Communication01
“My web designer ghosted me.”
Replies within 1 business day — in the contract.
Miss it and that month's Care plan is free. Plus a live project tracker, so you never have to chase.
You're scrolling a scroll-driven website. Yours can do this too.
Custom-coded websites for South African small & medium businesses
Look like the biggest name in town. Launch in 14 days.
Scroll-driven, static and ecommerce websites — hand-coded, fixed-price, and yours to edit. See your new homepage free before you spend a cent.
- No payment until you love the design
- Fixed price & launch date in writing
- You own everything
01 — Crafted, not templated
Every layer, hand-coded.
No page builders, no recycled themes. Every section, animation and line of code is written for your business — so it loads in under a second and looks like no one else.
02 — Built to convert
Assembled into a site that sells.
Clear offers, fast pages, trust at every scroll, and a dashboard so you can change it yourself. Beautiful is the start — enquiries are the point.
Free concept in 72hFixed price in writingLaunch in 14 days95+ PageSpeedCopy written for youEdit it yourselfFound on Google & AI search100% yours
The quiet cost of an average website
Your website is judged in a blink.Most small businesses lose that moment.
Customers decide whether to trust you before they read a word. A slow, dated or template site doesn't just look worse — it sends the enquiry to your competitor.
0.05sec
for a visitor to form a first impression of your website.
Lindgaard et al., Behaviour & IT, 200675%
of people judge a company's credibility by its website design.
Stanford Web Credibility Research53%
of mobile visits are abandoned if a page takes longer than 3 seconds to load.
Google / SOASTA research72hrs
until you're looking at your new homepage concept — free, no obligation.
The McArthur Studio promiseEvery reason web projects go wrong
We listed what business ownershate about web designers.Then we removed it.
Ghosting, surprise invoices, months of delays, being locked out of your own site. These aren't bad luck — they're a broken model. Here's how ours is different.
Cost02
“The final bill was double the quote.”
One fixed price, agreed before we start.
Prices are published on this site. Your quote is itemised and fixed. No hourly billing, no surprise invoices.
Delays03
“It took six months and still isn't live.”
Live in 14 days. Late? We pay you.
Your launch date is written into the agreement. Every week we're late through our fault, you get 10% back.
Content04
“They wanted me to write all the words.”
We write every word for you.
One 45-minute chat and our conversion copywriter does the rest. Most clients spend under two hours on their whole project.
Control05
“I can't even change my opening hours.”
Edit it yourself from your phone.
Your dashboard lets you change text, prices, banners, products and hours in seconds — plus see your analytics.
Ownership06
“They hold my domain hostage.”
Everything is in your name. Always.
Code, domain, hosting, content and logins belong to you. Leave anytime and take it all with you.
Results07
“It looks nice but brings in nothing.”
Designed around one job: enquiries.
Clear offers, click-to-call, booking and WhatsApp buttons, and tracking so you can see exactly what it earns.
Speed08
“My site is painfully slow on mobile.”
90+ mobile PageSpeed, guaranteed.
Hand-coded with no bloated plugins. If it doesn't score 90+ at launch, we fix it for free.
Visibility09
“Nobody can find us on Google.”
SEO and AI-search ready from day one.
Technical and local SEO, Google Business Profile setup, structured data and llms.txt so ChatGPT and Gemini can recommend you.
Design10
“I paid and hated the design.”
See it first. Pay only if you love it.
Your free homepage concept arrives in 72 hours. Two revision rounds. Don't love it? Walk away owing nothing.
Jargon11
“I don't understand anything they say.”
Plain English, one point of contact.
You deal with the person building your site. No account managers, no hand-offs, no tech-speak.
Upkeep12
“It got hacked / broke after an update.”
Nothing to hack, nothing to update.
Static, hand-coded sites have no plugins or database to exploit. Hosting, SSL, backups and monitoring are handled for you.
Three ways to win online
Pick the websiteyour business deserves.
Every option is custom-designed, hand-coded, fixed-price and comes with your dashboard. Not sure which fits? We'll recommend one in your free concept.
01 / Signature
Scroll-driven
websites
Cinematic, award-style experiences that play as your customer scrolls — like the one you're on. For brands that need to feel premium and be remembered.
- Custom 3D renders & scroll-scrubbed animation
- Still fast: lazy-loaded frames, 90+ PageSpeed
- Graceful on phones & for reduced-motion users
Wine · Hospitality · Luxury · Property
02 / Launch
Static
websites
Lightning-fast, unbreakable sites for service businesses that want the phone to ring. The smartest first website — or the upgrade your old one badly needs.
- Up to 5 pages, copy written for you
- Click-to-call, WhatsApp & booking built in
- Local SEO + Google Business Profile setup
Trades · Clinics · Consultants · Studios
03 / Storefront
Ecommerce
websites
A beautiful online store that sells while you sleep. Fast product pages, frictionless checkout, and a dashboard to run it all without a developer.
- Up to 50 products set up for you
- Card, wallet & local payment gateways
- Stock, orders & sales analytics in one place
Retail · Food · Fashion · Makers
Selected work
Small businesses,big-brand websites.
