web design reading

Web design in Reading, built to outrun your rivals

Web design in Reading from our Theale studio, since 2005. Fixed prices, websites from £5,000 (+VAT), and AI built in where it pays.

350+ Projects delivered
60+ Five-star Google reviews
20+ Years building & ranking websites
50+ Businesses helped to implement AI
case studies

Recent websites from our Theale studio

B2B WEBSITE

A faster PR website built to win new business

Berkeley PR
Berkeley PR project
LEGAL WEB DESIGN

Doubling conversions for an employment law firm

KLG Law
KLG Law project
TECHNICAL WEB DESIGN

A sector-led website for a complex marine technology catalogue

Sonardyne
Sonardyne project
HEALTHCARE WEB DESIGN

A clearer healthcare journey increasing conversions by 238%

The Live-in Care Company
The Live-in Care Company project
reading clients

Reading businesses we've built for

Some of the Reading and Berkshire organisations whose websites we have designed and built.

SonyVodafoneSymantecXP PowerSonardyne
who we're right for

Is Code23 the right web design studio for your Reading business?

We suit Reading and Berkshire businesses whose website has a job to do: win enquiries, sell products, explain a complex offer or take work off the team. Our projects start at £5,000 (+VAT), so we are not the cheapest option in Reading. What you get for that is a senior team that designs, builds, hosts and supports the site from one studio in Theale, a fixed price agreed before any build starts, and code you own outright when the final invoice is paid.

Code23 is a strong fit when

  • Professional services firms, such as law, PR and consultancies, who need a site that wins enquiries rather than just describes them
  • Businesses with a deep catalogue or a lot of content that a template cannot organise
  • Teams replacing an old site who cannot afford to lose the search rankings they already have
  • Owners who want the same people to build the site and look after it afterwards
  • Businesses that want AI doing useful work on their website, not added as a gimmick

We may not be the right fit when

  • A first five-page site on a budget of a few hundred pounds. A template studio or a site builder is better value for that, and we will say so
  • Projects that need to start before anyone has agreed what is being built
  • Buyers looking for the lowest hourly rate rather than a fixed price
choosing an agency

Evidence to check before you choose

  • 01 Ask who will own the code and the hosting account after launch
  • 02 Ask what happens when something breaks after go-live, and for how long
  • 03 Ask to see comparable live work, not only designs
  • 04 Ask how the agency uses AI, and who still checks the work before it goes live
why local sites stall

Three website problems we fix most often

Most Reading businesses who call us have already had a website built once. The problems are usually the same three.

[ 01 ]

A good-looking site that nobody finds

The redesign looked better, but rankings for your Reading searches dropped and enquiries stayed flat.

We plan redirects and search structure before launch, so the rankings you have earned come with you.
[ 02 ]

An agency you never meet

Every decision goes through an account manager and a call booked a week out.

You meet the people building your site, in Theale, at your office or on a call.
[ 03 ]

A builder who disappears after launch

The site goes live, then hosting, updates and broken forms become your problem.

The team that built it hosts it, patches it and answers when something breaks.
capabilities

What we build for Reading businesses

New websites for Reading businesses

A site built around the enquiries you want, with a CMS your team can actually use. We pick the platform for the job: WordPress, Astro, Payload or a custom build.

Rebuilds that keep your rankings

Your old site has years of search history. We map every URL, plan redirects and carry content across, so a new design protects the traffic you already have.

Local SEO built into the site

Page structure, schema, speed and Google Business Profile consistency built in during development, so Reading and Berkshire searches can find you from launch day.

Ecommerce & product catalogues

Shops and catalogues for businesses with more products, options or rules than an off-the-shelf theme can handle.

AI built into your website

Useful AI that does real work: answering visitor questions from your own content, sorting enquiries before your team sees them, or pricing complex orders at checkout.

Hosting & support from the same team

Managed hosting, security updates, daily backups and developer time each month from the studio that built your site. No handover to strangers.

typical capabilities

What usually ships in a Reading website build

CMS editing, local SEO, performance, forms, accessibility and analytics, agreed in the scope rather than bolted on later.

SAMPLE DATA
Index live

Local SEO

Queries, intent and templates aimed at Reading and Berkshire.

Local
web design reading Query
Intent Device Reading Berkshire Page type
01
Services · Web design Reading Primary · local intent
Score 96
Relevance
92%
02
About · Theale studio Entity · GBP aligned
Score 91
Relevance
78%
03
Guide · website cost Reading Supporting · long-tail
Score 84
Relevance
64%

"A real pleasure working with Code23 who, from the beginning listened to our needs, were able to navigate the challenges that arose, and had the expertise to deliver a secure and future-proof site."

