Now booking new projects

If it lives in a browser,
I build it.

I'm Melanie Arnold, a web developer. I build custom websites and web apps for small businesses, startups, individuals, and nonprofits. Once it's live I can keep looking after it too, if that's what you want. Either way you work with me directly the whole way through. No account manager and no handoffs.

Tell me about your project See what I've built

  • The code is yours. Every file, on day one. If you ever want it moved somewhere else, I hand it over. No exit fee.

  • I offer monthly hosting and upkeep. It's optional, but most clients take it because it's easier.

  • Me, every time. The person who writes your code is the person who answers your email when something needs changing.

I work with small businesses, startups, individuals, nonprofits, and agencies who need an extra dev. Fully remote, anywhere.

Sites I've built for clients

Every project starts somewhere different. Here's what each client came to me with, and what we ended up with.

Cup Check Classic

Ongoing client
Cup Check Classic hockey tournament website homepage

A four day hockey tournament, run annually.

Visit the site ↗

What they came with

The organizers took the tournament on at the last minute, so there was no time to get a website up before it happened. By the time I got involved the tournament had already been played. What they had was a logo, some basic information, and a lot of pieces that needed a home.

What I built

Rather than wait a full year, we got the foundation in place. I designed the site off their logo, pulling the color scheme and the feel of the event into the whole thing, and built out the pages the tournament needed to have in place. It's custom built, so there's room to keep growing it.

Where it stands

Live and in use, and still growing. It gave them a real foundation going into next season, and I handle the updates every year as the tournament comes back around, adding pages and features as they work out what they want next.

Hornstein Solutions

Ongoing client
Hornstein Solutions financial services website homepage

A financial services firm.

Visit the site ↗

What they came with

They came to me with a logo, a brand guide, and one very clear instruction: keep it simple. The firm was already up and running, there just wasn't anything online for a prospective client to look at first. Simple, effective, professional is how the business works, and they wanted the site to work the same way.

What I built

I leaned all the way into simple, because that was the brief and it suits them. Nothing on the site is there to show off. It's quick to load, quick to read, and it gets a prospective client from "what do they do" to "how do I reach them" without anything in the way. Built to their brand guide, down to the type and color.

Where it stands

A client since launch. I handle the site maintenance, and I build private internal applications for the business alongside it.

Four ways people usually hire me

Not sure which one you need? That's normal. Tell me the problem and I'll match it to one of these.

A New Website

Designed around what you actually do.

  • Designed and built for you, not picked off a theme shelf
  • Fast to load and easy for everyone to use
  • SEO fundamentals in place so people can find you

A Web App or Internal Tool

For the jobs a website alone can't do, whether you're replacing a spreadsheet or starting fresh.

  • Booking systems, portals, dashboards
  • Forms that talk to the software you already use
  • Scoped in conversation before anything is built

Updates and Fixes

Not every project needs to start over. I'll update, fix or add to a site you already have, even if someone else built it.

  • Updates, new pages and new features
  • Fixes for sites that are broken, outdated or half finished
  • If rebuilding is cheaper, I say so up front

Ongoing Maintenance

A monthly package so your site stays looked after and off your to-do list.

  • Hosting, SSL, uptime checks and updates
  • Send small changes by email
  • Version controlled, so a bad change can be undone the same day

For agencies and studios

Need an extra pair of hands on a build?

I take overflow and white label development work, front end or full build. You keep the client relationship and the credit. I work to your designs, your stack and your deadlines, and I don't go around you. Comfortable in a larger team, in someone else's codebase, and on someone else's process.

Build out from designs. Figma to a responsive, accessible, working site.

Contract sprints. Booked by the week or the project, with a clear scope.

Maintenance retainers. The client work you'd rather not staff internally.

Hi, I'm Melanie

Melanie Arnold

My favorite part of this job is the bit where someone explains what they're trying to do and I get to work out how it should behave on a screen. Most of the people I work with aren't technical and don't want to be, which is fine, because that's what they're hiring me for. You tell me what you're trying to do, I ask a lot of questions, and then I go build it.

What I care about is doing it properly. Clean, fast, easy for your customers to use, and built to last, without the bloat or the monthly fees for features you'll never touch. I work directly with the people I build for, from the first conversation through launch, and I'm still around afterward if you want me looking after it.

Small businesses, startups, individuals and nonprofits are my bread and butter, and I take contract and overflow work alongside agency teams too. I work remotely, so where you are isn't really the point. If you've got something that needs building, fixing, or looking after, I'd like to hear about it.

What I build with

HTML5 / CSS3 JavaScript TypeScript React Material UI Tailwind CSS Vite Node.js REST APIs Git / GitHub Accessibility (WCAG 2.1 AA)
GitHub ↗ LinkedIn ↗ Instagram ↗

Frequently asked questions

The awkward ones, answered up front

What's this going to cost me?

It depends on what you need. We talk first, I scope it, and you get a fixed price in writing before any work starts. The price only changes if the scope does, and we agree that in writing first. If your budget and the project don't match, I'll say so in the first conversation instead of the fifth.

How long does it take?

Depends on the scope, but you'll have a target date before we start, along with a short list of what I need from you to hit it. Most of the delay on projects like this comes from waiting on content, which is why that list comes up front.

I don't really know what I want yet. Is that a problem?

No, that's most first conversations. You explain the business and what isn't working, and I'll turn it into a plan you can say yes or no to. Working out what to build is part of the job.

What if I want to work with someone else later?

You take everything with you. It all lives in accounts you own wherever possible, and I hand it over whenever you ask. If you ever move on, you shouldn't have to start over from nothing.

I already have a site. Can you update or fix it?

Often, yes. I'll look at what's there and tell you what it would take, including when starting over is cheaper.

Do you work with clients outside the country?

Yes. I work remotely, so I'm happy to take on clients in Canada or anywhere else, as long as we can find a couple of hours in the day that overlap. Everything else happens over email anyway.

Tell me what you're trying to build

A first conversation costs you nothing and commits you to nothing. Describe the problem in your own words. You don't need to know the technical answer, that's my end of it. If I'm not the right person for the job, I'll tell you and point you somewhere better.

What happens next: I read it, come back with questions or a time to talk, and if it's a fit you get a written scope and a fixed price before anything begins.

LinkedIn ↗ GitHub ↗ Instagram ↗

Got a budget in mind? Say so and I'll tell you straight away whether it fits.

Message sent! I'll get back to you soon.