Web design for Romford businesses that actually works.
I'm Chris Allen, a freelance web designer based in Essex. I've spent years building websites for businesses in and around Romford and East London, with no agency overhead, no offshore developers, and no templates dressed up as bespoke work.
Working in Romford and East London · 5-star rated on Google · Projects from £899
I won't pretend I've got an office on the high street
Search for "web design Romford" and you'll find plenty of agencies with a Romford page bolted onto a national template, run from an office nowhere near Essex or East London. I'm not going to claim to be your neighbour when I'm not, I'm based in Essex, about an hour's drive away.
What I can offer instead is real, ongoing experience with businesses in this part of the world. I supported an e-commerce workwear supplier for over a decade, taking their SEO and conversions to a level that let them compete with national names, before they outgrew Essex and expanded operations elsewhere. I understand the mix of trade, retail and service businesses that make Romford and Havering tick, and what actually moves the needle for them online.
I'm not the cheapest option, and I won't pretend to be. But if you want someone who answers the phone directly and is still around in five years to keep your site running, this is probably worth a conversation.
Recent projects in East London and Essex
Eye Clinic Opticians
Elegant, user-friendly website with store locator for a 5-branch opticians group across the Havering area, right on Romford's doorstep.
Loughton, EssexWaltham Forest Engineering
Ten years and counting. Website redesign and Google Ads driving higher-quality enquiries for a precision engineering firm serving East London and Essex.
Formerly Romford, now nationwideBK Safetywear
Two decades of partnership, starting in Romford. E-commerce platform migration and SEO campaign achieving Top 3 Google rankings for workwear keywords with 9,900 monthly searches.
Everything a Romford small business needs
Bespoke design
A site designed around your business, not a template with your logo dropped in. Fast, accessible, and reflects your brand properly.
Local SEO that works
Built from day one to rank for your Romford and East London keywords. Schema, structured local content, and the foundations Google rewards.
Astro static performance
Most of my sites score 95+ on Google PageSpeed. Static HTML, no WordPress bloat, instant page loads. Visitors don't bounce.
No plugin time-bombs
WordPress sites break when plugins update. Static sites don't. You get a site that just works, month after month, without surprise downtime.
Real direct contact
Call 01206 355 833 and you get me. Email and you get me. No support ticket queue, no offshore call centre, no chatbot.
Proven with e-commerce
From platform migrations to competing with national retailers on search, I've done it for a Romford business before and can do it for yours.
Serving Romford, Havering and East London
I work with businesses across Romford, the wider Havering borough, and East London, alongside my regular client base across Essex. Most projects run over call, email and video, with in-person meetings when they're useful.
Common questions
Questions worth asking
Are you based in Romford?
Not physically, no. I'm based in Essex near Colchester, about an hour's drive away. What I do have is ongoing work with businesses in and around Romford and East London, a direct phone number that reaches me and not a call centre, and I'm happy to meet in person when it's useful or run the whole project by call and email if that's easier.
Do you know the Romford market?
I've worked with businesses across Havering and East London for years, including an e-commerce workwear supplier I supported for over a decade before they outgrew the area. I understand the mix of trade, retail and service businesses that make up Romford's economy, and what it takes to compete for customers there online.
How much does a website cost?
Brochure sites start from £899, e-commerce from £2,999. Everything is fixed price. You get a written quote before any work starts, and there are no hourly bills or surprise extras. The services page has the full tiered breakdown.
How long does it take to build?
A typical small business site takes 3 to 5 weeks once we agree the brief. E-commerce and larger projects take 6 to 10 weeks. I work in stages and share progress along the way, so you are not waiting in the dark for six weeks while I disappear.
Do I own the site once it launches?
Yes. The code, the design, the domain, and the content are all yours. If you ever want to move to a different developer or self-host, I will hand everything over with no fuss. No vendor lock-in.
Can I update the website myself afterwards?
It depends what you want to update. Most clients prefer to send me changes and have them done properly. For sites where day-to-day editing matters (blog, news, products), I build a content editor so you can make changes without touching code.
See your new website
before you commit
I'll design a custom homepage for your Romford business, free, before any conversation about money. Keep it whether we work together or not.
No payment required · 3 working days · Keep the design either way