Raleigh, NC · Serving clients worldwide
We build websites that grow your brand.
City of Oaks Marketing is a Raleigh, NC, digital agency that designs and develops custom WordPress websites engineered for three things at once: speed, usability, and visibility — including search visibility in AI answers. No page-builder bloat, no compromise between looking good and performing well.
What We Do
Everything your brand needs to win online.
One senior team handling strategy, design, development and marketing — no handoffs, no page builders, no templates. Just clean code and measurable results.
WordPress Development
Hand-coded, high-performing websites built for speed, security and scale. No bloated page builders — just clean, custom code that lasts.
SEO & AI Optimization
Technical and organic SEO plus AI search optimization — the work that gets you found by both search engines and the new generation of AI answers.
Marketing & Analytics
Data-driven campaigns and clear reporting that sharpen every decision and compound your growth over time — the speed of a startup with enterprise rigor.
Web Design & Branding
Brand identities and interfaces with a strong visual voice — making the right promise to the right people, at the right moment, every time.
AI Ready Website Architecture
Fast, scalable, and built to rank by design.
Most websites are good at one of these and weak on the rest. A site can look beautiful but load slowly. It can rank but frustrate the people who land on it. We treat all three as non-negotiable, because a site only drives business when it does all three together.
The Fastest Sites
We hand-code custom WordPress themes — no Elementor, no builder bloat — so your site loads in under a second and earns green Core Web Vitals scores. Speed isn’t a nice-to-have: it’s a ranking factor, a conversion factor, and the reason AI systems can read your content at all.
Easy to use (and edit)
Clean navigation, readable typography, and accessible markup mean more of the people who arrive actually convert. Every build is mobile-first and cleanly structured, so your team can easily make edits and additions without friction.
Built to rank
Semantic HTML, technical SEO, structured data, and answer-first content are baked into every site from the first line of code — not bolted on afterward. That’s what gets you found in Google and cited in AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity.
Sites built to perform.
HOPPR
How we rebuilt Hoppr.ai from Squarespace to custom WordPress: performance from 42 to 94, SEO score from 77 to 100, and Core Web Vitals passing outright.
A clear path from idea to impact.
No mystery, no guesswork. Every engagement follows the same proven track — and you always know exactly where things stand.
Strategy
We learn your business, audience and goals, then map the plan that gets you there.
Design
Wireframes, brand, and UX, all shaped around how your users behave.
Build
Clean, hand-coded development that loads fast and works flawlessly on every device.
Optimize
We don’t disappear at launch. We measure, refine, and grow as real traffic rolls in.
Let’s shape your brand.
We build strategies so you can reach your goals.
About Us
Why companies choose City of Oaks Marketing
We’re a small, senior Raleigh team, building websites since 1995. We have rebuilt sites for names like Fidelity Bank, Verdesian Life Science, Doxy.me, and Hoppr.ai. Clients stay with us because we deliver the rare combination of fast, usable, and high-ranking, and because we explain our decisions instead of hiding them.
We provide our clients with strategic marketing services, focused on driving measurable results for our clients. We work with both start-ups as well as large brands, developing brand architecture, top-of-the-line user experiences, and strategies to hit your goals.
- Custom code, not page builders — leaner, faster, and fully yours, with no builder lock-in.
- AI-ready from the start — structured data, llms.txt, and answer-first content so you’re visible in AI search, not just Google.
- Performance you can measure — green Core Web Vitals and sub-second load times as a baseline, not a bonus.
- Senior team, direct communication — you work with the people doing the work.
Our expert team builds fast, secure, compliant websites while implementing comprehensive SEO strategies, including technical optimization, content marketing, and link building. We deliver measurable results through data-driven web development and strategic digital marketing.
Questions, answered.
What sets City of Oaks Marketing apart from other agencies?
We build 100% custom WordPress themes from scratch — no templates, no page builders — which means faster, more secure, fully owned websites. Combined with a senior team, transparent communication, and data-driven strategy, that focus on quality is what makes us a trusted partner.
What industries does City of Oaks Marketing specialize in?
We have deep expertise in financial services, healthcare technology, data management & AI, real estate, agricultural technology, renewable energy, and SaaS/enterprise software. Our adaptable approach lets us build tailored strategies for businesses in regulated, high-trust industries.
How long has City of Oaks Marketing been in business?
City of Oaks Marketing was founded in 2019 by Alison Iddings, who has been building websites since 1995 and brings 30+ years of design and development experience — including leadership roles across multiple industry verticals at other companies. That depth is why we can work fluently with clients in fields like financial services, healthcare technology, and SaaS.
How do I request a free consultation?
Getting started is easy. Schedule a free consultation with this form and our team will promptly reach out to find a convenient time.
How much does a custom WordPress website cost?
A complete custom WordPress website typically ranges from $10,000 to $30,000. That figure covers the entire process end to end — discovery, planning, design, development, optimization, and launch — not just the build. The actual price varies based on design needs, custom features, project scale, and overall complexity. Despite a higher initial cost than pre-made templates, the long-term benefits — performance, scalability, and return on investment — make custom development the stronger value.
Is custom WordPress development suitable for small businesses?
Yes. Custom WordPress development can be tailored to the specific needs and budget of small businesses — you get a fast, professional, fully owned site without the limitations of templates.
Where is City of Oaks Marketing located, and do you work with clients outside Raleigh?
We’re based in Raleigh, North Carolina, with a 100% USA-based team. While we’re proud to call Raleigh home, we serve clients across the United States and internationally, collaborating remotely with businesses worldwide.
Keep up with the latest SEO strategies and development trends.
At City of Oaks Marketing, we are committed to sharing valuable insights and tips to help you navigate the ever-evolving digital landscape. Improve your skills while staying updated on new trends and industry best practices.
Explore Insights
Ready for a site that's fast, easy to use, and ranks?
Tell us about your project and we’ll show you exactly how we’d approach it — no obligation, no hard sell. If we’re not the right fit, we’ll tell you that too.
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