WordPress or Next.js?

Depends on the project. WordPress when content velocity and editor autonomy matter. Next.js (or similar serverless) when speed, custom logic or modern integrations matter. We recommend the platform after the discovery phase, not before -- and we tell you why we picked it in writing.

Will I be locked into your hosting?

No. Your domain is yours. Your codebase is yours. Your CMS account (WordPress, Sanity, etc.) is yours. We use standard hosting providers (Vercel, Kinsta, WP Engine) so any other developer or agency can take over without rewriting the project. We document the handover with a written runbook.

Do you do SEO work as part of the build?

Yes -- the foundations. Technical SEO (structured data, sitemap, robots, performance, Core Web Vitals), on-page SEO (titles, meta, headings, internal links), and content templates that scale to blog posts and case studies. Ongoing SEO content work is part of our Email and content service.

Can you redesign without rebuilding?

Sometimes. If the existing platform and integrations are sound, a redesign can be a frontend re-skin without rebuilding the backend. We audit first and tell you whether a redesign or a rebuild is the better investment for the budget.

Do you build mobile apps too?

Rarely. We focus on websites and web applications. For native mobile apps we partner with our sister team DBUGGER Studio when the project warrants it -- usually only when there's a specific operational reason a website won't do.

Service / Web development

Sites built for the project, not the framework.

Custom WordPress when the team needs editor autonomy. Modern serverless when speed and integration matter. E-commerce, booking platforms, internal tools -- whatever the business actually needs. Built mobile-first with SEO foundations, CRM-connected forms, and analytics handover from day one.

Scope a website project See pricing

How we think about a website project.

There are two kinds of agencies that build websites in Costa Rica. The first kind sells a template-based WordPress site for a fixed fee, ships it in three weeks, and walks away. The second kind sells a 'custom design' that's actually a Figma file dressed on a generic theme, takes nine months, and ends with a site that nobody on the team can edit.

We try to be neither. Our default model is: build for the project, not the framework. For some clients the right answer is a custom WordPress site -- because the editorial team needs to publish three blog posts a week and Markdown files in a Git repo would be friction. For other clients the right answer is a Next.js site on Vercel -- because they need server-side bookings, custom logic and the kind of speed Lighthouse rewards. For others the right answer is a hybrid -- a static marketing site plus a custom backend for the booking flow.

Whichever direction we go, the bones are the same: mobile-first, SEO foundations baked in, CRM-connected forms, multilingual ready, accessibility-aware, and analytics-instrumented. We don't ship sites that you can't measure.

The most common website problems we fix.

When boutique brands come to us mid-flight with an existing site, we usually find one or more of the following.

Mobile experience was an afterthought. Two thirds of traffic is on mobile, but the design shows it was sketched on a desktop and squashed afterward.
SEO basics aren't there. Page titles are duplicated, meta descriptions are auto-generated, the sitemap is missing or stale, and Search Console has zero verified ownership.
Forms aren't wired to the CRM. The contact form sends an email and that's it -- the lead never lands in HubSpot, the attribution is lost, and the follow-up depends on someone reading the inbox.
Booking integration is broken. The booking widget is on the site, but the calendar feed pulls from a stale API. Guests pick dates that aren't actually available.
Speed is unacceptable. The site loads three seconds slower than it should because nobody compressed the hero video or set up image optimization.
Multilingual is half-done. The English site is fine. The Spanish version is two pages, last updated 18 months ago, with broken navigation links to English-only pages.

What we build.

Every site we build, regardless of platform, ships with the same foundations. The platform choice is the answer, not the question.

Custom WordPress -- editor-friendly, with custom post types, ACF fields, and a content management experience your team can actually use
Custom serverless (Next.js + Vercel + Supabase or similar) -- when speed, custom logic, or modern integrations are the priority
E-commerce storefronts with payment, inventory and fulfillment integrations (Shopify, WooCommerce, custom)
Blogs and content sites tuned for SEO and the buyer journey
Custom booking platforms -- rooms, tours, classes, retreats, restaurants
Internal tools and dashboards for your operations team
Multilingual support (EN + ES native) with proper hreflang and locale routing
Mobile-first responsive design tested across real devices, not just browser DevTools
Technical and on-page SEO foundations -- structured data, semantic HTML, performant images, fast Core Web Vitals
CRM-connected forms with first-touch attribution preserved end-to-end
Analytics dashboard handover (GA4, Search Console, Vercel Analytics) so you own the data from day one

What we build with.

