Get found on Google. Get booked.

I design and build Squarespace and Shopify websites for Calgary service businesses, wedding vendors and makers. Finished, fast on phones, and set up for local search from day one.

Get a free website audit See the work

Erick Varela, Calgary English & Español Reply within one business day

Outdated 2014-style website for Hollow Pine Florals, a Calgary florist — Drag to compare. Sample concept for an imaginary business, not a client project.

Redesigned Hollow Pine Florals website with a full-screen editorial photo and minimal navigation — Drag to compare. Sample concept for an imaginary business, not a client project.

Good businesses get passed over for three reasons.

Usually it isn’t the work. It’s the website standing between your work and the people looking for it.

No website yet? That’s a good place to start. See Brand & Launch

Nobody finds you on Google.

I set up the pages, keywords and Google Business Profile that local searches actually rely on, so people in Calgary looking for what you do find you, not just your competitors.

Set up: service pages, local keywords, Google Business Profile.
It falls apart on a phone.

Many of your visitors arrive on their phone, often straight from Instagram. Every page is designed for the small screen first, then scaled up for laptops and big monitors.

Set up: mobile-first layouts, fast images, buttons sized for thumbs.
There’s no clear way to book.

Every page ends with one obvious next step, so interest turns into enquiries instead of a closed tab.

Set up: one clear action per page: book, enquire or check a date.

Recent work

Real businesses, each one designed, built and launched by me.

The Noble Beauty

Calgary wedding makeup artist

BrandingSquarespaceLocal SEO

A brand and website built for how brides search.

Melody was ready to take her wedding makeup business online with a brand to match her work. I designed her logo and brand identity, built her Squarespace site around how brides search and book, and set up on-site local SEO so she could be found for Calgary wedding makeup.

Page one of Google for “Calgary wedding makeup” (as of November 2026)

I am so happy I found Erick to design my business website. He took the time to see my vision and he truly made it come to light. His attention to detail made all the difference and he’s so easy to work with. He’s like a wizard behind the scenes and helped me rank high on google which was super impressive. I highly recommend Erick to anyone looking for quality work.

Melody Schaffer, The Noble Beauty

Witch’s Mark

High-end candle and apothecary store

Wix to ShopifyCustom design

A move from Wix to Shopify, with customers and reviews carried over and a store designed around the brand.

Customers and reviews moved over intact
Custom design built for the brand
Scent selector to help shoppers choose
Rewards program

Morfí Design

My own store: handmade Oaxacan ceramics and natural stone décor

ShopifyMy business

Morfí is the business I built before KILN. I designed it, I run it, and I live with every decision on it, from product pages to checkout. It’s where I learned what moves a visitor from looking to buying.

Visit morfidesign.com (opens in a new tab)

Erick Varela, founder of KILN Web Design, in a grey knit sweater against a dark background. — **Erick Varela**Founder, KILN Web Design · Calgary, ABPortrait by Kelly Hofer (opens in a new tab)

A kiln is where good work becomes finished work.

In ceramics, the kiln is the last step. Clay can be shaped beautifully and still be fragile; firing is what makes it permanent. That’s the job I do for websites.

You bring your business at whatever stage it’s at: a logo and a plan, an old site that’s letting you down, or a store that’s ready to grow. I shape it into a website that looks beautiful, gets found on Google, and brings in bookings.

Before I designed for anyone else, I built my own business. Morfí Design sells handmade Oaxacan ceramics and natural stone décor on Shopify, so I know what it’s like to need every visitor to count.

I’m based in Calgary and work in English and Spanish. ¿Prefieres hablar en español? Con gusto.

KILN — the finishing touch.

Squarespace and Shopify. On purpose.

Both are fast, secure and maintained for you, with a low monthly cost. And you can change your own text, photos and products without paying a developer every time.

Squarespace

For service businesses

Photographers, florists, planners, makeup and hair artists, venues, bakers. Beautiful galleries, enquiry and booking forms, and pages that are simple to update between seasons.

Shopify

For selling products

Makers ready to sell online. Products, payments, shipping, inventory, discount codes and email signups, all in one place you can run from your phone.

From first look to launch in weeks, not months.

Like a firing schedule: a steady climb, no surprises, and a finished piece at the end.

Audit & mockup
Free
I review your site and how you show up on Google, then show you what could be better, with a homepage idea you can see.
Proposal
Fixed price
A clear plan with a fixed price and timeline. No hourly billing, no surprises.
Build
2–3 weeks
You review the site at two set milestones and send one consolidated round of feedback at each, so changes stay clear, organized and on schedule.
Launch & handover
Yours
We go live, and I show you how to make simple edits yourself.

You own your website and your domain. Always.

Everything is set up in your name, on your account. I work as a collaborator you can remove at any time, so nothing is ever held hostage.

Clear prices. Fixed quotes.

Every project starts with a free audit and ends with a fixed quote, so you know the full cost before anything begins. Prices in Canadian dollars.

Includes two review rounds. 50% deposit to start. Platform costs are paid by the client.

