Luke Duff · Small business websites in Sunderland and the North East
Web design in Sunderland. You deal with me the whole way.
You won't get passed around, and you won't have to chase me.
I reply the same working day, in UK hours.
I'm Luke Duff, a web designer based in Sunderland. I design and build websites for businesses across Sunderland and the North East. I lead every project myself, so the person you brief is the one responsible for it. Businesses elsewhere in the UK work with me the same way, on WhatsApp, the phone or Google Meet.
What people say about working with me
The reviews name me because I'm the one you deal with.
He’s recently rebuilt our Box & Beam Joinery website following a change in direction for the business, and he’s absolutely blown us away. … Looking at the new website and thinking “that’s us” is such a lovely feeling.
I’ve worked with several professionals/developers and IT consultants over the last 18 years and can hand on heart say that Luke is an exceptional and kind professional. He took care to explain the process, every step involved, was patient with our many questions and delivered an excellent service.
From start to finish the communication was clear, I knew what was happening every step of the way and I now have a website that I love.
…Start to finish was an organised and methodical process with professional, clear and concise communication throughout.
I ask every client for a review the same way, with nothing offered.
What it costs to work with me
Most websites
£1,500 to £5,000
From £795
Most websites I build cost between £1,500 and £5,000. Smaller sites start at £795. Online shops and web apps vary more, so I price them after a call.
- A fixed price in writing before I start
- Half to start, half before the site goes live
- I'm not VAT registered, so the price you see is the total
I reply the same working day, in UK hours.
The first call is free and takes 15 minutes. See website prices
Keeping it running after launch
Once your site is live, I can look after it if you want me to: Care+ at £49 a month, or a plan shaped around your site, priced after a call. Care+ is for websites. If you have an online shop, web app or custom software, I quote support separately.
It's optional. You can have a site built without it, and cancel any time with 30 days' notice. Without it, I can host the site on its own, priced after a quick look, or you can host it somewhere else.
Already have a site and just need it hosted? I do website hosting on its own too.
After launch, if you want it
Optional, never required with a build.
Work for Sunderland and North East businesses
Find your kind of business. Each one here is real client work.
- Trades and local services
Box and Beam Joinery, Newcastle and Northumberland
A joiner's site with published prices, a quote button in the header and a page for landlords.
A website for a Northumberland joinerVisit the live site: Box and Beam Joinery (opens in a new tab) - Professional and B2B services
Smart Payment Solutions, Sunderland
A custom-built site that helps businesses choose a card machine. A matching tool shows the top three, then a five-step form asks for a quote.
A website for Smart Payment Solutions, SunderlandVisit the live site: Smart Payment Solutions (opens in a new tab) - Photographers and creatives
The Lovely Photo Company, Sunderland
Wedding photography and films, with a showreel, pricing and an availability form.
A website for a Sunderland wedding photographerVisit the live site: The Lovely Photo Company (opens in a new tab) - Trades and local services
Back To Basics Dog Training, Sunderland
Classes, prices, FAQs and an enquiry form for a dog training club.
A website for a Sunderland dog training clubVisit the live site: Back To Basics Dog Training (opens in a new tab) - Hire companies
D&G Minibus and Van Hire, Sunderland
A minibus hire site with one short quote form, a page for each kind of trip and a section for each area it covers. I advised D&G on getting Google reviews, and I now help manage its Google listing. It shows 5.0 from 215 reviews (checked Oct 2026).
A website for a Sunderland minibus hire firmVisit the live site: D&G Minibus and Van Hire (opens in a new tab) - Trades and local services
Gavin J. Reynolds Family Funeral Directors, Sunderland
Both branches' numbers at the top of every page, a full price list, a tool to build an estimate, and plain guides for the first few days after a death.
A website for a Sunderland funeral directorVisit the live site: Gavin J. Reynolds Family Funeral Directors (opens in a new tab)
Not on the list? Tell me what you do, and I'll tell you straight whether I'm the right fit. WhatsApp me
See the workYou deal with me, start to finish
Weighing up a freelance web designer against a web design company in Sunderland? Ask who you'll actually deal with. With me, it's me.
I lead every project. I'm your contact from the first message to long after launch. When a job needs more hands, my team and I build it, and I'm still the person you talk to.
Message me on WhatsApp, ring or email. Calls can be on WhatsApp, the phone or Google Meet.
