Craft CMS enquiries from Rochdale generally mean one of two things: an install that's holding up but ignored, or one that's actively broken with whoever built it long gone.
Karl's the one who works on it, and only Karl. He's specialised in Craft CMS and ExpressionEngine since 2007. No account manager, no wider team.
He goes through the install properly before saying what it needs. Depending on what he finds, that's a fix, an upgrade, or an ongoing retainer.
Where we typically come in:
- Wholesalers running a Craft-built trade portal, where login access and tiered pricing need to keep functioning without drama.
- Engineering and industrial businesses with a site built for a specific purpose years ago and left alone since.
- Retailers reinvesting in their online presence as part of town centre regeneration, often picking up an ageing Craft install in the process.
- Businesses processing trade or retail payments through Stripe, an integration point that deserves the same scrutiny as the CMS.
- Owners who want to speak to the developer directly, not relay a problem through an account manager first.
How a typical engagement starts:
The trigger is usually specific, a stock sync that's stopped working, an overdue security patch, or nobody left who can explain a section of custom Twig logic. Karl looks at the real codebase and Composer setup before quoting, and these no-frills, functional sites tend to settle into steady monthly cover once the initial issue is dealt with.
Common questions Rochdale clients ask:
Does support work properly if you're not local to us?
Yes, it's all handled remotely, code, deployments, ongoing maintenance. Rochdale's reachable enough for the odd occasion an in-person conversation genuinely helps, it's just rarely necessary.
We've got trade pricing that changes by customer account, can Craft cope with that?
It handles it fine, but that logic is almost always custom-built rather than a plugin feature, which is exactly why it needs proper attention instead of assumptions.
Nobody currently on staff built the Craft site, is that unusual?
Not remotely, it's a common starting point. Mapping what's genuinely custom against standard plugin behaviour comes first, before anything changes.
How far behind on Craft is genuinely a concern?
Security first, regardless of version. Past that, older installs tend to run into plugins that have stopped being maintained, and that's the real problem come upgrade time.
Is the payment integration part of what you'd look after?
Yes, it's usually built straight into the templates rather than existing separately, so it needs the same attention as everything else.
How's the work priced?
Fixed cost for scoped project work, monthly retainer for anything ongoing. Agreed upfront either way.
What's worth covering first?
What the site actually does day to day, its current Craft version, and what's prompting the enquiry.
Ready to get started?
If your website is business-critical and needs a specialist who will take proper long-term ownership of it, get in touch. Karl will respond personally and give you an honest view of how we can help.
