We're not the flashiest agency in Yorkshire.
We're just the one that's still here.
Since 1998, while other agencies have come and gone - some taking their client’s websites, money and peace of mind with them. ThriftySites has been quietly doing what it promised. Building websites that work. Looking after the businesses that trust us. Answering the phone when something goes wrong.
How it started
Steve Elliott didn't set out to build a website design agency. He'd run businesses in catering and computer repairs - and found, almost by accident, that the part he enjoyed most wasn't running them. It was promoting them.
As a member of the Institute of Direct Marketing, Steve discovered something that most business owners never do: that understanding the importance of building a relationship with customers is one of the most valuable skills in business. And in the late 1990s, with the internet just beginning to change everything, he saw an opportunity.
He started ThriftySites in 1998, not as a tech company, but as a business built on the belief that small businesses in Hull and East Yorkshire deserved honest, effective help getting found online. He networked hard, built trust slowly and grew a reputation that has outlasted dozens of competitors.
Built from the inside out
In 2020, Steve’s grandson Lewis joined the business and took over the reins in 2025, bringing with him five years of working directly with ThriftySites customers and a lifetime of experimenting with the tools and systems that make websites perform.
He grew up inside the business, learning what works and what doesn't, watching what happens when a website is built properly and what happens when it isn't. That background shows in the work that is produced today.
Today ThriftySites is a small, trusted and focused team, all based in Yorkshire. We work with young people to bring new talent into the industry and make sure the skills that built this business keep developing.
How we work
Get a website you are proud of - fast
Once you are happy to go ahead, we get to work straight away. Most customers see a first draft within a week. You review it, we refine it and before long you have a website that is working for your business.
See exactly what you are getting
Tell us what you need
That's why we make certain promises, ones we actually keep:
- You own your website. You're free to move to another hosting supplier if you choose.
- Your domain name and content are yours, always.
- All support tickets are answered the same day.
- Your website runs on 100% green energy.
- 99% uptime, with automated updates and scheduled overnight for minimal disruption.
- Your website is full secure.
- Every member of our team is based in the United Kingdom.
What we won't promise you is guarenteed rankings or results from marketing. Nobody can honestly promise that and anyone who does is lying to you. Google's algorithms change, competition varies.
What we can promise you is that we never stop learning, never stop improving and never stop working to get you the best possible outcome.