Laura Pride Director of Strategy, Berkeley PR

How we work

How a Reading website project runs

Scope and price are agreed before the build starts, and the people who planned your site stay on it through launch.

Step 1

Understand the brief

Who your visitors are, what you need them to do, and which Reading searches matter to you. Workshops at our studio, your office or on a call.

Scanning market
Local signals 6 signals

Step 2

Agree scope & price

Page templates, CMS, integrations and platform agreed in writing, with one fixed price. For complex briefs this is the Discovery Sprint.

Spec 02 / grid 8px
Scope locked 1390px

Step 3

Design & build

Templates, content and integrations built in parallel. Senior developers review every change before it is merged.

Sprint 03
Working software Week 2

Step 4

Test before launch

Accessibility, security and page speed tested against agreed targets before anyone outside the team sees the site.

Audit: release 2.4
✓
✓
✓
✗ ✓
✓
✓
0 critical 6 checks passed

Step 5

Go live

Redirects, analytics, search console and CMS training handled on launch. Your 90-day warranty starts here.

Deploy: production Live
Uptime 100.00% v1.0.0

Step 6

Keep improving

Hosting, security, SEO and new features through a monthly plan, from the team that built it.

Release cadence
v1.0 v1.4 v2.0
Shipping weekly +340%
prices

What web design costs with Code23

Every project starts with a scoped price you can plan around. If your brief is still loose, a Discovery Sprint turns it into a working prototype and a fixed-price proposal in one to two weeks, and its cost comes off your build in full.

fixed price £5,000 to £10,000 (+VAT) Brand & lead-generation website, typically live in 2 to 4 weeks.
1 to 2 weeks Discovery Sprint, credited in full
2 to 4 weeks Typical brand website timeline
90 days Warranty from launch
100% Code and IP ownership
You leave with
01 5 to 10 bespoke page templates
02 A modern CMS your team can edit (Payload or Astro, or WordPress where it suits)
03 Performance testing before launch
04 CRM integration for your enquiry forms
05 90-day warranty from launch against the agreed specification
06 Full ownership of the code, design files and database
Code23 project prices and typical timelines
Discovery Sprint £750 to £1,500 (+VAT) 1 to 2 weeks Interactive prototype, architecture and a fixed-price build proposal, credited to your build
Brand & lead-generation website £5,000 to £10,000 (+VAT) 2 to 4 weeks 5 to 10 bespoke templates, CMS, CRM integration
Catalogue & content platform £10,000 to £25,000 (+VAT) 4 to 6 weeks 20+ templates, faceted search, structured content, legacy data migration
Custom web app or portal £18,000 to £40,000 (+VAT) 6 to 10 weeks Logins, roles, payments, customer dashboards
AI built into your platform £30,000 to £100,000+ (+VAT) 6 to 20 weeks Search and answers over your own content, workflow agents, testing
Hosting, security & support From £495 a month (+VAT) Monthly Managed hosting, daily backups, form monitoring, developer time

Full detail and monthly plans on our pricing page.

why code23

Why choose Code23 for web design in Reading

[ 01 ]

A Reading studio since 2005

The Code23 brand has worked from the Reading area for more than 20 years. Our studio is at Spaces, Arlington Business Park in Theale, and you are welcome to visit.

[ 02 ]

The people you meet build the site

No account-management layer. The senior team who scope your project are the people who design and build it.

[ 03 ]

A fixed price before the build starts

Scope is agreed first. Anything new is priced and agreed before we start it, so the invoice matches the quote.

[ 04 ]

You own everything

Code, design files and database are yours once the final invoice is paid. No lock-in.

[ 05 ]

A website that moves as fast as you do

Launch a campaign, a new service or a new market and your site is ready in days, not weeks. We keep improving it from how real visitors use it, so it wins more every month instead of ageing.

verified reviews

On the record, on Google

Real reviews from our Google Business profile.

