I help small businesses get websites that actually bring in work
That might sound like a simple statement. But there’s a reason I can make it with confidence.
I’ve been running my own businesses since 2019. Before Kingstown Web Studio, I ran marketing consultancies, managed an Amazon prep centre, sold on Amazon myself, and helped other Amazon sellers create brands and private-label products. I’ve done the late nights, the cash flow juggling, the wearing-every-hat-at-once thing. I know what it feels like when every single enquiry matters – because I’ve been that person.
So when I say I understand what a website needs to do for a small business, I’m not guessing. I’ve lived it.
Today, everything I do at Kingstown Web Studio is built around one idea: if people can’t quickly understand what you do, they won’t enquire. I design and build clear, well-structured websites that help the right customers find you, understand your offer, and feel confident getting in touch.
Where the experience comes from
My career hasn’t followed a neat, linear path – and honestly, I think that’s why I’m good at what I do. Like a lot of the business owners I work with, I’ve taken different routes, picked up experience in unexpected places, and figured out what I’m best at (or practicing and learning all the time) by actually doing the work. Then I became my own boss and was able to decide on what I really wanted to spend my time doing the most.
Along the way, my career has taken me across marketing, brand strategy, website design, and communications at every scale. I’ve managed global marketing campaigns for Arup, one of the world’s leading engineering consultancies, working with senior teams around the world and increasing online client engagement by 300%. I led stakeholder communications for a £50 million investment programme at British Steel, and helped win Export Business of the Year at the Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce awards. I’ve ghost-written thought leadership for senior directors, delivered high-profile events from Singapore to Stockholm, and created content strategies across sectors most people have never thought about – from water infrastructure to wire rod manufacturing.
But I’ve also worked with local print businesses in Hull and Leeds, telecoms companies, ecommerce brands, craft businesses, and trade services. I’ve always moved between scales – and that’s deliberate. The strategic thinking that works for a global water business works just as well for a plumber in Scunthorpe. You just apply it differently.
Throughout all of it, I’ve been hands-on with website design – not just commissioning it or managing teams, but actually building and creating. I’ve managed design teams too, and always felt I needed to be at least a page ahead of them. Truth is, I’ve always preferred the creative delivery to the team building. Making things is where I come alive.
Susan Hogan brought a new depth and dimension to our approach to marketing and communications, on a global and local level. She brought fresh ideas and creative approaches to conducting our business.
Janine Witko, Principal & Americas Water Leader, Arup
Susan is an exceptional marketing role model. Her ideas, energy and professional approach are nothing short of brilliant. I have enjoyed working with her very much and know whoever she works with is very fortunate.
Dr Mark Fletcher, Arup Fellow & Global Water Business Leader, Arup | Former Chair British Water | Board Member Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI)
Working with Susi is like having a marketing director on tap. She didn’t just build our website – she helped us think through our whole customer journey and put proper systems in place that actually work day-to-day. She gets the nitty-gritty of running a business.
Becky, Amazon Prep Centre, Hull
She’s brilliant at making the technical stuff simple, and the results speak for themselves
Sandi, Craft Business, National
Making complex things simple – it’s what I’ve always done
There’s a thread that runs through everything in my career, and it’s this: taking something complicated and making it clear.
At Arup, that meant turning deeply technical engineering subjects into content that clients and stakeholders could actually engage with. At British Steel, it meant humanising industrial messaging so it connected with real people. In my consultancy work, it meant helping small business owners see through the noise and focus on what would actually move their business forward.
I’m also an experienced trainer and mentor. Over the years I’ve delivered roadshows, workshops, business training programmes, and professional qualifications across the UK. Teaching has always been part of what I do – and it shapes how I communicate. If I can’t explain something clearly, I haven’t understood it well enough myself.
That same instinct drives the Web Wise blog. It’s where I share practical, honest insights about websites, marketing, and getting found online – written for people who are smart but busy, not technical. I write the kind of content I wish someone had given me when I was figuring things out for myself.
Qualifications and professional standing
I hold a Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing, awarded by the University of Birmingham – completed in under a year while commuting over 70 miles a day, there and back, all week. Not everyone’s idea of fun, but it tells you something about how I approach things when I commit.
I was also a Chartered Member of the CIM (MCIM) for many years. The formal credentials were valuable in the corporate world and gave me a solid strategic foundation – and they’re useful positioning for working alongside other marketing professionals. But honestly, most of my real education came from doing the work: supporting real people, delivering real outcomes, and solving real problems. And along the way, I also gained formal learning in Digital Marketing (and website building).
A wider perspective
I’ve lived and worked in several countries, including non-English-speaking and culturally diverse environments. It taught me how to learn languages other than English – and, more importantly, it taught me to never assume how someone else sees the world. How different people experience things, what they need to feel comfortable, and what builds trust across different contexts – those are lessons that stay with you.
When I’m designing a website, that perspective matters more than you might think. A good website isn’t built from the business owner’s point of view. It’s built from the visitor’s.
How I work (and why I chose this)
I could have gone a different route. Built a team, taken on bigger contracts, scaled things up. I chose not to.
Kingstown Web Studio is deliberately small and personal because that’s where I do my best work. Every project is handled directly by me, from the first conversation to delivery. No handoffs, no junior team, no outsourced thinking. When you work with Kingstown Web Studio, you work with me. That’s the point.
Structure first. Clarity always. That’s the principle everything is built on. I start by understanding what your website actually needs to do – not how it should look, but what decisions it needs to help someone make. The structure, the messaging, and the customer journey all get worked out before a single pixel is designed. That’s how you end up with a website that genuinely works, rather than one that just looks the part.
Susi made it dead simple. She understood exactly what I needed as a local tradesman and built something that actually brings in work.
Dan, Hill Plumbing and Bathrooms, Scunthorpe
Quick Summary (Tl;Dr)
TL;DR stands for “Too Long; Didn’t Read.” It’s a quick summary for people who are too busy to read everything in detail.
Plus, with voice assistants like Alexa or Siri, you can even ask them to read the TL;DR out loud - so you get the key info hands-free, anytime.
Susi Hogan is the small business web designer behind Kingstown Web Studio. With a career spanning marketing, brand strategy, and website design across corporate and small business, she now works directly with UK small businesses to build clear, well-structured websites that help the right customers find them and get in touch.
Page FAQs
Who is behind Kingstown Web Studio?
Kingstown Web Studio is run entirely by Susi Hogan. Every project is handled directly by her, from the first conversation through to delivery - no handoffs, no junior team, and no outsourced thinking.
What experience does Susi have with small businesses?
Susi has been running her own businesses since 2019, including marketing consultancies, an Amazon prep centre, and now Kingstown Web Studio.
Her career also includes working with local businesses across sectors such as print, telecoms, ecommerce, and trades - alongside senior roles at organisations including Arup and British Steel.
What is Web Wise?
Web Wise is the Kingstown Web Studio blog where Susi shares practical insights about websites, marketing, and getting found online.
It’s written for small business owners who are smart but busy - people who want their website to work properly without needing to become technical experts.
Want to know more?
You can explore the Web Wise blog for practical insights on websites, marketing, and getting found online. If you’d like to talk about your own website, a Quick Guidance Call is the easiest place to start. Or why not WhatsApp me and start a conversation about what makes sense for your business right now.