Custom Web Development (WordPress, React, PHP)
Custom web development means building the specific site or application your business needs — WordPress themes and plugins, React frontends, or PHP backend services — rather than adapting a generic template. Work is scoped and built for how your business actually operates, not squeezed into a page-builder's assumptions.
This fits businesses whose current site is either a heavily modified page-builder template that's become slow and hard to change, or a genuinely custom need — an internal tool, a client portal, an integration with another system — that no off-the-shelf plugin covers. It's also the right starting point if a planned automation needs a purpose-built interface rather than a generic form.
What You Get
- Custom WordPress theme or plugin development, built for the specific requirement rather than a generic template
- React frontend builds for interactive or app-like interfaces that a standard page can't handle
- PHP backend services and third-party API integrations connecting the site to the tools it needs to talk to
- Database design and work with PostgreSQL or MySQL, chosen for what the application actually needs
- Migration from an existing site or platform, where needed, without losing existing content or SEO standing
- Documentation covering how the custom code works, so it isn't a black box after handover
- Optional ongoing development as new features are needed, without re-scoping the whole site each time
Making a Site Change: Typical vs Custom-Built
Typical process today
- Change request written up~1 day
- Developer edits template files directly~2 days
- Test across pages individually~2 days
- Deploy and hope nothing else broke~1 day
Total: ~1–2 weeks (typical, moderate change)
With a custom-built site
- Change scoped against documented components~half day
- Built and tested in isolation~1–2 days
- Deployed with confidence~half day
Total: ~2–4 days (typical, moderate change)
Every project follows the same 4-step process: 01 Discovery → 02 Blueprint (fixed quote) → 03 Build (weekly demos) → 04 Handover & Support. Typical build project timeline: 2–6 weeks depending on scope.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you work with an existing WordPress site, or only new builds?
Both. Existing sites can have custom plugins or theme changes added incrementally, or be migrated to a new custom build if that's the better fit — this gets assessed during Discovery rather than assumed upfront.
Why React instead of just more WordPress?
React is used specifically for interactive or app-like parts of a site — a calculator, a dashboard, a multi-step tool — where a page-builder or standard WordPress template isn't the right fit. Straightforward content pages generally stay in WordPress.
Do I own the code afterward?
Yes. The code and documentation are handed over as part of the Handover & Support step, so the site isn't locked to ongoing work with FixMyWeb Solutions unless you choose a care plan.