WordPressNext.jsVercelSupabaseHubSpotCloudbedsMindbodyMailchimpTypeform

How a website project actually runs.

A typical site takes six to twelve weeks from kickoff to launch, depending on scope. Custom marketing sites trend to the shorter end. E-commerce or booking-platform builds run longer. Whatever the platform, the process is consistent.

Discovery and scoping

Weeks 1 to 2

We map the buyer journey, audit the existing site (if there is one), document every form, every integration, every analytics event. We answer the platform question last -- after we've understood the constraints. Output is a written scope document with sitemap, content inventory, and platform recommendation.

Design and content

Weeks 2 to 5

Wireframes, then visual design in Figma. Content drafts in parallel -- copy in English and Spanish, written by humans. The principal reviews each milestone. We iterate until both signed off, with a hard cap on revisions per milestone so the project doesn't drift.

Development

Weeks 4 to 9

Build happens in parallel with content finalization. Custom WordPress builds happen in a staging environment from day one. Custom serverless builds run in feature branches with preview deploys for every change. Your team has access to staging through the entire build.

Integrations and instrumentation

Weeks 8 to 11

Forms wire to the CRM. Analytics events fire correctly. Booking widget pulls from the right calendar feed. Search Console verified, sitemap submitted, structured data validated. We test every conversion event end-to-end before launch.

Launch and handover

Week 12

Pre-launch checklist signed off (broken-link scan, accessibility check, performance test, schema validation). DNS cutover. Monitoring for the first 72 hours. Documentation handover -- written runbook, video walkthroughs of the editor, contact for emergencies.

Hosting and maintenance

Ongoing

Managed hosting included. We pick the platform that fits the project: managed WordPress hosting (Kinsta, WP Engine), edge serverless (Vercel), or managed CMS hosting -- whatever keeps the site fast and your team productive.

What you should expect from a Maureen Digital site.

Sites we build typically score 90+ on Lighthouse Performance, Accessibility, Best Practices and SEO at launch. Mobile-first, fast, accessible, indexable. Forms route to the CRM with attribution preserved. Editorial team can publish without a developer in the room. The site is documented well enough that another agency could maintain it without us -- which is the test for whether the handover was real.

Lighthouse 90+ across all four scores at launch
CRM-connected forms with first-touch attribution preserved
Multilingual ready with hreflang and locale routing
Editorial team can publish independently
Documented runbook for ongoing maintenance
Analytics handover so you own GA4, Search Console and Vercel data

How we price web work.

Custom websites are project-based. A custom marketing site starts at $3,500 (one-off project fee) plus monthly hosting. E-commerce and booking platforms are quoted by scope -- typically $6,500 to $20,000 depending on integration count and complexity. Ongoing site maintenance is included in our retainer tiers; standalone hosting plus retainer maintenance starts at $150/month.

See pricing

Common web-development questions.

WordPress or Next.js?: Depends on the project. WordPress when content velocity and editor autonomy matter. Next.js (or similar serverless) when speed, custom logic or modern integrations matter. We recommend the platform after the discovery phase, not before -- and we tell you why we picked it in writing.
Will I be locked into your hosting?: No. Your domain is yours. Your codebase is yours. Your CMS account (WordPress, Sanity, etc.) is yours. We use standard hosting providers (Vercel, Kinsta, WP Engine) so any other developer or agency can take over without rewriting the project. We document the handover with a written runbook.
Do you do SEO work as part of the build?: Yes -- the foundations. Technical SEO (structured data, sitemap, robots, performance, Core Web Vitals), on-page SEO (titles, meta, headings, internal links), and content templates that scale to blog posts and case studies. Ongoing SEO content work is part of our Email and content service.
Can you redesign without rebuilding?: Sometimes. If the existing platform and integrations are sound, a redesign can be a frontend re-skin without rebuilding the backend. We audit first and tell you whether a redesign or a rebuild is the better investment for the budget.
Do you build mobile apps too?: Rarely. We focus on websites and web applications. For native mobile apps we partner with our sister team DBUGGER Studio when the project warrants it -- usually only when there's a specific operational reason a website won't do.

Get a written scope before you commit a budget.

30-minute discovery call. We'll discuss the goals, the constraints and the realistic budget range. You leave with a written scope and a recommendation -- whether or not we build the site.