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Web Design Hastings

Looking for a website designer in Hastings? I’m Spencer, a freelance web designer based in Brighton — about an hour from Hastings along the coast. I build custom WordPress websites for businesses across the Hastings area and East Sussex. Whether you’re an Old Town independent, a creative studio in St Leonards, or a tradesperson covering Hastings to Bexhill, I’ll build you a website that actually generates enquiries.

51 five-star reviews. No agency fees. No templates. Just Hastings web design built around your business by someone who knows this part of Sussex.

About Me
Spencer Thomas, Brighton web designer, with his dog

Website Design in Hastings — Why It Matters

Hastings is one of the largest towns in East Sussex, with a diverse economy that spans tourism, creative industries, independent retail, and professional services. The Old Town is the heart of it — a tangle of narrow streets between the East Hill and West Hill, lined with independent shops, galleries, cafes, and the fishing quarter around the Stade. Europe’s largest beach-launched fishing fleet still operates from these shores, and those tall black net huts on the seafront are a genuine working reminder that this town has character you won’t find anywhere else. For a Hastings website designer, understanding that character is essential.

The creative community is what sets Hastings apart from other coastal towns. Over the past two decades, artists, designers, makers, and digital businesses have been drawn here by affordable studio space, a strong sense of community, and a quality of life that Brighton can’t match at the same price. Co-working spaces have grown, the startup scene is expanding, and St Leonards-on-Sea — essentially merged with Hastings along the seafront — has its own distinct identity, with Norman Road and Kings Road attracting vintage shoppers and foodies from across the South East. Hastings web design needs to reflect this creative energy.

Tourism drives significant search demand. Visitors come for the Old Town, the beach, the 1066 heritage trail, Hastings Contemporary, and the growing reputation as a cultural destination. Rail connections to London in around 90 minutes and the A21 via Tunbridge Wells make the town accessible for day-trippers and weekenders. The surrounding area — Bexhill, Battle, Rye — adds to the catchment. If your business serves this wider coastal and rural economy, a properly optimised website should reflect that reach. Investing in professional website design for your Hastings business means capturing the enquiries already flowing through search engines.

What I Offer Hastings Businesses

Whether you need a simple brochure site, an online shop, or a complete digital presence, I handle the full process — design, development, SEO setup, and launch. Everything is built on WordPress, so you can update it yourself without calling me every time you want to change something. As a website designer in Hastings’ surrounding area, I understand the local business landscape and build sites that work for it.

Custom WordPress Web Design

Every website I build is custom-designed for your business — no templates, no cookie-cutter layouts. A tourism or hospitality business needs strong imagery, mobile-friendly booking functionality, and content that ranks for the searches visitors make when planning a trip to the Hastings area. An Old Town independent needs a site that showcases what makes the visit worthwhile, with opening hours, location, and character that reflects the business itself. A creative business or artist needs a portfolio that does the work justice, with clean design and the option to sell work online.

A tradesperson covering Hastings to Bexhill needs to show up in local searches with a click-to-call button and clear coverage area. A professional services firm needs a clean, credible site that builds trust.

I build all my sites on WordPress — proper self-hosted WordPress with custom design. That means you get a site that looks and works exactly how you need it to, and you can update it yourself. Mobile responsive across all devices as standard.

Local SEO for Hastings, St Leonards, and Bexhill

Every site includes SEO setup targeting your local area. I’ll optimise your pages for searches like “[your service] Hastings”, set up your Google Business Profile, build local citations, and make sure your site shows up when people search for what you do in the Hastings area and East Sussex.

Hastings has a real SEO opportunity. The town generates strong search volume but the online competition is far less intense than Brighton. A well-optimised site can reach the top of Google results more quickly than you might expect. I’ll also target St Leonards-on-Sea, Bexhill, Battle, Rye, and Winchelsea so you’re capturing enquiries from across your actual service area.

Your Google Business Profile is particularly important for Hastings web design. When someone searches “restaurant near me” or “things to do in Hastings,” it’s your Google listing that appears first. I’ll make sure it’s properly set up, categorised, and consistent with your website.

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

Every website I build includes foundational SEO — page titles, meta descriptions, heading structure, image optimisation, and local keyword targeting. But for businesses wanting to dominate local search results for SEO Hastings and the surrounding area, I also offer ongoing search engine optimisation as a monthly retainer.

Ongoing SEO includes technical SEO audits, content strategy and blog writing, link building, Google Business Profile management, and monthly reporting so you can see exactly what’s improving. For Hastings businesses competing in tourism, hospitality, creative services, or trades, ongoing SEO is what separates the businesses on page one from those buried on page three.

