Discover how Baxtersweb creates high-performing, client-focused websites using Avada, ACF, and a proven process tailored to South African businesses.

Many websites are launched quickly. Fewer are designed to support a business long-term. And almost none are built with enough flexibility and performance to grow alongside the brand they represent.

At BaxtersWeb, my approach to web design is not just about visuals or trendy features. It’s about building websites that work hard for your business — websites that are clean, fast, scalable, and easy for you to use.

Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur, a growing team, or an established business in South Africa, my focus is always the same: create a site that will stand the test of time and deliver value well after launch day.

Here’s a look inside my process — and why it leads to better outcomes for my clients.

🔍 1. Discovery: Understanding Your Business First

Every project begins with a conversation. Before I even think about design or functionality, I want to understand:

• What does your business do?
• Who are your ideal customers?
• What actions do you want your website visitors to take?
• What’s worked in the past — and what hasn’t?

This discovery phase helps align the project with your business goals. It’s not just about getting a pretty site online — it’s about building something that makes sense for your users and solves problems.

🔧 Best Practice: Always start with strategy. A beautiful design without strategy is like a billboard in the desert — it might look nice, but no one sees it.

🧠 2. Planning & Wireframing: Building the Blueprint

Once we understand your goals, I’ll map out a sitemap and create wireframes to structure the layout of each page. Wireframes are like blueprints — they’re not about design yet, but about user flow, layout hierarchy, and content placement.

This step avoids wasted time and gives us a shared vision early on.

✅ Pro Tip: Clients love wireframes. They get to see how their website will work before we invest time in detailed design.

🎨 3. Design: Clean, Custom, and Built with Avada (Done Right)

Avada is the builder I trust — but how it’s used makes all the difference.

Pros of Avada (in professional hands):

• Extremely flexible for custom layouts
• Consistent design system (especially with Global Elements)
• Reliable long-term support and updates
• Great mobile responsiveness options

Potential cons (if misused):

• Can be bloated if you enable everything
• Inexperienced users often layer too many elements or animations
• Slow performance without proper optimisation

I treat Avada more like a framework, not a template. I start from scratch, avoid unnecessary elements, and disable everything that’s not being used — keeping your site lean and fast.

Every colour, font, and layout is chosen to reflect your brand and guide visitors toward action. No copy-paste templates. No design shortcuts.

✨ Good Practice: Use Avada’s performance settings, load only needed scripts, and write custom CSS when needed — it pays off in speed and SEO.

⚙️ 4. Development: Built to Scale, Built to Last

Behind the scenes, I use clean code, structured content types, and flexible field setups using tools like Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) and Advanced Views. This makes content easy to manage on your end, without risking layout breaks.

I also make sure your site includes:

• Fast loading times (Core Web Vitals optimised)
• SEO best practices (semantic HTML5, alt tags, schema markup)
• Custom post types where needed for services, testimonials, case studies, etc.
• No plugin overload — only what’s needed and nothing more

🚫 Anti-pattern: Overloading a site with 20+ plugins to solve small problems — it only leads to conflicts, security risks, and maintenance nightmares.

🔄 5. Feedback & Refinement: You’re Involved Throughout

I build in stages and regularly ask for your input using a private staging site. We’ll refine the design, functionality, and content together — making sure every piece feels right for your brand and your goals.

This collaborative loop helps avoid big surprises and leads to better results.

🧪 6. Testing & Launch: Launching Smoothly, Not Sloppily

Before launch, I test everything:

• Desktop, tablet, and mobile responsiveness
• Form submissions and email delivery
• Speed and SEO checks
• Security hardening and backups

Once everything passes the checklist, we’ll go live — with redirects, analytics, and domain DNS sorted properly.

🚀 Good Practice: Don’t skip launch QA. One broken form or mobile issue can cost you real leads.

🔧 7. Aftercare: Growth, Maintenance & Support

Your website isn’t a brochure — it’s a living part of your business. That’s why I offer ongoing support, maintenance plans, and help with future upgrades.

Clients often return to:

• Add new features (booking forms, payments, landing pages)
• Improve SEO and performance further
• Adapt the site as their business evolves

I’m not just here to build and disappear — I’m here to help you grow.

📊 8. Real-World Results: What Long-Term Success Looks Like

One of my favourite things is revisiting a project 6 months later and seeing that it’s still fast, still ranking, and still converting.

Clients have reported:

• Increased enquiries and bookings
• Higher Google rankings thanks to fast-loading pages
• Easier content management in-house
• Lower bounce rates from better mobile UX

🎯 “We’re finally proud to share our website with clients.” – That’s the kind of feedback I aim for.

✅ In Summary: Websites That Go the Distance

There are two ways to build a website:

• Fast and fragile — built with templates, loaded with plugins, cheap to start but costly long-term.
• Strategic and scalable — designed around your business, built with performance in mind, and easy to grow into.

At BaxtersWeb, I only build the second kind.

💬 Let’s Talk About Your Project

Whether you’re rebranding, starting something new, or trying to rescue a slow, underperforming site — I’d love to hear about your goals.

👉 Get in touch for a free discovery call →