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Lean WordPress rebuilds

WordPress, without the bloat.

Most WordPress sites use a page builder, dozens of plugins and a theme that nobody fully understands. They load slowly and break when they are updated. They also become harder to change each year. We rebuild them with a hand-coded theme, native blocks and a few plugins, and we set updates to run automatically.

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Years building WordPress
18+
Years building WordPress
Sites managed
200+
Sites managed
PageSpeed score of this site
100/100
PageSpeed score of this site

Background

Why most WordPress sites are slow

The typical WordPress site uses a bought theme, a page builder and a plugin for every feature. It is the quickest way to launch a site, which is why it is so common.

Over time more plugins are added, and each one loads its own scripts and styles on every page. Updates are released weekly, and any one of them can break the layout, so site owners postpone them. The site gets slower and the admin area becomes harder to use. The PHP version also goes out of date.

Eventually, people avoid changing the site in case something breaks. At this point a business usually asks for a new website. The business needs the same website, built properly.

Common problems we see

  • Updates you postpone because the last one broke something
  • A page builder that makes small changes slow to do
  • Thirty or more plugins, and nobody is sure what many of them do
  • A mobile PageSpeed score under 50
  • A PHP version that is no longer supported

If your site has any one of these problems, ask for a free speed and health check.

Before and after

How we build WordPress sites

You keep WordPress, the admin area and your login. We change the theme, the plugins, the hosting and the way updates are applied.

How we build WordPress sites
AspectBeforeMost WordPress sitesAfterAfter a lean rebuild
ThemeA ready-made theme, bought and customised over the years.We hand-code the theme for your site. Visitors download only the code each page needs.
EditingA page builder loads its own scripts, styles and shortcodes on every page.You edit with native WordPress blocks, without a builder or shortcodes, and layouts stay consistent.
PluginsThere are thirty or more plugins, one for every feature, and each one loads on every visit.The site uses a few plugins, and each one has a clear purpose. The theme does anything it can do itself.
UpdatesUpdates are manual and get postponed because the last one broke something.Updates are automatic and monitored. If one fails, the site rolls back and we find the cause.
HostingThe site is still on the hosting it started on years ago.The site runs on CapeFrisco managed servers, configured for WordPress, with backups and SSL as standard.

What's included

What a rebuild covers

We scope each rebuild for its site. Every rebuild includes the parts below.

  • Custom theme

    We hand-code the theme for your brand and content, without a theme framework, page builder or unused code.

  • Native block patterns

    We rebuild your page layouts as WordPress blocks, so you edit in the standard editor and pages stay consistent.

  • Content migration

    We move your pages, posts, images and products to the new site and check each page.

  • Plugin audit

    We review every plugin. We keep the ones that do necessary work, build into the theme what it can do, and remove the rest.

  • SEO and URLs preserved

    Your page addresses stay the same. We add redirects for any page that moves and transfer metadata and structured data.

  • Forms and integrations

    We rebuild and test contact forms, newsletter signups, bookings and payment gateways before the site goes live.

  • Hosting move

    We set the site up on our managed servers and configure SSL, caching and backups before the move.

  • Go-live checks

    We check PageSpeed, mobile display, accessibility and broken links, then review the finished site with you.

Kept up to date

Updates that run automatically

Manual updates get postponed, and out-of-date software is how sites get hacked. On a lean build, updates run automatically.

  • Automatic core and plugin updates

    WordPress and its plugins update on a schedule we set. With a few plugins and no builder, very few things can conflict.

  • Monitored, with rollback

    We check every update after it runs. If anything fails, the site is restored to the previous version. We find the cause before the update runs again.

  • Changes when you need them

    When you need a change, we make it and test it before it goes live. Your site stays fast because nothing is added without a reason.

capefrisco.com, measured by Google

These are Google PageSpeed Insights mobile scores. We apply the same principles to WordPress sites.

If your WordPress site scores lower than this, get in touch. We will show you how fast it can be.

Measuring this page’s load time…

Check it on PageSpeed Insights (opens in a new tab)
  • 100
    Performance
  • 100
    Accessibility
  • 100
    Best Practices
  • 100
    SEO

Why it matters

Fast, simple sites are easier to find.

Google ranks faster sites higher. AI assistants like ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini also favour sites that load quickly and are simple to read. A slow site ranks lower, so fewer people see it and visit it.

A lean site also has less code for attackers to exploit. With fewer plugins, the site has fewer vulnerabilities and needs fewer emergency patches. A site built from standard WordPress blocks will stay editable and supported for many years.

Our work

WordPress sites we've built

All projects

Questions

What people ask us

Will it still be WordPress?
Yes. You keep WordPress, the same admin area and the same login. We change the theme, the plugins, the hosting and the way updates are applied.
Can I still edit pages myself?
Yes. You edit with the standard WordPress block editor. It is simpler than a page builder. Your layouts stay consistent because they are built into the theme, so you do not assemble them on each page.
What happens to my SEO, URLs and forms?
They are preserved. We keep every page address and add redirects for anything that has to move. We transfer metadata and structured data, and rebuild every form and integration before the site goes live.
Which plugins stay?
We keep the plugins that do necessary work. These are usually SEO, forms, and e-commerce if you sell online. If the theme can do something, we build it into the theme instead.
What if an update breaks something?
We monitor updates, and the site rolls back automatically if one fails. We then find the cause before the update runs again. On a lean build this is rare, because very few things can conflict.
How long does it take, and what does it cost?
It depends on the site. We look at how many page types it has, which integrations it uses and whether it has a shop. The free speed and health check gives us the information we need to scope it. You get a written proposal before any work starts.
Do I have to move hosting?
A rebuild includes a move to our managed WordPress hosting. The automatic updates, monitoring and rollback depend on this hosting, so it is a standard part of the offer.

Find out how fast your WordPress site is

Send us your site's address. We will run the speed and health check and tell you what we find. There is no obligation.

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