If you’re not sure whether you need ongoing SEO or just the basics, I’ll give you an honest assessment during our initial conversation. There’s no hard sell — just a clear recommendation based on your market and competition.

Branding and Logo Design

Starting a new business in Hastings or refreshing an existing brand? I offer branding and logo design alongside my web design service — logo design, brand identity packages including colours, typography, and brand guidelines, plus business card and stationery design.

For branding Hastings creative businesses in particular, I also cover social media branding so your online presence is consistent across every platform. This is ideal for studios, makers, and independents setting up in the Old Town or St Leonards, or established businesses wanting a professional refresh. Many of my clients combine a new website with a full brand identity — it’s the most cost-effective way to launch or relaunch with a cohesive, professional look.

Ecommerce and Online Shops

Need to sell products online? I build WooCommerce stores on WordPress — product catalogues, payment processing (Apple Pay, Google Pay, cards, PayPal), shipping configuration, and stock management.

Hastings’ creative community and independent retail scene make ecommerce a natural fit. Whether you’re an artist selling prints, a maker with a studio in the Old Town, a vintage shop on Norman Road in St Leonards, or a local food producer, an online store lets you build a national customer base from your Hastings address. Product pages get proper SEO too, so your products show up in Google Shopping results and organic search. For businesses that prefer a standalone platform, I also work with Shopify.

Hosting and Ongoing Support

I offer managed hosting from £10/month — security updates, backups, plugin updates, uptime monitoring. Your site stays secure and online. Already have hosting? I can work with your existing setup. No mandatory monthly fees holding your website hostage.

The difference between working with me and a larger agency is simple: if something breaks on a Friday afternoon before a busy bank holiday weekend and you’re expecting a surge of visitors to the Old Town, you can message me directly on WhatsApp — not a call centre, not a ticket queue. I’ll fix it.

Get a Free Quote

How I Build Your Hastings Website

Every website I build follows the same straightforward process — no jargon, no mystery, no drawn-out timelines.

1. Discovery Call
It starts with a free call or meeting. I’ll ask about your business, your customers, what’s working and what isn’t, and what you actually need your website to do. If you’re Hastings-based business, I’m happy to meet locally or jump on a video call — whatever works for you. By the end, you’ll have a clear idea of scope, timeline, and cost.

2. Design
I create a custom design mockup so you can see exactly what your site will look like before I build it. No generic templates — everything is designed around your brand, your content, and your audience. If you need branding or logo design as part of the project, I handle that first so your website has a solid visual foundation.

3. Build and SEO Setup
Once the design is approved, I build your site on WordPress — custom-coded, mobile responsive, and fast. Every page gets SEO setup from day one: page titles, meta descriptions, local keyword targeting, Google Business Profile optimisation, and technical foundations that give you the best chance of ranking for searches like “web design Hastings” and “[your service] Hastings”.

4. Launch and Training
Before going live, I test everything across iPhone, Android, tablet, and desktop. On launch day, you get a training session so you can update your own content without needing to call me. I include 30 days of post-launch support as standard, and ongoing hosting and maintenance is available from £10/month if you want it.

The whole process typically takes 2-4 weeks for a standard site, or 4-8 weeks for larger projects with ecommerce or complex functionality.

A Brighton-Based Freelancer Who Knows East Sussex

I’ll be straight with you: I’m based in Brighton, not Hastings. My office is on East Street in central Brighton, about an hour away along the coast via the A27 and A259. But here’s why that works — Brighton is close enough for face-to-face meetings when you want them, and I already work with businesses right across East Sussex, from Eastbourne to Bexhill, Battle, and beyond.

Most of my projects run perfectly well on video calls and email. You don’t need your Hastings website designer in the same postcode — you need them to be good at what they do, reliable, and easy to get hold of.

What you get working with me vs a larger agency:

* Direct communication with the person building your site
* Custom WordPress design, not reskinned templates
* SEO built in from day one, not sold as an expensive add-on
* Fixed pricing with no hidden monthly fees
* Ongoing support when you need it — not a ticket queue

The wider area — St Leonards-on-Sea, Bexhill, Battle, Rye — is all part of the same coastal and rural economy. If you’re a trade business or professional service covering this area, I can build a site that targets the right geographic searches and brings in local enquiries.

Websites I've Built for East Sussex Businesses

I’ve built 55+ WordPress websites for businesses across Sussex. Here are some examples of what Hastings and East Sussex coastal businesses can expect.

