Web Design · Thanet, Kent
Web Design in Margate for a Town That Reinvented Itself
Margate has gone from faded seaside town to creative destination in about fifteen years. We build sites that keep up with the change. Fixed prices from £800, and live in two to four weeks.
Local Knowledge
Why Margate businesses need more than a template
Margate has changed more in fifteen years than any town in Kent. Turner Contemporary, the Dreamland revival and a steady arrival of people priced out of London have turned a faded seaside resort into a genuine destination. The Old Town is full of galleries, vintage shops and independents that simply did not exist here in 2010.
The result is two Margates trading side by side. There is the new creative economy, largely serving visitors and incomers, with high design expectations and London reference points. And there is the long-standing local economy of trades, services and shops along Northdown Road and out towards Cliftonville, serving residents who have been here far longer.
Those two markets judge a website completely differently. A gallery or a boutique guest house is being compared to things people saw in Hackney last month. A plumber in Cliftonville is being judged on whether the number works and somebody answers. Building the wrong one of those is an expensive mistake to make.
Seasonality is the other constant. Margate empties in winter and fills from Easter onwards, and the swing is severe. A site that reads the same in January as it does in July is misrepresenting the business half the year, and for anywhere serving visitors that costs real bookings every single season.
What tends to work here
- Seasonal offers and hours, updated by you
- Naming Cliftonville, Westgate and Birchington
- Photography that suits a design-led town
- Booking that works from a phone on the beach
- Parking and travel, most visitors drive
- Reviews shown, visitors compare quickly
Why Margate is really two towns trading at once
The Margate businesses we build for
Two economies trading side by side. These are the three we work with most across Margate.
Creative & independent retail
Galleries, vintage shops, independent cafes and boutique stays around the Old Town and the seafront. Judged against London standards by visitors who arrived on the train, so presentation genuinely is the product here.
Visitor & seasonal trade
Guest houses, restaurants, bars and attractions living on the season. Booking, opening hours and honest photography do the work, and all three need changing several times a year rather than set once.
Trades & resident services
Plumbers, electricians, garages and shops along Northdown Road and through Cliftonville, serving residents rather than visitors. Speed and reachability beat design entirely for this half of the town.
What We See
Four problems we keep finding on Margate websites
Built for the wrong Margate
A design-led site aimed at visitors is wasted on a trade business serving Cliftonville residents, and a plain functional site loses a gallery its visitor trade. Pick one deliberately rather than by accident.
The same page all year
A homepage that reads identically in January and July in a town whose population swings this hard. If you are closed, on reduced hours or fully booked, the site should say so before anyone travels.
Photography that undersells
Visitor businesses using dark, cramped phone photos in a town people specifically come to for how it looks. Here, more than almost anywhere in Kent, photography is the highest return spend available.
Ignoring the surrounding areas
Sites that say Margate and stop there miss Cliftonville, Westgate, Birchington and Garlinge. Those are separate searches with separate customers, and naming them costs you nothing at all.
How We Help
What we build for Margate businesses
Three services, shaped around a town running two economies at once, on a season that swings harder than anywhere else in Kent.
Web Design
A site built for whichever Margate is actually yours, that you can change yourself as the season turns. Branding is available inside the build where you need it: branding that holds up in a town where visitors arrive with London design expectations.
From £800SEO
Getting you into the Margate map results and in front of people planning a visit weeks ahead.
From £550What Our Clients Say
Real reviews from real clients
I had an excellent experience working with WebOws Design. They designed my website and it honestly exceeded all of my expectations. From the very beginning, communication was clear, Replies were always incredibly quick, and any changes or requests I had were handled promptly without any hassle. The attention to detail, professionalism, and willingness to make sure everything was exactly how I wanted really stood out. I highly recommend WebOws Design.
Fantastic service by Owen and the team, we had used another company before who let us down and the site performed worse than before so we ended up editing and managing the site in house. We came across Owen and team around 6 weeks ago who completely re-designed our site and made it look amazing. Cost wise, very very good. Build time was quick and we are over the moon with the result. Would recommend Owen and the team to anyone looking for a website re-design or build. Outstanding service from start to finish.
