Most Craft CMS enquiries from Stoke-on-Trent involve an install that's either running fine but neglected, or one that's genuinely broken while nobody's left to call.
Karl takes these on personally, no exceptions. Craft CMS and ExpressionEngine are the only platforms Expression 37's touched since 2007. Every job stays with him.
He reviews what's actually in the install before quoting anything. That's usually a fix, a version upgrade, or an ongoing retainer.
Why do so many Stoke sites carry big product catalogues?
Because the pottery and ceramics trade has been exporting internationally for generations, and presenting a detailed range properly online stopped being optional a long time ago. Craft handles that kind of structured catalogue well, which is why plenty of manufacturers and homeware businesses here built their sites around it specifically. Some have kept them properly maintained. Others have simply run for years without a second look.
Karl supports Stoke-on-Trent businesses in either position, bringing a neglected install back up to date and properly documented, taking over from a developer who's gone quiet, or an ongoing arrangement for anyone who'd rather have it watched. The starting point is always the actual code, not a description of what's wrong with it.
Common questions Stoke-on-Trent clients ask:
Our catalogue's genuinely large, does that make an upgrade harder?
It shifts where the effort goes rather than adding to the total. A big catalogue needs proper categories and working search from the start, not something patched on once it's already unmanageable.
Do you need to be in Stoke for any of this to work?
No. Every stage runs remotely and it works fine. Getting here in person, on the rare occasion it's genuinely worth it, is never actually a problem.
Can you take over an install the previous developer's left behind?
Regularly, yes. The first job is working out what's genuinely custom against a modified plugin, and that comes from reading the code, not from guessing.
Is there a point where our Craft version becomes a genuine risk?
Not really tied to age alone. Plenty of older installs here still run properly. What matters is whether the plugins and Composer dependencies sitting on top have actually kept pace.
What does signing up for ongoing support actually change?
Someone's watching proactively instead of waiting for a fault to surface, response is faster when something does break, and it's the same developer each time rather than someone starting cold.
What's this likely to cost us?
Depends entirely on the scope. A single audit or fix is a fixed number. Ongoing work runs monthly. Nothing's agreed until that figure's clear.
Where this comes up most:
A manufacturer or homeware business with a large catalogue that needs real categorisation and search, not a long scrolling list of pages. An export-focused firm whose site has to work reliably for buyers overseas, where downtime reaches further than it would for a purely local business. A site left behind by a developer who's stopped taking on Craft work. Someone syncing orders through Salesforce or capturing trade leads via HubSpot, needing that connection kept in as good shape as the catalogue itself. And an install several major versions behind, where the honest work is auditing every plugin individually.
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.
