Questions people actually ask.
Pricing, ownership, timelines, and how a project actually runs. If your question isn't here, just ask us directly.
General
Two things: bespoke web applications and corporate web design for growing businesses, and straightforward small business websites and apps for sole traders and local trades. Every project is quoted individually rather than sold off a price list.
We're based at 18 Colegate, Norwich, Norfolk. We work with clients across the UK, offering both in-person meetings and remote collaboration.
Yes, see our small business websites and apps, built specifically for sole traders and local trades, quoted straight with no enterprise-style discovery process.
Start with Web Applications. We scope it around your exact workflow after a discovery call, then give you a fixed quote before any development starts.
Yes, we offer flexible payment structures including milestone-based payments and payment plans for larger projects.
Absolutely. We take over existing projects, fix broken websites, modernise legacy systems, and complete unfinished work.
Small Business Websites
We quote every job individually rather than sell off a price list, a single page, a full multi-page brochure site, or a branded app all cost different amounts, and we're upfront about the number before you commit to anything. No hidden extras, no monthly platform fees.
Yes. This isn't a scaled-down version of an enterprise package, it's built for sole traders, tradespeople, and small local businesses from the ground up. Most of our small business clients are exactly this: photographers, electricians, hearing clinics, wedding planners, and similar.
Message us on WhatsApp, give us a call, or drop us an email. No forms to fill in first, just tell us what you need and we'll quote it there and then.
A one-pager can be live within days. A full brochure site typically takes 1-3 weeks depending on how much content you have ready. We'll give you a straight timeline before you commit to anything.
Usually not, most small businesses only need a website. An app makes sense if you want customers coming back regularly (bookings, loyalty, updates) or your team needs a private tool for the job. See our apps page or just ask us, we'll tell you honestly.
Yes. You own the site outright, there's no monthly platform lock-in like Wix or Squarespace. If you ever want to move it elsewhere, it's yours to take.
Web Design
WordPress powers 43% of the web, which makes it the single most targeted CMS for cyberattacks. Beyond security, it carries significant performance overhead from plugins, a slow PHP rendering model, and an architecture designed for blogs rather than modern business platforms. Next.js delivers server-rendered pages in milliseconds with no plugin dependency.
A headless CMS decouples content management from the frontend presentation layer. Sanity CMS stores your content and delivers it via API. Next.js consumes that API and renders it at build time or on the server. The result is a site that loads instantly, scores near-perfect on Core Web Vitals, and lets your marketing team manage content without touching code.
Yes. Sanity Studio gives your team a clean, structured interface to update copy, add pages, publish blog posts, and manage media. We configure the studio specifically for your content structure, so there is no risk of accidentally breaking the site layout.
Page speed, Core Web Vitals, and structured data are all direct ranking signals. Next.js sites routinely score 95-100 on Lighthouse performance audits. We also build in semantic HTML, schema markup, XML sitemaps, and canonical tags from day one, so there are no technical SEO debts to address after launch.
Yes. Because we build on an API-first architecture, the site can connect to any system with an API. CRM lead capture, ERP inventory feeds, event ticketing, booking systems, customer portals. We design the integration layer as part of the initial architecture.
Yes, outright. You receive the full Next.js repository, the Sanity project, hosting credentials, and full documentation. There are no licence fees, no platform lock-in, and no ongoing dependency on Arcscribe. You can modify or migrate it at any time.
Web Applications
Bespoke software development means building a system from scratch around your exact business workflow, not adapting an off-the-shelf tool to fit. It eliminates the workarounds, manual processes, and operational friction that generic SaaS products create.
We build custom CRM systems, client portals, internal operations tools, workflow automation platforms, data and BI dashboards, SaaS products, and API integration middleware. If your team is currently managing a process in spreadsheets or a SaaS tool that doesn't quite fit, we can replace it.
Yes. We design the API layer that connects your existing tools, CRM systems, payment processors, accounting software, ERPs, databases, and third-party APIs. We replace the manual data transfers and double-entry that slow your team down.
