The 29 GB WordPress database that was mostly nothing
A 29 GB WordPress database where the real content was a small fraction. What filled the rest, how it got there, and the three queries that found it.
Case studies and opinion.
Real projects with real numbers, and how we think this work should be done.
2 posts, last updated Sep 1, 2026
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The one we'd send first
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Why I stopped selling hourly
Why I stopped selling WordPress work by the hour: hourly billing charges for the learning curve and rewards the slow. What changed with one fixed price.
Stuck on something we haven't written about?
Write as much as you like: what's happening, what you want, links, errors. The more we know, the more exact your fixed price.
Fix a WordPress critical error
The white screen, “There has been a critical error on this website”, or a site that broke after an update. We find the real cause, fix it, and test it before it goes live.
PriceFrom $199Exact price in a free estimate
Typical timeSame day
PromiseNo fix, no charge
What's included
- Root-cause diagnosis, usually within a few hours
- Fix tested on a staging copy first
- Plugin and theme conflicts untangled
- 30-day guarantee on the fix
You need this if
- Your site shows a critical error or a blank page
- It broke right after an update
- You're locked out of wp-admin
Hacked WordPress site cleanup
Redirects to spam, pages you never wrote, a red Google warning or a suspended host account. We clean it, close the way in, and watch it for 30 days.
PriceFrom $499Exact price in a free estimate
Typical timeSame day
PromiseFree re-clean for 30 days
What's included
- Malware removed from files and database
- The way in found and closed
- Keys rotated, rogue admins removed
- Google and host reinstatement requested
You need this if
- Visitors get redirected to other sites
- Google shows “This site may be hacked”
- Your host suspended the account
WordPress performance optimization
Slow pages, a slow admin, or Core Web Vitals in the red. We measure, fix the real bottlenecks, and measure again on your real traffic.
PriceFrom $699Exact price in a free estimate
Typical timeMeasured before & after
PromiseFixed price
What's included
- Caching strategy and server tuning
- Image pipeline and lazy loading
- Database and autoload cleanup
- The plugin audit nobody wants to do
You need this if
- Mobile PageSpeed under 50
- wp-admin takes seconds to respond
- Search Console flags Core Web Vitals
WooCommerce store rescue
Checkout errors, failed payments, missing orders or a store that crawls. Diagnosed the same day, fixed at a fixed price, tested with a real order.
PriceFrom $249Exact price in a free estimate
Typical timeSame-day diagnosis
Promise30-day guarantee
What's included
- Payment and order flow tested end to end
- Gateway and plugin conflicts resolved
- HPOS and block checkout compatibility
- Hardened so it doesn't come back
You need this if
- Customers see “payment failed”
- Orders go missing or stay pending
- Checkout broke after an update
Custom WordPress development
A bespoke site, fast by default, accessible, and easy for your team to edit. No page builder, and no bloated theme with your logo on it.
PriceFrom $3,499Rebuilds from $2,999
Typical timeAbout 6 weeks
PromiseYou own the code
What's included
- Designed around your content
- Core Web Vitals green at launch
- WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility
- Full handover and documentation
You need this if
- Your site is slow or hard to edit
- You're outgrowing a page builder
- You want something that lasts years
WooCommerce development
Stores, checkouts and custom features from an approved WooCommerce Pro Partner. Designed from your numbers and built to survive updates.
PriceFrom $4,999Store builds · checkout work from $699
Typical timeFixed quote
PromiseUpdate-proof code
What's included
- Checkout designed from your data
- No template overrides that break on updates
- Payments, shipping and tax set up
- Speed built in, not bolted on
You need this if
- You're starting or relaunching a store
- Checkout conversion is low
- You're outgrowing off-the-shelf plugins
Custom plugins & integrations
Connect your ERP, CRM, shipping or payments properly, or build the feature no plugin has. Coded to WordPress standards and documented.
PriceFrom $1,499Exact price in a free estimate
Typical timeFixed quote
PromiseYou own the code
What's included
- Clean, documented code
- Built to WordPress coding standards
- Safe through core and plugin updates
- Handover, with support if you want it
You need this if
- You copy data between systems by hand
- No plugin does exactly what you need
- A plugin you rely on was abandoned
Headless WordPress development
Keep the WordPress admin your team knows, and give visitors a modern, fast frontend. Only when it fits, and we'll tell you honestly if it doesn't.
PriceFrom $4,999After a free fit check
Typical time2–10 weeks
PromiseHonest fit check first
What's included
- Astro or Next.js frontend
- WordPress stays the content engine
- Live site keeps running throughout
- Structured, low-risk migration
You need this if
- Speed is a competitive edge for you
- You publish to several channels
- Your team loves the WordPress editor
WordPress migration service
Move to a faster host with zero downtime and the same URLs, so your rankings stay exactly where they are.
PriceFrom $499Exact price in a free estimate
Typical time2–5 days
PromiseZero downtime
What's included
- Built and tested on staging first
- Email and DNS settings carried over
- Cutover in one evening
- Search Console told about the move
You need this if
- Your host is slow or unreliable
- Renewal prices jumped
- You need better support
Wix, Squarespace or Webflow to WordPress
Every page, post and image, rebuilt cleaner on WordPress with old URLs redirected. No more monthly builder fees.
PriceFrom $999Exact price in a free estimate
Typical time1–4 weeks
PromiseRankings protected
What's included
- Content extracted and moved
- Design rebuilt on native blocks
- Every old URL redirected
- Forms, blog and store moved
You need this if
- You've hit the builder's limits
- SEO or speed is holding you back
- You want to own your site
Shopify to WooCommerce migration
Products, customers, orders and URLs, mapped one to one. Keep your history, lose the monthly app bill.
PriceFrom $1,499Exact price in a free estimate
Typical time2–5 weeks
PromiseCheckout pause under 30 min
What's included
- Products, variants and images
- Customers and full order history
- Every product URL redirected
- Payments and shipping rebuilt
You need this if
- App fees keep growing
- You want full control of checkout
- Transaction fees eat your margin
WordPress maintenance plans
Updates tested before they reach your live site, daily backups, monitoring, and help from the team that already knows your site when something needs fixing.
PriceFrom $149/moNo contracts
Typical timeMonthly
PromiseCancel anytime
What's included
- Updates tested on staging
- Daily off-site backups
- Security and uptime monitoring
- Bug fixes included every month
You need this if
- Updates scare you
- Nobody is watching the site
- You've been burned by a hack or outage
Free site assessment
An instant check of speed, security and updates, then a plain-English report we write by hand. Free, and honest, even if the answer is that you don't need us.
PriceFreeNo obligation
Typical time1 business day
PromiseWritten by hand
What's included
- Instant automated check
- A written report, by hand
- What to fix first, with prices
- An honest plan recommendation, or none
You need this if
- You're not sure what state the site is in
- You inherited a site from someone else
- You want a second opinion
Security hardening & monitoring
Firewall, login protection and file monitoring, so problems are caught before visitors notice and a hack doesn't happen twice.
PriceIncludedIn every care plan
Typical timeSet up in a day
PromiseAlerts before visitors notice
What's included
- Firewall and login hardening
- Two-factor login for admins
- File change and uptime monitoring
- Alerts for vulnerable plugins
You need this if
- You've been hacked before
- You run a store or member site
- Many people log in to your site
Pick the closest one, or just send it
Not every job fits a box. Send it as it is and we reply with a fixed price, usually within a few hours. Or choose the service that sounds closest below.