I couldn't recommend Owen and the team highly enough. From start to finish, the communication has been exceptional. Whether it was phone calls, messages or meeting face to face, they were always available, approachable and happy to help. Nothing ever felt like too much trouble, and they really listened to my ideas and brought them to life. They made the whole process enjoyable and collaborative. They were patient, responsive. I love the finished website and couldn't be happier, thankyou :)
WebOws delivered a sharp, high impact redesign of the Social Football Australia website. Speed was a standout from day one: fast turnaround at every stage, changes implemented quickly, no delays, no chasing. Communication was just as strong, led by Owen: clear, direct updates throughout, quick responses to questions, no confusion around timelines or scope. The final result is clean, professional, and built to convert. I would highly recommend Owen & his team.
Owen was on hand throughout the entire build time, no matter the hour. I felt heard and understood throughout the build, and no question felt to silly to ask. Owen explained where they were at with the build throughout the process and I cant wait to get going on the live site!
WebOws Design created a professional and clean booking website for my massage and spa business. The quality of work was excellent, and they understood my vision perfectly. Communication was clear and efficient, and they were always responsive. What impressed me most was the speed, my booking platform was built in just one week. The final result is modern, easy to use, and very client-friendly. Highly recommended.
Can't praise Owen highly enough - he was quick, communicative and solved the problem I was having with my website perfectly. He also taught me how to solve the problem myself in the future! Will definitely use WebOws again.
Owen was great to work with on our recent website redesign. Calm, professional and creative. I would thoroughly recommend his services.
The level of care Owen has is amazing. He has gone above and beyond. The time and care he's put into my little business has made me feel supported at every step. Couldn't recommend more.
Would offer 6 stars if I could. Owen is so helpful. He understands your business and was fast and accurate in interpreting my giber into what I wanted to achieve. Thank you
Great communication, very quick to get in touch and respond to all messages. Achieved what we asked him to do quickly and efficiently; will definitely use in the future for any website help we need.
Owen was exceptional and incredibly helpful. The issues I was experiencing were resolved quickly. Even at 9pm, he took my call and solved the problem. I really appreciate his dedication and support.
Always receive excellent service from Owen’s business. Really prompt to reply to queries & work is completed quickly & professionally. Would highly recommend!
Contacted Owen to help with a few issues on my website that I was struggling with. Within 30 mins he had them all sorted. Fantastic service, would highly recommend
I needed some changes done to my existing site on a very quick turnaround. I had a phone call and the changes were done while we spoke. Great service and speed!
Very happy with the work Owen did. He was super kind and quick to reply. Highly recommend to let him help you with your website!
Questions
Margate web design questions
Yes. We're in Gillingham, about an hour along the A299, and Thanet is a growing part of our work. Most of the process runs remotely and we'll come over when meeting in person genuinely helps.
We build it so you can swap the headline, hours and featured offer yourself in a couple of minutes. In Margate that is not a nice extra, it is the difference between a site that is accurate and one that lies for six months.
Yes, along with Garlinge and the villages inland. They behave like separate markets, particularly Cliftonville, so your site should name them rather than assuming Margate covers everything.
From £800, with a fixed quote agreed before any work starts. No hourly billing and nothing on the invoice you have not already seen and approved.
We can arrange it, and for visitor-facing businesses in Margate it is usually the single best spend. If budget is tight we will show you how to shoot decent photos yourself instead.
It changes what they compare you against. Someone who has just moved is used to booking everything online and will judge you on whether it is easy rather than whether it is cheap. Clear prices and an obvious way to book tend to matter more than another page of copy.
If people find you while they are already out visiting, then yes: naming the streets and landmarks near you helps them and helps Google. Do not stretch it though. Claiming somewhere you are a twenty minute walk from reads as padding and earns nothing.
Usually separate. They attract different searches and different people, and putting them together makes both harder to rank. One extra page is sometimes enough; a site of its own is better once the letting is a real part of the income.
Nearby
Areas near Margate we also cover
Most Margate enquiries come with work just over the boundary, so these are the neighbouring areas we cover most often.
Let's Talk
Let's talk about your Margate website
Tell us whether you serve visitors or residents and we'll tell you honestly what would help. Free consultation, no pressure.
