About WordPress Grand Rapids and 45Squared

Who is behind WordPress Grand Rapids?

WordPress Grand Rapids is run by 45Squared, a web development studio. Aaron VanSledright founded 45Squared and writes the guides on this site. The studio has built websites for small businesses since 2015 and hosts more than 30 sites today.

We launched this site in 2019 to answer the questions West Michigan owners ask before hiring a web developer. Some of our longest-running clients found us here.

What do we believe about websites?

Three rules shape every project:

1. You own what we build. No platform you can’t leave. The site, domain, content and logins are in your name.
2. No rebuild you didn’t ask for. If something needs fixing, we fix it. We don’t sell a redesign to solve a small problem.
3. The work continues after launch. Updates, backups and fixes are part of the job, not an extra.

These rules match how WordPress itself is built. It is open-source software that anyone can use, study and move.

Who do we work with?

Most of our clients are small businesses with fewer than 50 people. They include shops, restaurants, clubs and service companies. They want a site that brings in customers and doesn’t need a full-time developer to run. We work across West Michigan and remotely with businesses anywhere in the US.

What else does 45Squared do?

45Squared is also a venture studio. We build our own software products and partner with founders who need a technical team. Those are long-term partnerships, not one-off projects. That work keeps our skills sharp. We run our own products on the same tools, updates and monitoring we use for client sites. It’s why a five-page site for a Grand Rapids shop gets the same care as software we depend on ourselves.

How a project with us runs

1. A short call

   We learn what the business does, who the customers are, and what the site needs to do.

2. A fixed quote

   You get a written scope, one price and a launch date. Nothing starts until you approve it.

3. The build

   We build the site on a private preview link. You can watch it come together.

4. Your review

   You check every page and ask for changes. We make them.

5. Launch and training

   We point your domain, test every form, and show you how to edit the site yourself.