No. Every line of code is written by Harvey Washington, Managing Director. We do not subcontract and we do not use offshore development resources. You have direct access to the engineer building your software throughout the project.
Yes, outright. You receive the full repository, database schema, infrastructure access, and documentation at launch. There are no licence agreements or ongoing fees tied to our involvement. You can modify it, host it elsewhere, or hand it to another developer at any time.
Timelines depend on complexity. We work in two-week development sprints, with a live demo at the end of each sprint so you see real progress. A well-scoped internal tool typically runs 6-12 weeks. Complex multi-module platforms are scoped on a project-by-project basis after a detailed discovery session.
Apps
It depends on scope, so we quote every app individually rather than sell off a price list. A focused, single-purpose app, one branded feature, one platform (iOS or Android, or both as a cross-platform build), and store submission, is quoted quickly after a short call. Apps with logins, bookings, payments, or admin dashboards take a bit more scoping but follow the same process.
If customers only need to look something up occasionally, a fast website is usually the better investment. An app makes sense when you want a home-screen presence, push notifications, offline access, or a repeat-use tool your customers or staff open regularly.
Yes, we handle store listings, screenshots, and submission for both Apple's App Store and Google Play as part of the build. Some simpler apps are better suited to a Progressive Web App (installable from the browser, no store review needed), which we'll recommend where it saves you time and cost.
Yes. Internal apps, job sheets, stock checks, staff scheduling, site inspections, don't need to go through app store review at all. We can build and deploy these privately, directly to your team's devices.
Yes, outright. You get the full codebase, the App Store Connect / Google Play Console access under your own developer accounts, and no ongoing licence fee to us. You can take it to another developer at any time.
A focused single-purpose app typically takes 3-6 weeks from kickoff to store submission. Larger apps with accounts, payments, or bespoke backends are scoped after a short discovery call.
Hosting & Maintenance
No. You always get full code ownership and hosting credentials at launch. Our hosting tiers are an optional convenience for clients who'd rather we handle patching, backups, and uptime than deal with it themselves.
No. Every figure in the schedule is exclusive of VAT, which is charged in addition at the standard rate, currently 20%. So Essential Hosting at £10.00 a month is £12.00 a month including VAT.
Essential Hosting covers a standard informational or small business site that doesn't change often, and keeps it patched, backed up and monitored for £10 a month. Active Care adds hands-off maintenance, weekly updates, monthly scans, a staging environment, and half an hour of content changes a month. Commerce / High Traffic is for e-commerce and high-volume seasonal sites that need dedicated resource, priority support and a full hour of changes. If you're unsure, tell us what the site does and we'll say which one fits.
It's charged at our standard ad-hoc rate of £60.00 an hour, excluding VAT, with a one hour minimum. That covers content uploads, layout changes, new pages, third-party API integrations, and non-critical troubleshooting. Active Care includes 30 minutes a month before the hourly rate applies, and Commerce includes 60.
Monthly plans are payable by Direct Debit mandate, with invoices issued automatically on the 1st of each calendar month. If you'd rather pay annually by bank transfer, you get 10% off, which is already built into the annual rates shown.
Yes. Move up before a launch or a busy season and back down after. There's no lock-in contract.
You own 100% of your website code, so you can. We package the site files and database for a flat £50.00 administrative handover fee, provided any outstanding invoices are settled first.
Complaints
Complaints are logged and triaged by the team, with any unresolved or serious complaint escalated directly to Harvey Washington, Arcscribe's founder and Managing Director.
We acknowledge every complaint within 2 business days and aim to give a full response within 10 business days. If your case is complex and needs longer, we'll email you before that deadline to explain why and give you a new date.
For complaints specifically about how we've handled your personal data, you have the right to complain to the UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk. For contractual or commercial disputes that remain unresolved, either party may refer the matter to mediation through CEDR (the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution) at cedr.com, or to the courts of England and Wales, as set out in our Terms of Service.
No. Raising a complaint through this procedure is free, whether or not you go on to become a client.
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