Headless websites
Content kept in one place and published to whatever needs it. A website, an app, a partner feed, all reading the same source rather than holding their own copy.
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What we build with
- Astro
- React
- TypeScript
- JavaScript
- WordPress
- Lighthouse
One place to write, any number of places to publish
In a traditional CMS the editor and the website are the same program, and the theme decides how a page looks. Headless splits those apart: content is stored and edited in one system, and the website reads it over an API and renders it however it likes. The gain is that the same content can feed more than one destination, and the front end can be rebuilt without touching the editing side. The cost is a second system to run and a longer path between writing something and seeing it. Worth it when you are genuinely publishing to more than one place, or when the theme has become the thing limiting you. Not worth it for a brochure site that one person edits.
What a headless build involves
The parts that decide whether the arrangement pays for itself or just adds a system to look after.
Choosing where content lives
WordPress if a team is already fluent in it or the library is large. Something lighter if the editing needs are simpler. This is the decision the rest of the project is built on.
Modelling the content
Define what a page, a case study or a product actually consists of, as fields rather than a blob of formatted text. That is what lets the same content serve a website and anything else later.
The join between the two
The API, how often the site rebuilds or revalidates, and what happens when the content system is briefly unreachable. Most of the fragility in a headless setup lives here.
Keeping editing sane
Previews that show real pages, sensible field names and a clear path from draft to live. A headless build that editors dislike will quietly stop being used.
Search visibility
Pages rendered to HTML before they are served, rather than assembled in the browser. Titles, canonicals, sitemaps and structured data are built from the same content model.
A smaller surface to attack
The CMS is not the thing answering public requests, so it can sit behind authentication while the public site is static files. Fewer things exposed is fewer things to patch.
Headless website projects
See all our work
Our web design & development services
Find the right starting point for your website, online shop or design project.
All servicesDesign that looks like your business rather than a template someone else is also using. Built to load fast and to be found for the things people actually search for.
For when you need to edit everything yourself. Built on clean custom fields rather than a page builder, so it stays quick and does not fall apart on update day.
Online shops on Shopify, set up so the product data, the feeds and the analytics all agree with each other. No bespoke checkout, because you do not need one.
A static front end with the content held somewhere sensible behind it. Nothing to hack, nothing to slow down, and hosting that costs almost nothing to run.
Logos, brand marks, artwork and the bits that go around a site: social templates, printed pieces, photography direction. Useful whether or not we built the website.
Updates, backups, uptime monitoring, hosting and a set number of small changes each month. Optional, and you can leave whenever you like.
We’re rated 5 stars on Google with an average rating of 4.9
“Amply was fantastic at designing my website. They were helpful, quick to reply and very informative. I will definitely continue to use their services. Couldn’t recommend more.”
Holly WatsonFounder, Horizon Sports “Really happy with how our new website has turned out. We wanted something that looked professional, was easy for customers to use and showed off the work we do, and that's exactly what we've got. The whole process was really easy, and it was great having someone who understood what we were after and could bring our ideas to life. Would happily recommend!”
Managing Director, Emay Electrical 
“A big thank you for my website design and delivery!!”
Chris BaronManaging Director, Silver Bullet Express “The team at Amply did a brilliant job at building my new website. I can't thank them enough, particularly Nigel and Josh who went the extra mile to make sure that the site looked nice and also brings us in work.”
Jordan MilmanDirector, F&F Drainage “We have used 2 or 3 larger agencies in the past.... All were a waste of money, Nigel has been very consistent and lovely to deal with.”
Michelle GauciCEO, CV Insight Ltd
Is headless worth the extra moving parts?
Sometimes, and the honest answer depends on what you are publishing. If content has to reach a website and an app, or several brands share one library, keeping a single source is worth the extra system. If a theme is the only reason you cannot have the website you want, that is also a reasonable trigger.
If one person edits a handful of pages and nothing else consumes the content, headless mostly adds cost: another service to pay for, another thing to keep current, and a wait between saving and seeing. A well-built conventional site, or a static build with a simple CMS attached, usually serves that case better and we would say so.
Get to know Amply
Sectors we work with
Trades & construction
Professional services
Retail & ecommerce
Health & dental
Hospitality
Manufacturing
Custom code, written for you.
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Performance
Every site we build clears 90+ on a phone, not just on a desktop.
The people doing the workA small team in Milton Keynes.Meet the teamMilton Keynes. Built here, not offshore.
What we build with
- WordPress
- Astro
- React
- Figma
- Shopify
- TypeScript
- CSS
- HTML5
What we do
- Web design
- Ecommerce
- Branding
- SEO
- Hosting
- Copywriting
- WordPress
- Shopify
- Astro
- Migrations
- Care plans
- Analytics
- Landing pages
- Rebuilds
- Speed work
- Schema
- Training
- Local SEO
Websites from
£2,000
Clear, consistent pricing
The price is agreed in writing before anything begins.
Planning a headless website
How is this different from headless WordPress?
Headless WordPress is one version of this, with WordPress as the content system. This page covers the wider arrangement, including builds where the content lives somewhere lighter. If you are already on WordPress and want to keep the editor, that is the page to read.
Do editors have to learn something new?
That depends on where the content ends up living. Keeping WordPress means the editing screens stay broadly familiar. A different CMS means a short handover, and we set it up so the fields match the way you actually describe the work.
Can I still preview a page before publishing?
Yes, and it is worth insisting on. A preview should render the real page rather than an approximation, otherwise people end up publishing to check. It is part of the build rather than an extra.
What happens if the content system goes down?
On a build that renders pages ahead of time, nothing visible: the site is already files, and only publishing is affected until the CMS returns. That is one of the better reasons to prerender rather than fetch content on every request.
Is it more expensive to run?
Usually yes, because there are two systems rather than one, and the content platform may have its own subscription. The saving, if there is one, comes from not rebuilding the same content for each place it has to appear.
Can we move an existing site to this?
Yes. The content is exported into the new model, which is normally the slowest part, and the addresses are preserved or redirected so search visibility is not spent on the move. We check the redirects against the live site afterwards.
Meet the people behind the work
Understand who will be involved and what each person is responsible for.
NigelManaging Director & Search ConsultantTwelve years of building and ranking websites, mostly for businesses who had been let down by their last one.
JoshDigital Marketing ManagerKeeps the schedule honest and is the one who tells you early if something has moved.
JakeWeb DeveloperBuilds what design draws, and is the reason the sites load in under a second.
EvieBusiness SupportKeeps the day to day running, and is usually the one who answers first when you get in touch.
NathanWeb DeveloperFront end and integrations, and the one who works out why the thing you inherited does not behave.
BasilChief Keyboard WarmerThe office cat. Attends every meeting, contributes nothing, and sits on whichever keyboard is busiest.
What would you like your website to do?
Tell us about your project and we will come back to you with a straight answer, not jargon.
Why us, and who you will deal with
- A fixed price and a date before anything starts
- Built to load fast and to be found
- A site you own outright at the end of it
NigelManaging Director & Search Consultant01908 734194Takes two minutes to fill in, and you'll get a reply within two working days.
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We read everything the same day and you will get a reply within two working days. If it is urgent, call us on 01908 734194.