Google 60+ reviews →

We've recently completed Phase 1 of a bespoke business valuation tool with James at Code23, and I've been extremely impressed. He has taken the time to understand both the commercial and technical requirements, communicated clearly throughout, and delivered a well-thought-out system with a high level of flexibility. The admin dashboard, in particular, gives us full control over the scoring and valuation logic, which was a key requirement. I'm looking forward to working with James on Phase 2 and would have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone looking for bespoke software development – Jason Atkins, Director, Lansley Commercial

Jason Atkins portrait
Jason Atkins Lansley Commercial

We couldn’t be happier with the service from Code23. They were a pleasure to work with—friendly, professional, and really took the time to understand our needs. They met our brief perfectly, delivering a website that looks great and performs exactly as we envisioned, all at excellent value for money. What sets Code23 apart is their aftercare. Knowing they are on hand to monitor and maintain our website means we never have to worry about its performance. Their ongoing support gives us complete peace of mind, and we’d highly recommend them to anyone looking for a reliable and skilled web development team

Dan Isterling portrait
Dan Isterling Premier Community

It has truly been a fantastic experience working with the Code23 team. Every part of the process from the scoping and onboarding down to the design and implementation of our website was handled excellently. The quality of service delivered by the team is globally top standard and I couldn't be more satisfied with the final outcome.

Samuel Elili portrait
Samuel Elili Redwire Group

I have worked with Code23 and their team for over 5 years across 3 different projects ranging from mobile app development to custom WordPress websites. Together the team bring a level of expertise and professionalism I have not seen anywhere else... The results achieved have really helped to grow our business. I highly recommend their services to anyone looking for a custom project to be completed on time and in budget.

Alexander Campbell portrait
Alexander Campbell EnjoyCBD

We worked with Code23 for a complete rebuild of our music related website. Excellent customer service and quality throughout and the build they have now completed is fantastic - exceeded all expectations across the board. Fantastic company with a dynamic and motivated team who are great to work with. Would highly recommend!

Nathan Fullbrook portrait
Nathan Fullbrook Jamma Music

Joe and the team at code23 have done a fantastic job helping us design and build our new website. I feel they really captured the quality of the Draks brand. Would highly recommend.

Louise Sellar portrait
Louise Sellar Draks

blogs

Reading and web thinking

Local SEO, CMS models and website rebuilds that stay maintainable for Thames Valley teams.

View all posts
About Code23

Find our web design studio near Reading

Code23 has designed and built websites from the Reading area since 2005, and we work from Spaces at Arlington Business Park, Theale RG7 4SA. More than 350 projects and 60+ five-star Google reviews later, the same senior team scopes, builds and looks after every site. You're welcome to meet us at the studio, at your office or on a call. Arlington Business Park is near junction 12 of the M4, and Theale station is a short walk away, with trains to Reading. There's visitor parking at Spaces. We're open Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 17:30. Call 0118 995 2852 or find us on Google Maps.

Meet Code23
Est. 2005 Reading, UK Hands-on senior team
The Code23 team working together in the Reading studio
Fig. 01 - The team, Reading studio Theale studio
James, founder of Code23
Fig. 02 - James, founder EST. 2005
A product review session at Code23
Fig. 03 - Product review WK 34 / 2026
faq

Web design Reading questions, answered

How much does web design cost in Reading?

It depends on the job more than the town. A five-page template site from a freelancer can cost a few hundred pounds; a custom catalogue or customer portal can cost tens of thousands. What moves the price is the number of page templates, how much content needs migrating, and what the site has to connect to. Our own prices are in the table above, and our Reading web design cost guide compares the wider market.

How long does it take to build a website?

A brand and lead-generation website usually takes 2 to 4 weeks once scope is agreed. Catalogue and content-heavy sites take 4 to 6 weeks, and custom web apps 6 to 10 weeks. The slowest part is normally content, so we agree who supplies what in the first week.

Can I meet you in person?

Yes. Our studio is at Arlington Business Park in Theale. You're welcome to meet us there, at your office anywhere in Reading and Berkshire, or on a call. Day to day, most clients work with us over calls and a shared project board.

Will I lose my Google rankings if I rebuild my website?

A planned move protects them. Before launch we map every existing URL to its new home, set up redirects, keep the content that ranks and watch Search Console after go-live. Rankings can shift for a few weeks after any rebuild, but most lasting losses come from skipping that step.

Do you use WordPress?

Yes, when it is the right fit, and we have built custom WordPress sites for clients including KLG Law, Berkeley PR and Sonardyne. For marketing sites that need speed and simple editing we often use Astro or Payload instead. We recommend a platform during scoping and explain why.

How do you use AI, and is my data safe?

We use AI tools during development, with senior specialists responsible for the work and its release. On client sites we add AI only where it does a measurable job, such as answering questions from your own content. We agree in writing what data any AI feature can use before we build it.

What happens after the website launches?

Every build has a 90-day warranty from launch covering defects against the agreed specification. After that, most clients move onto a monthly plan for hosting, security, backups and developer time, with the same team who built the site. You can also take the code and host it yourself; it is yours.

get started

Need a Reading team that still ships fast?

Tell us what you need to launch. We'll map a plan that does not need a London retainer - or see the work that backs it.