ThriftySites

ThriftySites: WordPress websites and digital marketing for Yorkshire small businesses

ThriftySites is a small web design and digital marketing agency based in Leeds and working with small businesses across Hull, Leeds and the wider Yorkshire area. The company builds WordPress websites and backs them with hosting, search engine optimisation and Google Ads management. Its stated focus is on sites that generate enquiries rather than simply existing, and it reports having worked with more than 200 small and medium-sized businesses.

The agency presents itself as a deliberately unglamorous operation, describing itself as "not the flashiest agency in Yorkshire" but one that has remained in business since 1998. Its pitch centres on ownership: clients keep their content and domain name, and the company positions itself against long contracts, hidden fees and agencies that retain control of a client's site.

Services offered

• Website design: sites built around what the company describes as the ideal customer's expectations, with the aim of keeping visitors engaged and converting them into buyers.
• Website hosting: hosting presented with 99.9% uptime and built-in protection against hackers.
• SEO: optimisation intended to help a business appear in search results for what it sells, ahead of competitors.
• Google Ads: management of paid search budgets with the stated aim of getting the most from the money spent.

The site also lists an Advice Centre and a Help & Support section among its navigation options, alongside a quote request form.

How a project runs

The company describes a three-step process. It begins with a conversation in which the client explains the business, its past successes and its goals, either through an enquiry form or by phone. The client then receives a proposal and plan with a fixed price, after which the team builds the site around the target customer. Once the website goes live, ThriftySites supports clients either in maintaining the site themselves or through its own maintenance, SEO and paid advertising services.

On timing, the agency states that most customers see a first draft within a week of giving the go-ahead, with a review and refinement stage before publication. It also emphasises that a clear fixed-price proposal is provided before any commitment, without what it calls vague estimates or small print.

History and team

ThriftySites was founded in 1998 by Steve Elliott, who had previously run businesses in catering and computer repairs and was a member of the Institute of Direct Marketing. According to the company's account, he started the agency not as a technology company but around the belief that small businesses in Hull and East Yorkshire needed honest, effective help to be found online. The business grew through networking and word of mouth and, by its own description, has outlasted numerous competitors.

Steve's grandson Lewis joined the business in 2020 and took over its leadership in 2025, after five years working directly with ThriftySites customers. The company describes itself today as a small, focused team all based in Yorkshire, and states that it works with young people to bring new talent into the industry.

Client feedback

The site reports an "Excellent" rating based on 74 reviews, with Trustindex verifying that the original source of the reviews is Google. The published testimonials, attributed to named clients, describe quick turnaround, patience with clients who lack technical skills, competitive pricing, responsiveness to issues including on bank holiday weekends, and ongoing aftercare. One reviewer, a technology company, states that ThriftySites built its own site and also sites for some of its industry-leading customers.

Company details

ThriftySites Group Ltd is registered as Company No. 16555701 with VAT Registration GB 517 1178 04. The company also publishes policies covering privacy, web hosting terms of service, acceptable use, modern slavery and equality, diversity and inclusion.