Merson Digital
Website design for Merson Digital - London digital signage company
Merson DigitalTech

Merson Digital

WordPress development for a London-based digital signage specialist with over 80 years of industry experience.
Faulks Ltd
Construction website design for Faulks Ltd in Hove
Faulks LtdConstruction

Faulks Ltd

Website for a Hove construction and landscaping company, giving Tom a professional platform to showcase his work to potential clients.
Michael and Barbara Bell Foundation
Charity website design for sports funding foundation in Surrey
Michael and Barbara Bell FoundationCharity

Michael and Barbara Bell Foundation

Website for a Surrey sports funding charity, helping individuals and organisations access sport across Mole Valley, Reigate and Banstead.
Broadwater Roofing
Roofing company website design for Broadwater Roofing Worthing
Broadwater RoofingConstruction

Broadwater Roofing

Modern website for a Worthing roofing company, showcasing their portfolio and reaching the local Broadwater community.
L&V Electrical
Electrician website design for L&V Electrical Worthing
L&V ElectricalElectrician

L&V Electrical

Website design and ongoing support for a Worthing electrical company, replacing an overpriced agency template with a site that actually ranks locally.
Pearson Keehan
Estate Agent Web Design Brighton
Pearson KeehanBrandingEstate Agents

Pearson Keehan

Website Development and Full Branding for the leading Estate Agent in Brighton and Hove

How Much Does a Website Cost?

Starter

From £800

Perfect for sole traders and small businesses needing a professional online presence.

  • Up to 5 pages
  • Mobile responsive design
  • Contact form and click-to-call
  • Basic SEO setup
  • Google Maps
  • SSL certificate
  • Training and handover

Professional

From £1,500

For growing businesses needing more pages, features, and local SEO visibility.

  • 8-15 pages
  • Custom WordPress design
  • Local SEO targeting multiple areas
  • Google Business Profile setup
  • Portfolio or case study pages
  • Blog setup
  • 30 days post-launch support

Ecommerce

From £2,000

For businesses wanting to sell products or services online.

  • Full WooCommerce store
  • Product catalogue setup
  • Payment processing (cards, PayPal, Apple Pay)
  • Shipping and tax configuration
  • Stock management
  • SEO for product pages
  • Training and ongoing support

Every project gets a fixed quote upfront — no hourly billing, no surprise invoices. Get a free mockup before you commit, so you can see exactly what you’re getting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have an office in Hastings?

No — I’m based in Brighton, about an hour from Hastings via the A27 and A259. I work with businesses across the East Sussex coast and beyond. Most projects run smoothly over video calls and email. If you’d prefer a face-to-face meeting, I’m happy to come to Hastings or you’re welcome at my Brighton office on East Street. My studio is at Main Floor, Clarendon Mansions, 80 East St, Brighton BN1 1NF.

What does web design in Hastings cost?

Most Hastings web design projects fall between £800 and £3,000. A clean brochure site for a local trade or professional service starts from £800, while more complex sites with ecommerce or custom features sit higher. Every project gets a fixed quote upfront — no hourly billing, no surprise invoices. I also offer a free mockup before you commit.

Do you offer ongoing SEO services for Hastings businesses?

Yes. Every website includes foundational SEO setup, but I also offer monthly SEO retainers for businesses wanting to actively grow their search visibility. This includes technical audits, content creation, link building, and monthly reporting. Hastings has strong search volume but significantly less SEO competition than Brighton — ongoing SEO can make a real difference to your enquiry volume. I’ll give you an honest assessment of whether ongoing SEO is worth it for your specific business and market.

Can you help with branding and logo design for my Hastings business?

Absolutely. I offer logo design, brand identity packages, business card design, and social media branding alongside my web design service. Many Hastings businesses combine a new website with a brand refresh — it’s the most efficient way to launch with a cohesive, professional look. Whether you’re a creative studio, a new startup, or an established business wanting to modernise, I can handle the full brand identity.

Do you work with businesses in St Leonards, Bexhill, Battle, and Rye?

Yes — I work across the whole Hastings and Rother district area and beyond. St Leonards-on-Sea, Bexhill, Battle, Rye, Winchelsea — if you’re in this part of East Sussex, I’m a genuine option. I also cover Eastbourne, Brighton, and the wider East Sussex area.

Can you help my Hastings business rank higher in Google?

Yes. Hastings has a strong local search market with less competition than Brighton. I’ll optimise your site for Hastings-specific searches, set up your Google Business Profile, build local citations, and target surrounding towns so you’re capturing enquiries from across your actual service area. A well-optimised Hastings website can reach the top of Google results within a reasonable timeframe.