our clients, and many of them have become good friends. We support each other, we recommend each other, and we love championing the local independents who make this area what it is, from The Hop Shed just up the road in Suckley, to Vasai in Great Malvern, Do-Be-Do forest bathing and Spotless Malvern. When you work with us, you are part of that little network, not just another job number.
Which website suits your Malvern business?
One of the loveliest things about what we do is that there is a right-sized option for every stage, from a first single page to a full online shop. Here is how the main packages compare and who each one suits:
| Package | From | Best for | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Express Website | £300 + VAT | A brand-new business that needs one strong page to begin | A single custom-designed scrolling page, mobile-ready, with an SEO foundation and a dedicated design day |
| Essential Website | £550 + VAT | An early-stage local business wanting a simple, stunning foothold | Up to 4 pages, home, about, services and contact, all mobile-ready |
| Lead Generation Website | £1,400 + VAT | A business ready to turn visitors into real enquiries | Up to 12 pages with built-in lead generators, contact forms, click-to-call and persuasive copy |
| Ecommerce Setup | £2,000 + VAT | A business ready to start selling online | WordPress and WooCommerce, up to 20 products loaded, secure checkout and payments |
Payment plans are available on every option, and hosting starts at £13.95 a month, so it is easy to spread the cost. If you would like the full picture, I have written a proper honest guide to what a website costs too.
Logo and branding in Malvern too
Plenty of Malvern businesses come to us for their whole look, not only their site. My background is in design, so I love the branding side just as much.
- Logo design from £950, always hand-drawn on paper first, with a full logo suite and a branding guide
- A Brand Intensive for a complete new brand or rebrand, with strategy, coaching and collateral all built together
- Branded everything else, and I do mean everything, from business cards and brochures to shop fronts, wine labels and exhibition stands
If your brand needs a proper bit of love as well as a website, take a look at our logo design and Brand Intensive pages.
What working with us is like
We do things a little differently, and our clients tend to love it. Rather than juggling lots of projects at once, I work with one client at a time, in a focused Design Intensive, with your launch date agreed before we even start. There is no guesswork about when your site goes live, and no project that drifts on for months.
Every website is built from scratch, never dropped into a template, and every design starts life on paper before it goes near a screen. I am a highly sensitive person and a bit of an empath, which sounds like a funny thing to put on a web design page (bear with me!), but it means I really listen, I notice what is not being said, and I draw out the true heart of your business. That is why clients so often well up a little when they first see their finished site… it feels like them.
Have a wander through our portfolio to see how it all comes together, then, if it feels right, we can have a proper chat.
Other things you might be wondering…
How much does a website cost with you?
It depends on the size, however our options start at £300 plus VAT for a single Express page and rise to £2,000 plus VAT for a full ecommerce setup. Payment plans are available on all of them, and every price is on our website for you to see.
Do I need to be in Malvern to work with you?
Not at all. We are just over the hills in Suckley, so we love working with Malvern businesses, however we also look after clients across the UK and even a few abroad. Near or far, the care is the same.
Can we meet in person, or is it all online?
Both work beautifully. Being local means we can pop in to see you or meet for a coffee if you would like to, and plenty of our build happens over video calls too.
Do you build the website and then disappear?
Never. Your site is the start of a relationship, not the end of a job. We host and look after it, and we are here whenever you need us as your business grows.
Will my website help me get found on Google?
Yes, that is baked in. We build every site to be found locally, and we will help you make the most of your Google Business Profile and reviews, which is where a lot of the local magic really happens.
Say hello
If you are a Malvern business looking for a website designer who is properly local, actually cares and will pick up the phone, I would love to hear from you. The most important thing for me is just to talk to you and understand what you are hoping to build, so send me a quick WhatsApp message or say hello on the contact page, and we will see if we are a good fit. No pressure, just a friendly chat over the hills.
