Web design across Scotland, from start to finish by one person
I’m Chris Thornton, a web designer in Moray, in the northeast of Scotland. Since 2004 I’ve designed and built websites for businesses, charities and community groups, every one written from scratch. Most of my clients are in Moray, but you don’t need to be: the whole job works just as well by phone, email and video call.
Not an agency. One web designer.
Search for a web design company in Scotland and you’ll find plenty of agencies in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen. I’m not one. Colourjam is me: the person who answers the phone is the person who designs your website, writes the code and looks after it for years afterwards.
So there are no account managers, nobody to pass your project down the line to, and no city-centre office built into the price. You get straight answers from someone who knows every line of your website.
What you get, wherever you are
- A website designed and custom-coded from scratch, never a template
- Quick on phones, with tap-to-call on every page
- A page for each service and each area you cover, so you’re found on Google
- A free homepage mock-up before you decide anything
- The price in writing before anything starts
- Building websites since 2004, with 5.0 stars from 56 Google reviews
How it works when we’re miles apart
The same steps as for a client down the road. The only difference is that we talk on the phone or a video call instead of over a coffee.
- one
A call
On the phone or a video call, whichever suits you, about your business, your customers and what the website needs to do.
- two
Your homepage mock-up free
I design your new homepage with your own details and send you a link to look at on your phone and computer. Then we go through it together.
- three
Design and build
Your site is built from scratch on a private link, so you can see it take shape and send me changes as we go.
- four
Launch
I switch everything over, redirect your old pages so nothing gets lost with Google, and set up Google Search Console.
- five
Looked after
Changes, updates and hosting whenever you need them. Email or ring me, and it gets done.
Websites for charities, community councils and heritage groups
Some of the work I’m proudest of is for groups run by volunteers and small teams. They need a website that’s easy to keep up to date, works for everyone who uses it, and doesn’t cost a fortune to run.
Buckie & District Community Council
Community Council, Web AppBuckiePlanning and project trackers, an events calendar, a community map, and an admin area the volunteers run themselves.
Moray Women's Aid
Charity, Domestic Abuse SupportElginAn Exit button on every page, the helpline always in view, an accessibility panel and more than 30 languages.
Buckie & District War Memorial
Heritage, DatabaseBuckieA searchable record of the 362 men and women from Buckie and district who fell in both World Wars.
Fishermen's Hall
Community VenueBuckieA historic hall, now owned by the community, with what’s on and booking enquiries in one place.
What groups like these usually need
- An admin area simple enough for any volunteer to use
- Accessibility options, such as bigger text and high contrast
- Meeting minutes, documents and news, filed so people can find them
- Events calendars, and booking or enquiry forms
- Searchable records, from planning applications to the names on a memorial
- Clear, plain English that anyone can follow
Chris gave the same detailed attention to our voluntary sector site that he gives to large corporates and at a very good price. Add to that a willingness to work with even the most IT illiterate client, with good humour and patience.
Work beyond Moray
Most of my clients are in Moray, but many of them work right across Scotland, and some are based in the Highlands. See all my work
Limelight Event Services
Event Services, Equipment HireInvernessSound, lighting and staging for events across Scotland, from a company based in Inverness.
Wyvis Tree Services
Tree Surgery, Highland TradeInverness and NairnMore than 35 location pages, so the business is found from Inverness to Aviemore.
Live Breathe Scotland
Travel Blog, ContentScotland-wideMy own site about travelling around Scotland: around 50,000 visitors a month, all from writing and search.
Moray Artificial Grass
Landscaping, Royal GrassMorayRoyal Grass installations from Stonehaven to Invergordon.
Web design for businesses across Scotland
From a simple website for a sole trader to a full online shop or web app: everything you need to get found and get the phone ringing.
Custom web design
Designed around your business and written by hand, so your website looks like nobody else’s. No WordPress templates and no page builders.
Online shops
A custom e-commerce website, so customers anywhere in Scotland, and well beyond it, can buy from you any time.
Found on Google
A page for each service you offer and each area you cover, whether that’s one town or the whole country, with Google Search Console set up from launch.
Built for phones
Most people will find you on their phone, so every site is designed for phones first, with tap-to-call on every page.
Web apps
Bookings, searchable records, client portals and admin areas, for the jobs you do by phone, on paper or in a spreadsheet.
Looked after
Hosting, updates and changes from the person who built it. When you need something doing, you email or ring me and it gets done.
What clients say
5.0from 56 Google reviewsChris at Colourjam built a website for us and was excellent to work with. Highly knowledgeable, very skilled, and completely reliable throughout the project. Everything was delivered exactly as promised.
Chris was absolutely brilliant to work with when creating our very first education website. From start to finish his expertise and attention to detail was evident.
Since our new website our hits and enquiries have doubled, which we are really pleased about. It’s easy for us to update, and easy to contact Colourjam which is very important to us.
Questions from businesses across Scotland
Do you work with businesses outside Moray?
Yes. Most of my clients are in Moray, but I work with businesses, charities and community groups right across Scotland. The process is the same wherever you are, and most of it happens by phone, email and video call.
Do we need to meet in person?
No. We talk on the phone or a video call, and you see your website on a private link as it takes shape. If you’re in or near Moray, I’m happy to come to you as well.
How much does a website cost?
Starter websites are £300 to £600, or about £25 to £50 a month. Small business websites of five to ten pages are £800 to £3,000. Online shops are £1,500 to £20,000+, depending on how many products you have and what the checkout needs to do. Bookings, web apps and phone apps are priced after a quick chat, because they depend on what the job is. You get the price in writing before anything starts. See prices.
How long does a new website take?
Most take four to eight weeks from the first chat to going live.
Can you help us get found on Google across Scotland?
Yes. I build a page for each service you offer and each area you cover, check your Google Business Profile, and set up Google Search Console so we can see what people search for. I can’t promise a position, and anyone who does is guessing, but I can give you the best possible start.
Do you build websites for charities and community councils?
Yes. I’ve built websites for Buckie & District Community Council, Moray Women’s Aid, the Buckie and District War Memorial and the Fishermen’s Hall, among others. The community council and Moray Women’s Aid both have their own admin area, so the volunteers and staff keep their sites up to date themselves.
Why choose one web designer over an agency?
You deal with the person building your website from the first chat to years after launch, so nothing gets lost between departments. Every site is custom-coded from scratch, and there’s no city-centre office built into the price.
Do you look after hosting and updates?
Yes. I offer secure hosting and maintenance, so your site is backed up, kept up to date and running smoothly. Plenty of my clients have been with me for years.
Free homepage mock-up, wherever you are in Scotland
Tell me a little about your business and I’ll design your new homepage for free, using your own services, photos and reviews. You see it before deciding anything.
- 1You tell me about your business. Two minutes on this form, or a quick call.
- 2I design your homepage. Your details, not dummy text.
- 3You decide. If it’s not for you, that’s the end of it.