Secure access and ownership
List and verify the domains, DNS, hosting, WordPress, analytics, Search Console, form delivery, media and current supplier responsibilities. Take complete backups before changing anything.
Website proposal / Stakeholder discussion
Proposal prepared by Tom Adam
Website Rebuild & Takeover Proposal
Double Stone Steel
Proposal in brief
Fix sample requests first, then rebuild the websites around the way Double Stone Steel actually works.
I propose to take on the website rebuild, migration and launch. I would not charge a professional fee. Double Stone Steel would only cover direct costs agreed in advance. The first job is the broken sample request route. From there, I would build a modern international site that Double Stone Steel owns and can update without a long agency contract.
ObjectiveOne clear website system that presents the products properly, sends enquiries to the right region and gives Double Stone Steel control of the domains, content, code, data and analytics.
Current positionCustomers are moving between several domains, the sample request route is unreliable and old John Desmond material is still visible. The agency proposal is also too expensive for the margin the business expects the website to produce.
01
Why this needs attention
- Double Stone Steel needs a serious international product website for architects, designers, fabricators and specialist buyers, not a generic brochure site.
- Sample requests are the most important conversion action, but the public sample pages currently display finishes without a usable submission journey.
- The public identity is split between dssel.com, doublestonesteel.com, doublestonesteelusa.com and old John Desmond references. Visitors can see a different version of the business depending on where they land.
- The existing proposal totals £127,060 before VAT over 24 months. At £152,472 including VAT, the business estimates it would need roughly £800,000 of attributable enquiries to recover the required margin.
- The current websites contain useful product information, case studies, news and long-form articles. The valuable material and its search history need to move across carefully.
- The UK/Europe and US operations may need different routing, contact details and compliance content, but they should not require two unrelated technical systems.
02
Proposed delivery plan
Fix the urgent problem, then rebuild carefully
I would not switch everything at once. First, confirm access and take complete backups. Then fix sample requests while the current sites stay live. Once the domain structure and page list are agreed, I would build the replacement, move the useful material across and test it before launch. If access and approvals arrive on time, the first full version should be ready in about 4 to 6 weeks.
Fix sample requests
Repair or replace the sample request flow within the first 2 to 5 working days after access. Test it with a real submission and confirm delivery, regional routing, customer confirmation, spam protection and tracking.
Decide how the domains should work
Choose one main international site with regional routes, or two regional versions using the same underlying system. Confirm which domains stay primary and which ones redirect before the rebuild starts.
Design and build the new site
Build the approved page structure, product catalogue, finishes area, technical resources, case studies, articles and enquiry tools. Hosting and other services should sit in company-owned accounts.
Move the useful content across
Map the current URLs and move the worthwhile product pages, case studies, news and articles. Add redirects and carry the important titles, descriptions and search data into the new site.
Launch, monitor and hand over
Put the site live in a controlled way, watch errors and enquiries, and leave Double Stone Steel with the code, credentials, backups and a short guide for routine updates.
What good looks like
- A real sample request reaches the correct person, sends a confirmation and is recorded for reporting.
- Important old URLs either remain live or redirect to the correct replacement.
- Double Stone Steel owns the accounts, code, content, data and analytics.
- The regional domain and enquiry routing rules are clear to staff and customers.
- The new site can be maintained without a 24-month agency dependency.
03
What Double Stone Steel would provide
Choose who gives the final approval
Feedback can come from several people, but it needs one final answer at each review.
Provide access and supplier information
Share the domain, DNS, hosting, WordPress, analytics, Search Console and form delivery access, plus the current supplier agreement and renewal dates.
Confirm product and regional rules
Confirm the current finishes, product families, technical documents, enquiry destinations, delivery regions, legal details and the differences between UK, Europe and US enquiries.
Review at three decision points
Review the page structure, then the visual direction and content, then the tested site before launch. Feedback should come back in one list at each stage.
04
What the new system would include
One website system
Products, finishes, case studies and resources should use the same page system. Regional differences can be handled without maintaining two unrelated websites.
Make products and finishes easier to explore
Make colours, finishes, substrates, applications and technical information easier to compare. Every relevant page should lead naturally to a sample request or project enquiry.
A proper sample-request system
Let customers choose the finishes or products they want, then route the request to the right region. The customer gets a confirmation and the company gets a record that can be tracked.
Articles Richard can publish himself
The current site already has Blog and News archives, including long-form pieces by Richard. These should move across. The new site should have a simple editor for the title, copy, images, links, category and search description, without requiring any code. I can handle uploads at first, then show Richard how to publish them himself once the format is settled.
Protect the search traffic already there
Keep the pages and topics that already earn visibility, remove the old branding carefully and prepare the redirect list before any domain or URL changes.
Everyday updates without a developer
Routine jobs such as adding an article, replacing a document or updating a project should not require a developer. Critical settings can stay protected.
05
Launch safeguards
- Do not cancel the existing supplier, hosting or support arrangement until the new system is tested, the handover is complete and a rollback route exists.
- Do not move company email as part of the website launch. Website, DNS and email changes should be separated so one project cannot interrupt the other.
- Do not build two fully independent websites unless a legal, operational or commercial requirement genuinely demands it.
- Do not discard current URLs and useful content for the sake of a clean start. The migration matters as much as the new design.
- Do not promise a fixed volume of traffic, enquiries or sales. The site can make enquiries easier and measurement clearer, but it cannot guarantee demand or sales.
06
My proposed contribution
No professional fee
Website rebuild, migration and launch
I would lead and complete the website work as a no-fee contribution to Double Stone Steel. My professional fee would be £0. The company would only pay direct costs approved in advance. These might include hosting, domains, email delivery, specialist software or licensed assets. Wherever possible, they would be bought through company-owned accounts.
- Access, ownership and technical inventory
- Immediate sample-request repair
- Information architecture and visual direction
- Responsive website design and development
- Product, finish, resource, case study and article templates
- Structured sample and project enquiry journeys
- Content migration, including the existing news and articles
- URL mapping and redirects
- Testing, launch monitoring, documentation and handover
No long contract and no development invoice: only direct costs approved by Double Stone Steel before they are incurred.
07
Basis for this proposal
- TIDB: Double Stone Steel website, SEO and hosting proposal dated 29 July 2026 (private proposal reviewed)
- Double Stone Steel: UK and Europe website
- DSS / John Desmond: current dssel.com website
- Double Stone Steel: current sample request page
- Double Stone Steel: current blog archive
- Double Stone Steel: current news archive
- Companies House: Double Stone Steel Limited