VMES
A ventilation hygiene firm leaving WordPress behind. We rebuilt the site on Next.js and Directus so their operations manager runs it himself, and it loads in 0.3 seconds.
0.3s
Load Time
100%
Lighthouse Best Practices
0ms
Total Blocking Time
The Problem With WordPress
Jay MacGregor, Operations Manager at VMES, had one requirement above all others when he came to us.
He wanted a fast website, one he could run himself.
That is, a site he could open, edit and publish from, without wasting precious time sending us emails every time he wanted to make a change.
And WordPress was already giving him headaches.
Our clients who previously used WordPress have the same old problems every time:
- plugins that conflict
- updates that break things
- a CMS that is accessible but frustrating for a non-developer trying to make quick edits
Look, Jay is an operations manager, so he shouldn’t have to cut his teeth with development or coding.
To give Jay that time back, we rebuilt the site from scratch.
Next.js, Directus, and Our Own VPS
The new VMES website runs on Next.js with Directus as the headless CMS, hosted on our own VPS and live at vmes.co.uk since 28 August 2026.
But what does this do for Jay?
Next.js delivers front-end performance that WordPress cannot match. More on the numbers shortly.
Directus lets Jay edit the content himself, and his edits display on the website immediately.
The VPS gives us control over the hosting environment without the restrictions of shared hosting or a managed platform.
Every part of the stack contributes to the new website’s performance, as it should be.
Jay has since told us he wants any future site built the same way.
The Performance Numbers
The site loads in 0.3 seconds. Blink, and it’s in front of you.
Lighthouse Best Practices score is 100%. Total Blocking Time: 0ms. Agentic browsing compatibility is 3 out of 3.
The site holds that 0.3 second load time across multiple service pages, image-heavy content, and interactive elements throughout.
Total Blocking Time of 0ms means there is no lag between the page appearing and the user being able to use it.
And this reduces bounce rates considerably.
On mobile, where the majority of visitors arrive, that responsiveness is the difference between a site that feels professional and converts and a mediocre one.
The 100% Lighthouse Best Practices score reflects code quality across security, modern web standards, and performance hygiene.
And that’s what page speed, SEO performance, and long-term maintainability are built on.
Three Divisions, Generated URLs
VMES operates across three divisions: Hygiene, Testing, and Remedial.
Each division has its own set of services, and the site structure reflects that. Service pages take their URL from whichever division they are filed under.
An air duct cleaning service filed under Hygiene generates the path /hygiene/air-duct-cleaning automatically, so Jay doesn’t have to type the URL, configure the navigation, or touch the site structure.
He files the service under the right division in Directus, and the URL is produced for him.
When VMES adds a new service, Jay opens the CMS, creates the page, assigns it to the correct division, and it appears in the right place in the navigation with the correct URL.
The whole process takes a couple of minutes.
The generated URL structure also means the site scales cleanly as the business grows.
Adding services, reorganising within divisions, or expanding the group structure in the future is already accounted for.
Block-Based Pages Jay Builds Himself
Thanks to our rebuild, Jay builds every page on the VMES website in Directus.
Text blocks, image sections, service grids, testimonials, client logos: each is a block he can add, reorder, or remove without touching any code.
When a new service needs a page, he selects the correct blocks, fills in the content, and publishes.
The page appears on the site immediately, formatted correctly and consistently with every other page, because the blocks are already designed.
Jay writes, edits, and publishes all of the site’s content. We are not involved, as requested.
Two specific elements are worth calling out.
The before-and-after image slider on the kitchen extract work section uses a drag-to-reveal mechanic. The visitor pulls a handle across the image to compare the before and after states.
For a business whose work is defined by visible transformation, this is a more effective demonstration than static photography.
The scrolling client logo band runs continuously across the page, displaying the brands and organisations VMES works with.
It communicates scale and credibility without needing the visitor to engage with a grid or a list.
The Landing Page Template
Alongside the main site, we built a dedicated landing page template for VMES’s Google Ads campaigns.
The template is separate from the main site’s design because it is focused on conversion, and conversion only, rather than navigation or brand exploration.
It strips out everything that doesn’t convert a paid click into an enquiry. That is, one clear call to action, no distractions or pop-ups or links to an ‘About Us’ page.
Jay can populate the template for different campaigns through the same Directus interface he uses for the rest of the site.
Different division, service, offer: the template always adapts without needing hours of time or investment in a new build for each campaign.
Let the Numbers Do the Talking
Jay wanted a fast site that he could run himself.
He has a site that loads in 0.3 seconds, scores 100% on Lighthouse Best Practices, and that he manages entirely without developer involvement.
New services go live in minutes.
He owns, writes, edits, and publishes content whenever he needs to. And the structure scales with the business.
Want a Website You Can Run Yourself, and Still Scale?
We build sites that you can run without our help or without spending thousands on extras or small changes.
If you want a website that scales your business without losing control, we have you covered. Get in touch with the experts at CreateTheWeb and get a FREE, no-obligation enquiry today.
We’ve been working with Otis and Luke at Create The Web on a full digital package — they built our new website, delivered additional design work, and are now running our CPC campaigns. Three weeks in, we’re already seeing encouraging progress and are genuinely excited to see where we can take things together. Their client support is excellent; whenever we’ve needed guidance, they’ve been quick to respond and proactive with solutions. Attention to detail is clear in everything they do, from the quality of the website to the reporting on our campaigns. Overall, the standard of their work has been fantastic, and we’re confident we’re in very capable hands moving forward.