Websites that look like nobody else's.
I'm Michael, a designer and developer in Toronto. I design and build every site myself, from a blank page, for med spas, studios, gyms and home builders.
Client sites live for Southbury Homes, Socialite Group and Function Studios
Twelve sites. Zero templates.
4 for clients, 8 concepts built end to end to push the craft. Every one is live, and every one started from a blank page.
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MullionConcept
Branding studio · Rotterdam
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LucidumConcept
Medical aesthetics · SoHo, New York
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NinefoldConcept
Branding studio · Rotterdam
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Southbury HomesClient
Home builder · Greater Toronto Area
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Socialite GroupClient
Social media agency · Toronto
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Function StudiosClient
Women's boutique fitness · Newmarket, Ontario
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Stellr MediaClient
Digital marketing agency · Toronto
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VauclairConcept
Haute parfumerie · Paris & Grasse
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Rae & ThorburnConcept
Custom home builder · Wānaka, New Zealand
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ÉclatConcept
Prestige marketing house · Toronto
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LitheConcept
Private Pilates house · Yorkville, Tribeca, Mayfair
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LoudlineConcept
Social media agency · Toronto
In their words.
What it is like to work with one person from the first call to launch day, from the businesses whose sites are in the M.
Our old website did the job, but it never did our homes justice. Michael gave us a site that feels like walking into one of our show homes: calm, warm and in no hurry. Every community has its own page and its own registration now, and our Harmony and Comfort+ programs finally get the attention they deserve.
The Southbury Homes teamHome builder, Greater Toronto Area
We had the clients and the work, but not a voice of our own. Michael rebuilt our brand and our site on one system, so the deck, the socials and the website finally sound like us.
The Socialite Group teamSocial media agency, Toronto
Four studios under one roof used to be hard to explain online. Now a first-timer can see everything we offer and book their first class in one tap.
The Function Studios teamWomen's boutique fitness, Newmarket
Why not just use a template?
Templates are cheap for a reason. Here is what changes when the person who designs your site also builds it.
| A template | Built By M | |
|---|---|---|
| The design | Shared with thousands of other businesses | Drawn from a blank page for yours |
| Speed | Carries code for features you never use | Only the code your site needs, so it loads fast on one bar of signal |
| On a phone | A desktop layout squeezed down | Designed for the phone first, then the desktop |
| Who you talk to | A sales rep, then a designer, then a developer | Me, from the first call to launch day |
| Changes later | Theme updates that break things | Edit text, prices and photos yourself. Bigger changes are a message away |
| Ownership | Rented from a platform, month after month | You own the code, the domain and the words |
A free first call, and a clear quote before you commit.
How it goes
Four steps, one person, no hand-offs. You always know what happens next.
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Discovery and direction
We agree on what the site has to do before anything is drawn: who it is for, what they should feel, and the one thing you want them to do.
- Audit
- References
- Sitemap
- Copy plan
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Design
A direction you can feel: type, colour, imagery and motion, designed at full quality for the phone and the desktop. You review it on your own phone, not in a slideshow.
- Moodboard
- Home page
- Mobile
- Motion
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Build
The design, built properly: fast, accessible and easy to edit, with the forms, bookings and content tools your business already uses.
- Development
- Editing
- Forms and booking
- Search basics
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Launch and care
Launch on fast hosting with analytics in place, a handover you can actually follow, and changes that are a message away instead of a ticket queue.
- Hosting
- Analytics
- Handover
- Support
Built for businesses people choose with their eyes.
Clients decide whether to trust you in the first few seconds on your site. These are the places I know best.
One person, start to finish.
Most agencies pass your project from a salesperson to a designer to a developer, and something gets lost at every hand-off. Here, the person who designs your site is the person who writes its code, so what you approve is what goes live.
I'm Michael. I started Built By M because the best sites I had seen were never templates: they were built around one business and one idea. Every site I make starts the same way, from a blank page and a conversation about who it is for.
- Sites built, all live
- 12
- For client businesses
- 4
- Templates used
- 0
- Person on your project
- 1
How much does a website cost?
It depends on how many pages you need, the features (booking, online sales) and how much copy and photography is ready. You get a clear quote after the first call, before you commit to anything.
How long does a project take?
It depends on the size of the site and how quickly content comes together. You get a timeline with the quote, and you see real designs early instead of waiting until the end.
Can I update the site myself?
Yes. Text, prices, team bios and promotions are editable without touching code. Bigger changes are a message away.
Do you only work with Toronto businesses?
No. I am based in Toronto and most clients are in the GTA, but everything can be done remotely, so location is never a blocker.
Do you write the copy and find the photos?
I can. Copy usually comes together best as a team effort: you bring the knowledge of your business, I shape it into pages people actually read.
Can you redesign my existing website?
Yes, most projects are redesigns. Your old pages are redirected to the new ones, so you keep the search rankings you have already earned.
Let's build yours.
Tell me a little about your business and what you need. I read every message myself and reply within a working day.
Prefer email?
hello@builtbym.ca- Free first call, no obligation
- A clear quote before you commit
- You own everything at the end