Durham enquiries about ExpressionEngine support usually come down to one of two situations: a site nobody's dared touch in years, or one that's actively playing up while the developer behind it has stopped responding.
Karl deals with it directly. Expression 37's only ever worked in ExpressionEngine and Craft CMS, since Karl started it in 2007. It's him on every job, not an account manager.
Nothing gets recommended before he's gone through the build properly. Depending on what he finds, that's a fix, an upgrade, or an ongoing retainer.
What tends to bring people to us:
Heritage and visitor attraction sites where accuracy and presentation genuinely matter, given how much of the city's economy depends on tourism. Academic-adjacent and research organisations whose content needs structure that scales properly, not a flat pile of pages. Businesses running HubSpot for enquiries and lead tracking, needing that connection actively maintained. And sites left behind by a developer or small agency that's stopped trading, with nobody able to confirm what's actually installed.
How it usually starts:
Most Durham clients get in touch after something specific: an enquiry form that's stopped working properly, a security notice on an old add-on, or simply the discovery that nobody currently involved with the organisation understands the site's setup. Karl reviews the code directly before quoting, and a fixed-scope first project commonly becomes a standing retainer once that's resolved.
Common questions Durham clients ask:
Does it matter that you're not based in Durham?
Not for the actual work. Everything happens remotely, and Durham's rail links make an in-person visit straightforward on the rare occasion it's genuinely needed.
Can you take over a site from a developer who's stopped trading?
Yes, this comes up regularly. The first step is always working out what's genuinely custom versus a modified add-on, based on reading the code properly.
Is an old ExpressionEngine version something to be concerned about?
Less than most people expect. The core software rarely causes issues on its own. It's the unmaintained add-ons around it that tend to be the actual problem.
Do you handle our HubSpot connection too, or just the CMS?
Both. That integration is usually wired directly into the templates, so treating it as separate from the CMS itself tends to be where problems get missed.
How does pricing work?
A defined piece of work, an audit or upgrade, gets a fixed price agreed upfront. Ongoing support runs as a monthly retainer, with the cost settled before anything starts either way.
What's actually involved in the first step?
A short conversation about the site, its current version, and what's currently causing concern. That's enough to give an honest picture before committing to anything.
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.