A few recent builds, each one designed around what that business needed to sell. Imagine yours here.
Your website's remote control
Change it yourself.In seconds.
Every McArthur site comes with a dashboard. Update prices, hours, banners and products, and see who's visiting — without a developer or a support ticket.
↓ Try it. It's live.
Homepage
Live · all changes published
Last 30 days
Visitors—▲ 18%
Enquiries—▲ 31%
Conversion—
Load time—
Products
Orders, stock and payouts sync with your store automatically.
Your build — live tracker
- Homepage concept approvedDay 3
- Copy & photos inDay 5
- Full build — preview link liveDay 6–11
- Your review roundDay 12
- Launch & handoverDay 14
No chasing. You always know what's happening and what's next.
Live preview
Rise BakeryOrder now
Fresh sourdough, baked before sunrise.
Order by 9pm, collect warm from 7am.
Country loaf$68In stock
Cardamom bun$32In stock
Coffee$28In stock
Open: Tue–Sun · 7am–2pm★ 4.9
Type on the left — the site updates instantly. That's it. No developer, no ticket, no waiting.
Edit the fields that change
Headlines, prices, specials, hours, team, menus — safely, without breaking the design.
See what it earns
Visitors, enquiries, calls, sales and where they came from, in plain English.
Run your store
Connect your store to manage products, stock and orders from the same place.
Request bigger changes
Need a new page? Ask in the dashboard and track it through to done.
The honest comparison
More than a template.Less than an agency.Faster than both.
Here's how your options really compare on the things that matter to a small business.
| What matters | DIY site builder | Freelancer | Typical agency | McArthur Studio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| See the design before paying | Templates only | Deposit first | 50% upfront | Free concept in 72h |
| Time to launch | Weeks of your evenings | 1–3 months | 2–6 months | 14–35 days, in writing |
| Price certainty | Monthly fees + add-ons | Often hourly | Quote after discovery | Published, fixed prices |
| Who writes the words | You | Usually you | Extra cost | Included |
| Looks unique to you | Shared themes | Varies | Custom + 3D renders | |
| Mobile speed | Often slow | Varies | Varies | 90+ guaranteed |
| Edit it yourself | Can break layout | Email & wait | Ticket & invoice | Safe dashboard |
| You own it outright | Rented | Varies | Varies | 100% yours |
| Google & AI search setup | Basic | Extra cost | Extra cost | Included |
| Reply-time promise | Support queue | None | Account manager | 1 business day |
From brief to live in 14 days
Six steps. Two hours of your time.
We do the heavy lifting. Here's exactly what happens — and exactly what we need from you.
Day 0 · 2 minutes
Send your brief
Six quick questions about your business, customers and goals. No calls, no forms from 2009.
You: 2 minutes
Day 1–3 · Free
See your concept
We design a custom homepage concept for your business — free. Your price and launch date come with it.
You: nothing
Day 3 · 45 minutes
Approve & kick off
A friendly call to refine the concept and capture your story. Sign a fixed quote. Only now does the first instalment start.
You: 45 minutes
Day 4–11 · Build
Watch it come alive
We write the copy and hand-code every page. Follow along on a live preview link and your project tracker.
You: optional peeks
Day 12 · Review
One easy review
Leave all your feedback in one place in your dashboard. We make every change within 48 hours.
You: ~30 minutes
Day 14 · Launch
Go live & take the keys
Domain, SEO, analytics and Google Business Profile connected. Your dashboard and a 5-minute training video handed over.
You: celebrate
We take the risk, not you
Six guarantees.All in writing.
If we believe in our work, we should be the ones carrying the risk. So we do.
Guarantee 01
Love it, or pay nothing.
You see a custom homepage concept before you pay a cent. We'll refine it twice. If you still don't love it, walk away — no invoice, no hard feelings, no follow-up sequence.
The Concept-First Guarantee. Applies to every new build.
On time, or we pay you.
Your launch date is in the contract. For every week we're late through our own fault, 10% of your fee comes back to you.
Guarantee 02 · Launch-Date Promise
90+ speed score, or we fix it free.
Every site scores 90+ on Google PageSpeed (mobile) at launch. If it doesn't, we keep working at no cost until it does.
Guarantee 03 · Speed Promise
Never ghosted.
A real reply within 1 business day, every time. Miss it and that month's Care plan is on us.
Guarantee 04 · Response Promise
100% yours. No lock-in.
Code, domain, content and accounts are in your name from day one. Leave anytime and take everything with you.
Guarantee 05 · Ownership Promise
30 days to make it perfect.
After launch, any tweaks you want in the first 30 days are free. Real customers use it, you tell us what to polish.
Guarantee 06 · Make-It-Right Window
Transparent pricing
Real prices.On the website.
You shouldn't need a sales call to find out what a website costs. Every package is fixed-price, and you can spread payments with 0% interest.
Offer ends in
00days00hrs00min00sec
Launch
StaticFor service businesses that want calls, bookings and enquiries — fast.
FromR19 500one fixed priceTypical agency: R40 950
- Up to 5 custom-designed pages
- Copywriting done for you
- Local SEO + Google Business Profile
- Dashboard + analytics
- 3 months Care free
Live in 14 days
Get my free conceptSignature
Scroll-drivenFor brands that need to feel premium, stand out and be remembered.
