About · The person behind the work
A young Cumbrian dev,
backing local business.
Hi, I'm William. I grew up here. I'd rather be the developer who helped the chippy down the road get a half-decent website than chase contracts for companies who'll never know my name.
I'm William — a young software developer from Cumbria, running Skiddaw Digital as a sole trader. I started building websites and tools as the kid in school who'd rather pull a laptop apart than play football. Somewhere along the way it turned into a job.
These days I build websites and custom software for the kind of Cumbrian businesses where the owner still knows everyone's name. Family-run guesthouses. Independent retailers. Pubs and cafés. Holiday lets. Tradespeople with vans and a few staff and a real need for software that just works.
Why "Skiddaw"
Because it's local, it's solid, and it's been standing for a long time without falling over — which is what every business wants from their website and their software. The name pins the business to the Lakes, where my customers are, and that's deliberate. If you live and work in the shadow of these hills, you get it instantly.
Why local business
Big agencies don't really want to work with small businesses — there's no money in it for them. The cheap end of the market is full of templates that fall over after a year. There's a big middle ground where most Cumbrian businesses live, and they keep getting badly served. I'm trying to do something about that.
What that means in practice
- Honest, fixed pricing — no surprise invoices, no padding
- You talk to me, not a project manager and three juniors
- Real code I'd be happy to show you under the bonnet
- Built to last — not abandoned the day you pay the final invoice
- Support from someone in your time zone, with a local accent
How I work
First conversation is free, and it's a conversation — never a sales pitch. You tell me what the business is doing and what's getting in the way. I tell you honestly whether I can help, what it'd cost, and how long it'd take. If I'm not the right person for the job, I'll say so and try to point you somewhere better.
Once we're working together, you get one point of contact — me — and a build done properly. When it goes live, I don't disappear. Sites need looking after. Software needs looking after. So do the people running the business.
Side-hustle, for now
Honest disclosure: Skiddaw Digital runs as a side hustle alongside a day job, which is part of how I keep prices fair. It means I don't take on more work than I can do properly, and it means every client gets attention, not a place on a queue. As the business grows that'll change — but the principle of doing right by Cumbrian customers won't.