Society Websites
A proper online home for your genealogy society or organisation, built to serve your members without the overhead of a CMS nobody wants to maintain.
Who this is for
Genealogy societies face a common problem: the people most committed to the work are rarely the people most comfortable with technology. A WordPress site looks straightforward until you are trying to update it before a meeting, wondering why the events calendar plugin has stopped working, or discovering that an update has broken the layout.
I build society websites in clean HTML and CSS, with a dedicated PHP-based members area for sign-ups, logins and payments. There is no CMS to learn, no plugins to maintain, and no WordPress update to break the layout overnight. A volunteer with basic computer skills can send me files for updates; a committee member with a bit more confidence can manage simple changes themselves.
I understand what genealogy societies need from a website because I have spent years building and running genealogy sites myself. I know your audience, your content types, and what your visitors are actually looking for.
What is included
Every society website is built to the same standard, with the structure your members and visitors need.
Clean HTML pages
The public-facing site is fast, lightweight static HTML. The members area runs on a dedicated PHP system. Contained, purpose-built, nothing unnecessary.
Member-friendly structure
News, events, publications, projects, resources, contact. I build the pages your society actually needs, not a generic template.
Reliable hosting
Fast servers, SSL included, regular backups, and support from someone who knows your site. From £20 per month.
Mobile responsive
Works correctly on every device, from a desktop in the archive to a phone in the field.
Members area with payments
Secure login included as standard, with Stripe and PayPal support so members can join or renew directly through your site.
Search engine ready
Properly structured metadata, clean URLs, and a sitemap submitted to Google and Bing from day one.
A members area, as standard
Every society website I build includes a secure members area. Your members log in with their own username and password to access whatever you want to keep private: the journal archive, research databases, committee documents, member directories, or anything else that belongs behind a login.
New and renewing members can pay to join directly through your website using Stripe or PayPal. Subscriptions are handled automatically: members are granted access when payment clears and their account lapses when it expires. No manual chasing, no spreadsheets.
Most web designers treat a members area as an expensive add-on. I include it because genealogy societies need it. A website without one is only half a website for an organisation whose whole point is serving its members.
Access is managed through a straightforward admin panel. You add members, set their permissions, and control what they can see. No technical knowledge required, and I am here if you need help.
Pricing
One price, everything included. Members area, contact form, SSL, and hosting with no hidden extras.
Website build
£1,099
or $1,399 USD
Full society website with members area included. Final price depends on the number of pages.
Hosting
£20
per month · $25 USD
SSL, backups, and support included. Larger sites with higher storage or traffic requirements quoted individually.
Monthly retainer
£35
per month · $45 USD · recommended
Routine content updates: new pages, officer changes, event listings, journal uploads. Larger additions quoted separately.
Common questions
Things people usually ask before getting in touch.
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Most of a genealogy society’s content stays the same from month to month: your history, publications, research projects, and resources. A CMS built around regular publishing adds complexity you will mostly never use. There are plugins to keep updated, a login interface your volunteers rarely touch, and a security surface that needs ongoing attention.
I build in clean HTML and CSS because it is faster, more reliable, and easier to keep running without anyone who knows their way around a WordPress dashboard.
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The full public website and the members area. That means the HTML pages designed and built to your brief, the members login system with Stripe and PayPal payment integration, SSL, and a handover covering how to use the admin panel.
The final price depends on the number of pages and the complexity of your requirements. I will give you a fixed quote before any work starts.
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Your site on my fast VPS servers, SSL so your visitors always see a secure connection, daily backups, and support from me when something needs attention.
It does not include content updates. Adding new pages, changing officer details, uploading journal issues, posting event listings: those are what the retainer is for.
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The retainer covers routine content maintenance: adding new pages, updating officer and contact details, posting event listings, uploading journal issues or publications, and similar day-to-day changes.
It does not cover larger additions such as new site sections, new features, or changes to the members area system. Those are quoted individually. If you are not sure whether something falls inside the retainer, ask me before it becomes work and I will tell you.
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The members area runs on a dedicated PHP system separate from the public site. Members register or are added by you, pay their annual subscription via Stripe or PayPal, and receive login credentials to access whatever content you have decided to put behind the gate: journal archives, research databases, committee documents, or anything else.
Access lapses automatically when a subscription expires. You manage everything through a straightforward admin panel, and I am available if you need help.
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Yes. I will review what you have, identify what content is worth keeping, and build the new site to your requirements. I handle the technical migration and switchover. Your existing site stays live until the new one is ready to go.
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My sites are built in clean HTML, not on a CMS, so there is no admin dashboard for making edits yourself. That is a deliberate choice: CMS interfaces add complexity, require ongoing maintenance, and introduce security risks your volunteers should not have to think about.
The trade-off is that content updates come through me. If your society wants to be fully self-managing with no outside involvement after handover, I am probably not the right fit. If you want a reliable site with someone behind it, that is what the retainer is designed for.
Tell me about your society
Get in touch with a brief description of your organisation, what your current site does or does not do, and what you would like to change. I will come back with an honest view of what I can do and what it would cost.
Get in touch →