Starter Website

For service businesses and wedding vendors · Squarespace
- Up to 5 pages, designed mobile-first
- Booking or contact form
- Basic SEO
- Google Business Profile setup
From$1,800
Brand & Launch

For new businesses with no logo or website yet · Squarespace
- Logo and brand basics: colours, fonts and a simple brand guide
- Squarespace website, up to 5 pages
- Google Business Profile setup guidance
- Local SEO
From$2,500
Online Store

For makers ready to sell · Shopify
- Full store setup
- Up to 25 products
- Payments and shipping
- Email signup
From$3,000
Local SEO Add-on

For any new or existing site
- Keyword research
- Page optimization
- Google Business Profile optimization
From$600

Optional monthly plans

Cancel anytime.

Care Plan

$100 /month

Up to 1 hour of edits and updates each month, plus email support.

SEO Growth Plan

$400 /month

A monthly blog post, a ranking report and Google profile posts to keep you climbing.

Need something extra like booking, a bilingual site, or a store migration? I’ll include it in your fixed quote.

Get a free website audit

Questions, answered honestly.

Something else on your mind? Ask it in your audit request.

Why Squarespace and Shopify?

They’re fast, secure and maintained by companies whose whole job is keeping them running. Hosting, security updates and SSL are included in the platform subscription, so there’s nothing for you to patch.

Most importantly, you can update your own text, photos and products without hiring a developer. Squarespace suits service businesses; Shopify is built for selling products.

Who owns the website?

You do. The website, the domain and the accounts are set up in your name and billed to you. I work as a collaborator on your account, and you can remove my access whenever you like.

Do I have to pay monthly fees?

You’ll pay the platform directly for its subscription (Squarespace or Shopify) and renew your domain each year. Every website needs hosting and a domain to stay online, and this way you pay the source with no markup.

My Care Plan and SEO Growth Plan are optional, and you can cancel anytime.

How long does it take?

Most websites are built in 2–3 weeks once the proposal is approved and your content is ready. Larger stores and migrations can take longer, and your proposal gives you a timeline before anything starts.

What do I need to provide?

Your logo if you have one, photos of your work, and the basics: your services, prices or packages, and how you’d like people to book or buy. Missing something? I’ll tell you exactly what’s needed and help you shape it.

Squarespace or Shopify: which is right for me?

If people book you (a service, a date, a consultation), Squarespace is usually the better fit. If people buy from you (products shipped or picked up), choose Shopify.

Do both? We’ll talk it through in your free audit. There’s usually a clear answer.

Can you help if I already have a website?

Yes. Your free audit starts with your current site. Sometimes a redesign on the same platform is all you need; sometimes moving is worth it, like Witch’s Mark’s move from Wix to Shopify, where customers and reviews came across with it.

I don’t have a website yet. Is that okay?

Yes. Starting from scratch is often simpler than fixing an old site. Your free audit still works: I’ll look at how you show up on Google today and send a homepage mockup idea to start from.

I don’t have a logo or brand either. Can you help?

Yes. Brand & Launch covers your logo and brand basics (colours, fonts and a simple brand guide), plus a Squarespace website of up to 5 pages, Google Business Profile setup guidance and local SEO.

You choose your business name; I design everything around it.

How many changes can I make?

Every project includes two structured review rounds. In each round, you send one consolidated set of feedback on the whole site, and I make the changes together. This keeps your launch on schedule and avoids changes overlapping. If you’d like more rounds, or want to add pages or features beyond the original scope, I’ll send a fixed quote before doing any extra work.

Get a free website audit.

Tell me about your business. I’ll send back an honest review with ideas you can use, whether or not we work together.

1
A short video review of your websiteWhat’s working, what isn’t, and what I’d change first.
2
How you show up on GoogleYour search visibility and Google Business Profile, checked from Calgary.
3
A homepage mockup ideaA quick visual of what your homepage could become.

Free, no pressure. I reply within one business day.

Prefer email? hello@kilnwebdesign.com

¿Prefieres español? Escríbeme en español.

Your name

Business name

Current website (optional)

No site yet? Leave it blank; the audit still works.

What would you like help with?

I’ll only use your details to reply to this request. Read the privacy notice.

Thanks, there. Your audit request is in.

I’ll reply within one business day. If it’s urgent, email hello@kilnwebdesign.com.

Privacy notice

When you send the audit form, I receive your name, business name, website (if you add one), email and message. Here’s what happens with them:

I use them only to reply to you and prepare your audit.
Submissions are delivered by Formspree, a form-handling service, and stored in my Formspree account and business email.
I don’t sell or share your information, and I don’t add you to a mailing list.
This site doesn’t use tracking or advertising cookies.
To see, correct or delete what you’ve sent, email hello@kilnwebdesign.com.

Last updated November 5, 2026.

Get found on Google. Get booked.

Good businesses get passed over for three reasons.

Nobody finds you on Google.

It falls apart on a phone.

There’s no clear way to book.

Recent work

The Noble Beauty

Witch’s Mark

Morfí Design

A kiln is where good work becomes finished work.

Squarespace and Shopify. On purpose.

Squarespace

Shopify

From first look to launch in weeks, not months.

Audit & mockup

Proposal

Build

Launch & handover

Clear prices. Fixed quotes.

Starter Website

Brand & Launch

Online Store

Local SEO Add-on