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Paper Crane, Calgary

Calgary web design and development

Paper Crane is a Calgary brand, web design and development agency in the Beltline, founded in 2019. We design and build Webflow, WordPress and headless (Sanity and Next.js) websites for nonprofits, municipalities and mid-size companies, then hand them over so your team can run them.

Rated 5.0 out of 5,72 Google reviews320-999 8 St. SW, Calgary

Paper Crane at a glance

  • 2019

    Founded in Calgary

  • 100+

    Websites launched

  • 5.0

    On Google, from 72 reviews

  • AA

    Every site built and tested to WCAG 2.2 AA

  • 3

    MUSE Creative Awards

What we build

We build on Webflow or WordPress when a marketing team runs the site day to day, and on Next.js with Sanity (custom code with its own editing system) when the site works more like software.

  • Marketing websites your team can edit

    WordPress sites built from a library of blocks your staff arrange into pages. YWCA Calgary runs on 51 of them and builds new pages without calling us.

  • Websites that work like software

    Next.js and Sanity sites with custom connections to the tools you already use. Hopewell Residential's site sends fresh listings to its Google and Meta ads twice a day.

  • Rebuilds of sites that have outgrown their platform

    Most sites we replace worked when they launched. Years later, every small edit is a support ticket.

Webflow, WordPress or headless

We're partners with all three, so we recommend the one that fits how your team works, not the one we happen to sell.

Who we build for

Most of our work is for a few kinds of organizations, in Calgary, across Alberta and in the rest of Canada.

Calgary websites we've built

Why sites get replaced

  • Every change needs a developer

    Adding a section means a quote and a wait. The people who know the content can't publish it, so the site drifts out of date.

  • The template stopped fitting

    The page you need doesn't exist in the theme, so content gets squeezed into the layouts that do.

  • Nobody knows what it costs to run

    Licences, plugins and hosting renew on their own schedules. The yearly cost of keeping the site running is rarely written down.

  • The site is slow and nobody knows why

    Years of plugins, trackers and half-finished migrations pile up. When the platform itself is the problem, patching it costs more than rebuilding.

How much does a website cost in Calgary?

We give you one fixed price after a short planning session. Our projects start at $25,000 CAD, and most land between $75,000 and $150,000. The price depends on four things.

  • How many page types you need

    Each page template is designed, built and tested once, then reused. A site with five templates costs less than one with twenty.

  • Your content

    How long a move takes depends on how many pages there are and how much needs rewriting. Redirects for every old address add to the build.

  • Connections to other systems

    Each link to a CRM, donation platform, Xero or a booking tool adds work.

  • Accessibility and French

    A higher accessibility standard or a French version of the site both add design, build and testing time.

You own the finished website: the code, the content and the accounts.

How we scope and price a website

Accessibility

Every site we build is built and tested to WCAG 2.2 AA, the standard most Canadian public-sector buyers ask for. We run automated checks with axe-core on the rendered pages, then test by hand: keyboard order and focus, colour contrast as it actually renders, tap target sizes, and layouts down to 320 pixels wide.

Accessibility is part of the build from the first template, not an audit at the end.

How a website project works

  1. Planning session and fixed quote

    We learn what the site needs to do and who will run it, then give you one fixed price.

  2. Design

    We design the site, or build from your design studio's files.

  3. Build

    We build the blocks and templates and connect the site to your other systems.

  4. Content and training

    We move or enter your content and show your team how to build pages.

  5. Launch

    We put the site live and redirect old page addresses so you keep as much of your search ranking as possible.

  6. After launch

    After launch we can host, update and keep improving the site for you.

Working with your design agency

We build sites that other studios designed. Daughter Creative led the brand, the UX and the writing for YWCA Calgary and Hopewell Residential, then brought us in to build both.

If you already have a design you like and need someone to build it, that's a normal way to work with us. We're used to sharing a sitemap and Figma files with another team.

A Calgary agency

Our office is at 320-999 8 St SW in the Beltline, and we're happy to meet in person. We're members of the Calgary Chamber, and we've built websites for Calgary organizations including YW Calgary, the Calgary Chamber and Hopewell Residential.

Much of our work is in Alberta, and we also build for clients in British Columbia, Ontario and the United States.

Questions about web development in Calgary

How much does a website cost in Calgary?

Our projects start at $25,000 CAD, and most land between $75,000 and $150,000. We give one fixed price after a short planning session. It depends on how many page types you need, how much content is moving or being written, which other systems the site connects to, and whether you need a French version.

How long does a website take?

Most of our websites take 2 to 9 months, depending on scope and how quickly content and decisions come back to us. A focused rebuild with your content ready sits at the short end.

What platform should our website be on?

Webflow or WordPress when a marketing team runs the site day to day. Next.js with Sanity when the site works more like an application, with listings, accounts or data feeds. We're partners with all three, so we recommend the one that fits how your team works.

Do you work with municipalities?

Yes. We've built for the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK and RDCK Engage) and the Association of Kootenay and Boundary Local Governments (AKBLG), with sites built to WCAG 2.2 AA.

Do you work with nonprofits, and do you have nonprofit pricing?

Yes to both. Nonprofits are a large share of our work, including YW Calgary, CHF Canada and CCASA. Registered charities and nonprofits get 10% off, so the same budget buys more of our time.

What accessibility standard do you build to?

WCAG 2.2 AA. We test with axe-core and by hand for keyboard use, focus, colour contrast and small screens.

Who owns the website after launch?

You do: the code, the content and the accounts.

Do you offer support and hosting after launch?

Yes. We can host, update, back up and monitor the site, and keep improving it. We price care plans with your project, and you're free to take the site elsewhere.

Are you based in Calgary?

Yes. Our office is at 320-999 8 St SW in the Beltline, and we're happy to meet in person.

Our site is only a few years old. Is it worth rebuilding?

Often not. If the foundation is sound, it's usually cheaper to fix what's slow and give your team better editing tools. A rebuild is worth it when the platform itself is what's blocking you.

Can our team run the site after launch?

Yes. We hand over a library of blocks your team arranges into pages. Tourism Lethbridge publishes its own pages and campaigns without asking us.

We already have a design agency. Do you work alongside them?

Yes. Daughter Creative led the design for YWCA Calgary and Hopewell Residential, and we built both from their sitemap and Figma files.

Do you only work with Calgary companies?

No. We're based in Calgary and much of our work is in Alberta, but we also build for clients in British Columbia, Ontario and the United States.

Talk to us about your website

Tell us what your site does now and what you need it to do. If a rebuild is the wrong answer, we'll say so.

Get in touch
(403) 869-2746
320-999 8 St. SW
Calgary, Alberta T2R1J5