I know what it feels like to pay for something that does not work.
Years ago, running a service business of my own, I hired a large agency to help — Google Ads, website work, the full package. I paid for months of their time and got nothing from it. Not one customer I could point to and say that came from this. When I finally took matters back into my own hands, did the research, and talked to the right people, I had a paying customer within days. Days — after months of paying someone else.
That experience changed how I think about this work. Small businesses are not just a line on a spreadsheet. There is real money riding on it. Real livelihoods. A website that does not work is not just an inconvenience — it is a direct cost to someone who cannot afford it.
I started by building my own site on WordPress, got frustrated by plugins that cost hundreds of dollars a month and still could not do what I needed, and eventually just learned to code it properly from scratch. That frustration turned into a service. And the core of it is simple: most small businesses do not need a fancier website. They need one that works, loads fast, and shows up where their next customer is looking.
What do I actually do for you?
I build custom websites and handle the SEO that fills them with the right visitors. Whether someone finds you through a Google search, a ChatGPT recommendation, or just by looking you up after hearing your name — your site should be ready for all of it.
No templates. No bloated plugins. No handing you a finished site and disappearing. I stay involved for months after launch, because that is when the real work of building search presence actually happens.
I also talk like a person. If you ask a question, you will get a plain answer. If I think something is not right for you, I will say so, even if it costs me the job. The goal is a working relationship, not a transaction.
The website is always yours. You own it. If you ever want to take it somewhere else, you can.
Do the sites actually perform?
- 24 out of 24 scores across recent builds came back A or A+ on Google's independent testing tool.
- 97.7 out of 100 combined average across performance, accessibility, best practices, and SEO. Read our guide on what these scores actually mean and how to check your own site.
- Every site built so far is now showing up where its customers are looking — on Google, and in AI search.
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Nelson-based. Here for whoever needs us.
Pounamu Creative is based in Nelson. I work with clients across New Zealand and take on international projects where it is a good fit. Most clients are service businesses — trades, bookkeepers, earthworks operators, detailers, and anyone else who is great at what they do but does not want to think about the digital side.
That is what I am here for.