Serving the Hudson Valley, NY,
+ small business owners worldwide
Aging time: 8–10 weeks, strategy to launch
Investment: from $8,250 · payment plans available
- Brand strategy
- Custom brand identity design
- Custom Showit website design
- Custom WordPress blog design
- SEO and AI search foundations
- Training, resources, and support
Editorial brand identity and custom Showit websites for creative entrepreneurs and small businesses ready to come off the rack. Distilled from real strategy, designed to be seen, and built to be found.
Be the one
they reach for.
Custom Brand Strategy & Website Design
That's the whole job. And it's the part I'm obsessed with.
You've outgrown the DIY logo and the template you've quietly resented for two years. Your work is the good stuff. But your website pours like the house well: fine, forgettable, and clearly mixed at 11 p.m. Your dream clients taste it before they can name it.
The people getting booked aren't always the most talented in the room. They're the ones whose brand says something, to the right person, in a way that lingers. That's not luck. That's strategy with a really good label on it.
A gorgeous website can still sit on the back shelf.
Strategy gets you found.
Looks get you noticed.
The honest part
• You're done with "good enough" and ready to reach for the top shelf.
• You want a site that sells while you're off doing literally anything else.
• You've got the substance. Now the label needs to match what's in the bottle.
• You're a creative entrepreneur or small business ready to be taken seriously.
Top Shelf is the done-for-you tier: custom brand and custom site, distilled from scratch around you. No template to bend into shape. For when the rail stuff won't cut it, and you already know it.
Built for the All In.
Who this is for
no.
Logo suite — primary, secondary, and a submark
Color + type system — your palette and fonts, locked and documented
Visual brand language — the textures, patterns, what makes you recognizable at a glance
Brand guidelines — one tidy doc so everything you touch stays consistent
A complete editorial identity: logo suite, color, type system, and the visual language that makes you instantly recognizable and impossible to confuse with anyone else.
Visual Brand Design
no.
Brand discovery — who you are, what you stand for, & why anyone should care
Ideal client clarity — exactly who you're talking to & the words that make them feel seen
Competitive positioning — what makes you the obvious choice, not one of 100 open tabs
Voice + messaging — how you sound and the lines that do the heavy lifting on every page
We start with the thinking, not the fonts. Positioning, voice, your ideal client, and what actually makes you the obvious choice — the foundation everything else is built on.
Custom Brand Strategy
what you'll receive
Every Top Shelf project runs the full distillation, from "who even are we" to a live, search-ready site that pulls its weight. Here's what goes into the batch.
Strategy first.
Then the pretty part.
What's in the bottle
Rather have someone else minding the still? The Upkeep is there when you want it.
no.
Launch-ready training — short, no-fluff videos so you know how to run your own site
How-to guides — the cheat sheets for the stuff you'll actually need later
Editing confidence — make your own swaps and updates without breaking into a sweat
No monthly leash — you own it, you run it, you don't owe me a retainer to change a thing
You don't get handed the keys and left in the parking lot. Guides, training, and the tools to confidently run your site yourself — no monthly hand-holding required.
Resources for Success
no.
On-page SEO — the keywords, structure, and metadata that get you found on Google
AI search ready — built so ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google's AI actually pull you up
Smart site structure — clean, fast, and organized the way search engines reward
Set up to last — optimization baked in, so your site keeps working long after launch
Built to be found — by Google and by AI search like ,ChatGPT and Perplexity. Structured content, smart metadata, and copy that ranks, so your site works long after launch.
SEO & AI Search Optimization
no.
Built from scratch — no template underneath, designed around you and only you
Fully responsive — looks sharp on a desktop, a phone, and everything in between
Built to convert — strategic layouts that turn browsers into "where do I sign?"
Easy to update — you get the keys and you can actually drive, no developer on speed dial
A site designed and built from scratch on Showit — no template underneath. Fully responsive, easy for you to update, and designed to turn visitors into clients.
Custom Showit Web Design
Starting at:
Selling products, or need WordPress or Squarespace? Ask, and we'll scope a custom quote.
Pay in full and take 5% off, or spread it out with a phased payment plan. Mention your preference when you reach out.
E-commerce & other platforms
Two ways to pay
For a complete custom brand and Showit website, the whole nine. E-commerce and builds on other platforms are quoted custom.
$8250
The investment
no. 4 - Launch
The Pour. We go live, you get your training and resources, and your brand starts working for you around the clock.
no.2 - Strategy
The Recipe. Positioning, voice, and your ideal client, all pinned down. Everything after this points back to it.
no.3 - Identity
The Label. Your visual brand comes to life: logo, palette, type, and the whole editorial system.
no. 4 - Build
The Still. I design and build your site from scratch, page by page, with SEO aged in from the first click.
a better way to build
From grain to glass.
no. 1 -Discovery
The Grain. We gather the raw material: your business, your market, your competition, and the people you want to reach.
Need a brand but not the full bottle? Small Batch adds a mini brand strategy and logo, delivered in one five-day week, and pairs perfectly with The House Pour. Still not sure which fits? Tell me about your project and I'll point you the right way.
Best if you need the brand built too — the complete transformation, from positioning to published.
- Brand & site built from scratch
- Full strategy, identity & logo suite
- Custom Showit design — no template
- Full SEO & AI search optimization
- Resources, training & the whole arc
8 -10 Weeks
from $8,250
timeline
Investment
Distilled from scratch, entirely around you.
Custom Brand & Web Design
The Top Shelf
Best if you already have your branding sorted and just need it built — beautifully, and fast.
- Starts from a proven Showit template
- You bring branding, copy & images
- Customized to your brand, your content
- Up to 10+ pages, mobile-optimized
- Basic SEO setup & launch training
~2 Weeks
from $2,950
timeline
Investment
You've got the brand. Let's get it poured.
Template Customization
The House Pour
The full bottle, or the house pour?
Two ways to work together
Showit is home base, but I also build on WordPress, Squarespace, and Shopify case-by-case. Need something specific? Ask for a custom quote and let's talk.
Other platforms? Other ideas?
built Refinery Nine because the businesses around here deserve brand and web design made with real care and real strategy, without the inflated invoice or the six-month wait.
If you're local, that means a real designer you can sit down with over coffee, who knows this market and the clients you're trying to reach. Anywhere else? The whole process runs beautifully remote.
Locally distilled, Made to travel.
located in beautiful hudson valley, NY
brand strategist + Owner of Refinery Nine co.
Maria C. Walls
Always. Every custom website includes search engine optimization and AI search optimization foundation— built into the structure, copy, and metadata so your site gets found by both Google and AI search tools.
Is SEO actually included?
Yes. E-commerce stores are built on Shopify and quoted custom. If you need to sell products on your site, just ask about pricing.
Can you build me an online store?
Yes. I'm based in the Hudson Valley, New York, and I work with local clients in person as well as creative entrepreneurs nationwide. The full process runs remotely when needed.
Do you work with clients outside the Hudson Valley?
I specialize in Showit, but I also build on WordPress, Squarespace, and Shopify (for e-commerce) on a case-by-case basis. If you need a specific platform, ask for a custom quote.
What platforms do you build on?
A full custom brand and website project typically takes 8 to 10 weeks from kickoff to launch, depending on scope and how quickly content and feedback come back.
How long does the project take?
Custom brand strategy and website design projects start at $7,500. Payment plans are available — just ask. E-commerce builds and websites on platforms other than Showit are quoted custom based on scope.
How much does a custom brand and website cost?
Before you ask.
just the faq
Ready to stop blending in? Book a call, send an inquiry, or just email me. No pressure, no hard sell. Let's see if we're a fit.