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WordPress websites built to perform, not just look pretty

Custom Astra child themes, ACF Pro for content editing, no Elementor, no page builders. The kind of WordPress you can actually update without breaking.

A few of the many businesses we've worked with, big and small

WordPress development work in progress

Why custom WordPress beats template

Off-the-shelf WordPress themes are quick to ship and cheap to start with. They’re also slow, hard to maintain, and look identical to thousands of other sites built on the same template.

A custom theme costs more up front but pays back fast. Faster page loads. Better SEO foundations. Cleaner admin experience. No plugin conflicts when WordPress updates. Easier to extend when your needs change.

We build every WordPress site as an Astra child theme. Astra is the lightweight parent doing the heavy lifting. The child theme is yours: custom layouts, custom CSS, custom functionality, no compromises.

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  • Sub-2.5s page loads

    Custom themes load 3x faster than Elementor. Better Core Web Vitals, better rankings, better conversions.

  • Built to last

    No page builders to abandon you in two years. Just standard PHP and clean code that any WP developer can pick up.

  • Easy to edit

    ACF Pro gives you simple field editors for every section. Add a paragraph, swap an image, edit a heading. No code.

Building a lead-generating digital presence for Entire Renewables

Building a lead-generating digital presence for Entire Renewables

WordPress build from the ground up. Local SEO aimed at people actively looking for solar installs across the North West.

  • 3x more enquiries
  • 68% organic growth
Read the case study

What we build with WordPress

The capabilities we use day-to-day on WordPress projects.

  • Custom theme builds

    Astra child themes written in PHP. No Elementor, no Divi, no page builders.

  • ACF Pro integration

    Field-based editing for every page section. Easy for non-technical clients.

  • Custom post types

    Portfolios, case studies, jobs, products, locations. Bespoke content models.

  • Schema markup

    Structured data baked into every template for richer search results.

  • WPML / Polylang

    Multi-language sites, including hreflang configuration for SEO.

  • Membership & gated content

    Paid Memberships Pro or custom role-based access for clients who need it.

  • WooCommerce integration

    Full ecommerce capability when you need to sell online.

  • Maintenance & security

    Patchstack monitoring, daily backups, monthly updates, uptime alerts.

The rest of the stack is the same on every build: The SEO Framework for search settings, LiteSpeed Cache, ShortPixel for images and UK green hosting.

Rhiannon and Darren Birch, founders of Cheshire Cat Marketing

The team building your WordPress site

Cheshire Cat Marketing is Rhiannon and Darren. We started in 2016 because we'd seen too many small businesses burn through agency budgets and end up with a slow site and a stack of invoices.

We build WordPress properly, by hand. You deal with a senior person who's actually doing the work, not an account manager relaying messages from a separate team.

  • Five-star rated, every review 57 reviews across Google and Facebook. Not one of them below five stars.
  • Award-winning Shortlisted more times than we can neatly list, and we've taken a good few home.
  • Everything done in-house No freelancers, no white-label, nobody you've never met touching your account.
  • Outspoken, honest support We'll tell you when something won't work, even when it'd be easier to take the money.
Read our full story

Certified to build on the platforms we recommend

Google Partner, Shopify Partner, Mailchimp Partner. We're officially certified across the platforms that matter for ecommerce growth.

Frequently asked questions

Why no Elementor or Divi?

Page builders create slow, brittle, hard-to-maintain sites. Page weight bloats. Updates break things. Migrations become nightmares. We build pages with proper PHP templates, which load 3-5x faster and never lock you in.

Will I be able to edit the site myself?

Yes. ACF Pro gives you simple field editors for every page. Edit a heading, swap an image, add a testimonial. No code, no fiddling with layouts. We build the structure, you control the content.

Can you migrate our existing WordPress site?

Yes. Off Elementor, Divi, WPBakery, Brizy, or stock themes. We rebuild the design properly, port the content, set up redirects, and switch DNS. Usually 4-8 weeks for a full migration.

Do you do WooCommerce too?

Yes. Most ecommerce projects we deliver are WooCommerce. We build custom themes for it, set up Brevo or Klaviyo email integrations, and configure all the usual extras (Stripe, Royal Mail, accounting integrations).

How long does a WordPress build take?

Brochure site, 4-6 weeks. Standard ecommerce, 8-12 weeks. Bigger or more complex builds run longer. The variable is content readiness on your end. We can write copy if needed; that adds time.

Do you provide ongoing maintenance?

Optional. Monthly maintenance covers WordPress core updates, plugin updates, Patchstack security monitoring, daily backups, uptime monitoring, and minor tweaks. Or you can manage updates yourself.

Five-star rated. WordPress builds clients love.

Real reviews from clients we've built for. No filtering, no pay-to-play.

5.0
57 five-star reviews
Shanel Nwosu
Shanel Nwosu 2 months ago

I just want to say, the guys over at Cheshire Cat Marketing are amazing! I couldn’t have asked for a better bunch of people to constantly be in contact with. Whether it was checking up on me and my business or being open to listening to my ever changing ideas! Everything in between too! I would recommend them to anyone wanting, social media or anything marketing wise for your business!

Megan Lawrence
Megan Lawrence 4 months ago

I’ve just phoned and spoken to Rhi, who has been absolutely incredible! I phoned to cheekily ask for some advice, as I am fundraising for a charity event. She was incredible, offering advice, guidance and ideas. The support was truly incredible and has allowed me now to hopefully generate more publicity and support for the event I am supporting.I am in awe of her friendly disposition and her generosity of her experience.Her entire demeanour was approachable and supportive and offered a true unique perspective, whilst being situational and economically aware.So pleased, and touched to have had such a wonderful and postive interaction and would encourage anyone to use their services again.

Emma Radcliffe
Emma Radcliffe a year ago

The Cheshire Cat team are fantastic. They really care about understanding your business and doing a great job. Each time they send me some posts to approve I'm always thrilled with the results - and with 20+ years marketing experience, I'm not an easy person to please! We've seen our followers steadily grow whilst we've been working with them - recommended!

Let's talk about your WordPress project

Book a free chat. We'll review what you've got and tell you honestly whether WordPress is the right fit.

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