- Who you deal with
- Me, on every project
- Who builds it
- Me, with my team when a job needs more hands
- How to reach me
- WhatsApp, phone, email or Google Meet
- Where I'm based
- Sunderland
I reply the same working day, in UK hours.
Your website, in your name
Your web address is registered in your name from day one.
Once the site is paid for, it's yours, along with everything on it: the files, the words and the photos.
Your Google Business Profile stays yours. I'm added as a manager, and you stay the owner.
You can change your own words and photos whenever you like.
Is your web address still in an old designer's name? I can help you get it moved into yours.
And if you ever move on, you get everything within 10 working days.
Who owns your websiteHow a website project works: call, price, build, launch
Call.
You tell me about your business and what the site needs to do. The call is free and takes 15 minutes.
Price.
I send you a fixed price in writing. You pay half to start.
Build.
I build it. You see the site on a private preview link before it goes live and send changes by WhatsApp or email. Two rounds of changes are included. Nothing gets added that you didn't ask for.
Launch.
You pay the other half, the site goes live, and it's yours.
What I build
If someone hears about you, they may look you up. Make sure what they find looks the part. Show your work, your prices and how to reach you, in your own words.
I do website design in Sunderland and across the North East, plus the development behind it. That might be your first website or a full rebuild. I also edit the words you send me and optimise them for search. That is the SEO side of things: it helps Google tell what you do and where.
Back To Basics Dog Training, Sunderland. 
Before
NowD&G Minibus and Van Hire's old site (a Wayback Machine copy) and the site today. Smart Payment Solutions: change the Google Sheet, and the site updates within about a minute.
Need IT help too? I also do IT help for local small businesses.
Web design across the North East
I'm based in Sunderland, and I cover Washington, Houghton-le-Spring and Seaham too. If you're looking for a web designer in the North East, I also cover Newcastle, Durham, Darlington, Middlesbrough and South Shields.
My North East work includes Box and Beam Joinery, a joiner covering Newcastle and Northumberland. Closer to home, I've built sites for Smart Payment Solutions, The Lovely Photo Company, Time Liberation and Back To Basics Dog Training, all in Sunderland.
Website design for North East businesses works the same way wherever you are, from Tyne and Wear to County Durham and Teesside. Calls happen on WhatsApp, phone or Google Meet.
Questions people ask
Do you only work with Sunderland-based businesses?
No. I'm based in Sunderland, and most of my clients are around the North East. I cover Washington, Houghton-le-Spring and Seaham too, and I work with businesses anywhere in the UK. Calls happen on WhatsApp, phone or Google Meet.
How much does a website cost in North East England?
Most websites I build cost between £1,500 and £5,000, and smaller sites start at £795. You get a fixed price in writing before any work starts, and that price is the total, with no VAT to add. My prices page has the detail.
Will my website work on phones and tablets?
Yes. The sites I build work properly on phones, tablets and computers. That's what people mean by a "responsive" website.
Will I be able to update the website myself?
Yes. You can change your own words and photos without paying me. If you're on Care+, small changes to your content are included. For anything bigger, send me a message.
Do you offer support after a project has been built?
Yes. Care+ is my monthly plan for websites, at £49 a month. It covers hosting, updates, weekly backups, small content changes, Google listing work, blog writing and a monthly report if you want one. Online shops, web apps and custom software get support quoted separately. It's optional, and you can cancel with 30 days' notice. If Care+ isn't the right fit, I can shape a plan around your site, priced after a call.
Do I need a website for my business?
A Google listing gets you found. A website is the place you control: your work, your prices and how to reach you, in your own words. If people check you out before they get in touch, that's where you want them to land. I've written more on whether you need a website if you're already on Google.
Should I build my own website or pay someone?
If you're just starting out and money's tight, a website builder can get you online. It's worth paying someone when your site needs to bring in work or look as good as the job you do. The same goes if it needs more than a few pages, like quotes, bookings or a shop. Here's how WordPress, Wix or Squarespace compare.
Who sees my details?
I do. I use your details to reply to you and to deal with what you've asked for. My privacy policy lists the services involved, like my email and website hosts, and how long I keep your details.
Not answered here?
Send me your question on WhatsApp and I'll answer it myself.
I reply the same working day, in UK hours.
Tell me what you do and what you need
I reply the same working day, in UK hours.
Or ring 07935 996850. If I can't pick up, leave a message or WhatsApp me.