FromR54 000one fixed priceTypical agency: R118 800
- Everything in Launch
- Custom 3D renders & scroll animation
- Up to 8 pages, cinematic storytelling
- Conversion funnel + lead magnet
- Social launch kit from your renders
Live in 28–35 days
Get my free conceptStorefront
EcommerceFor shops and makers ready to sell online without the tech headaches.
FromR45 000one fixed priceTypical agency: R85 500
- Everything in Launch
- 50 products set up for you
- Payments, shipping & tax configured
- Store connected to your dashboard
- Abandoned-cart emails set up
Live in 21–28 days
Get my free conceptCare plan · R890/mo
First 3 months free. Cancel anytime.
At the offer price, Care excludes the monthly report and small edits by us. You can still make edits yourself in the dashboard.
- Hosting & SSL
- Daily backups
- Uptime monitoring
- Security
- Monthly report
- Small edits by us
- Dashboard access
Everything in a Launch build
What you actually get.
We don't sell "a website". We sell the outcome: a business that looks established, gets found, and turns visitors into customers — with every piece that takes included.
Claim my free conceptCustom homepage concept
Designed for your business in 72 hours, before you commit.
Hand-coded website, up to 5 pages
Custom design, mobile-first, 90+ PageSpeed guaranteed.
Conversion copywriting
We interview you once and write every word.
Local SEO & Google Business Profile
Found on Search and Maps from launch day.
AI-search optimisation
Structured data + llms.txt so AI assistants recommend you.
Self-service dashboard + analytics
Edit content and track enquiries yourself. First year.
3 months of Care, free
Hosting, backups, security and monitoring.
30-day make-it-right window
Unlimited post-launch polish for a month.
Launch kit
Social graphics, email signature & QR code.
Total value
Your fixed price, with 0% instalments available
Client words
Don't take our word for it.
“[Real client quote — the result they got, in their words.]”
“[Real client quote.]”
“[Real client quote.]”
Questions, answered
Everything you'd ask on a call.
Still unsure? Email michael@mcarthurstudio.co.za — a human replies within 1 business day.
How much does a website cost with McArthur Studio?
Our fixed-price packages (in Rand) start at R19 500 for a static website, R45 000 for an ecommerce store and R54 000 for a scroll-driven showpiece. You'll get an exact, fixed quote in writing before any work starts, and you can estimate your project in 30 seconds or read our guide to website costs in South Africa. You can pay in three 0% instalments or monthly.
How long does it take to build my website?
Static websites launch in 14 days, ecommerce stores in 21–28 days and scroll-driven sites in 28–35 days. Your free homepage concept arrives within 72 hours. Your launch date goes in the contract, and if we miss it through our own fault, we refund 10% for every week we're late.
What if I don't like the design?
You see your homepage concept before you pay anything. If after two rounds of changes you don't love it, you walk away and owe nothing — that's our Concept-First Guarantee.
Do I need to write the words or supply photos?
No. Conversion copywriting is included: we interview you for 45 minutes and write everything. If you don't have good photos, we'll source licensed imagery or create custom 3D renders. Most clients spend under two hours in total on their project.
Can I update the website myself after launch?
Yes. Every site comes with the McArthur Studio dashboard, where you can change headlines, prices, opening hours, banners, products and more, and see your visitor and enquiry analytics — no code, no waiting on a developer. For bigger changes, you request them in the dashboard and we handle them.
What's the difference between static, scroll-driven and ecommerce websites?
A static website is a lightning-fast, secure site for service businesses that want calls, bookings and enquiries. A scroll-driven website uses cinematic animation that plays as visitors scroll — ideal for premium brands that need to stand out. An ecommerce website is an online store with products, checkout, payments and stock management.
Do I own my website?
Completely. The code, design, content, domain and every account are in your name. There's no lock-in: if you ever leave, you take everything with you.
Will my website show up on Google and in AI assistants like ChatGPT?
Every build ships with technical SEO, local SEO and Google Business Profile setup, plus structured data and an llms.txt file so AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Claude can understand and recommend your business accurately.
What happens after launch?
You get 30 days of free tweaks and your first three months of the Care plan free. After that, Care is R890/month for hosting, security, backups, monitoring, monthly reports and small updates — cancel anytime.
Why custom-coded instead of WordPress, Wix or Squarespace?
Hand-coded sites load faster, rank better, can't be broken by plugin updates and don't look like thousands of other template sites. You still get easy editing through the dashboard, without the bloat or security headaches.
Do you work with businesses in my area?
Yes. We work with small and medium businesses all over South Africa, from Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban to smaller towns. Everything (the brief, the concept, reviews and handover) happens online, with calls at a time that suits you. We also work with businesses abroad.
Zero-risk start
See your new homepage before you pay a cent.
Tell us about your business in two minutes. Within 72 hours you'll get a custom homepage concept, a fixed price and a launch date in writing. Love it or walk away — no invoice, no awkward call.
- Free concept in 72 hours
- Fixed price, in writing
- 2 slots left for this month