P.01
Tool chaos
Website, forms, newsletter, CRM, calendar, files and invoices run alongside each other instead of together.
For Swiss SMEs without their own IT department
Digital systems that run — built and operated.
Most SMEs don't need enterprise IT — they need someone who understands their digital construction sites, prioritises them, builds them cleanly and keeps them running.
Concretely: websites, automation, CRM flows, hosting, monitoring and AI-powered operations. Tidy, documented, in one hand.
Available for new projectsErlenbach ZHIn IT & digital since 2007
01 / Build
Websites
Modern frontends, landing pages and CMS setups.
02 / Connect
Automation
Forms, mailers, CRM flows and AI workflows.
03 / Run
Operations
Hosting, monitoring, domains, backups and documentation.
For SMEs that want digital order
No agency theatreNo unnecessary enterprise complexityNo plugin wildernessNo black-box dependency
Analyse→Architecture→Implementation→Operations→Optimisation
Diagnosis
The problem is rarely the website alone.
For most SMEs the website is just the visible surface. Underneath sit scattered tools, manual processes, unclear ownership, broken forms, missing tracking, weak hosting, outdated plugins and no one truly accountable for the whole system.
P.02
Manual processes
Requests get copied, emails forwarded, lists maintained and information captured multiple times.
P.03
Technical uncertainty
Domains, DNS, hosting, backups, updates, privacy and monitoring are often historically grown but not actively managed.
P.04
Missing ownership
Agency, hoster, tool vendors and internal staff are all involved, but no one thinks the system end-to-end.
Positioning
More than a web freelancer: building and operating in one hand.
A web freelancer builds and is then gone. A hoster operates but builds nothing. An agency delivers a project, not a system. I build, operate and own the whole thing — from the request in the form to the backup at three in the morning.
Who's behind it
Marcel Rapold
IT Project Lead & Deputy Head of ICT at Zürcher Verkehrsverbund (ZVV)
In IT and digital since 2007. At ZVV I co-own digital platforms — from architecture and hosting to release. Alongside that I run self-hosted infrastructure and AI automations in production, teach at HWZ Zurich and hold an EMBA. In short: what I build for SMEs, I operate myself every day.
- 10+ years IT project leadership (ZVV)
- Platform ownership of zvv.ch
- n8n + LLM automation in production
- Self-hosted infra · former top-100 Lightning node
- EMBA · HWZ lecturer
- In IT & digital since 2007
01
Business first
Technology is a means to an end. What matters is which problem gets solved and which process works better afterwards.
02
Fullstack, operations included
From frontend and forms to hosting, automation, monitoring and documentation: enough depth to deliver systems end-to-end and keep them running.
03
Operations without depending on me
Access, documentation and monitoring belong to you, not me. Runbooks and alerts keep your system running — and make sure any third party could take it over.
04
Realistic AI use
AI is used where it speeds up processes, prepares decisions or reduces repetitive work. Not as decoration.
Services
What I build for SMEs — and operate.
I combine business understanding, technical implementation and operational continuity. The result is digital systems that not only look good but work in everyday operations.
S.01
Websites & landing pages
Modern websites, landing pages and content structures with clean frontend, clear information architecture and performant delivery.
Next.jsVercelHeadless CMSWordPress modernisationSEO basicsAnalytics
S.02
Forms & lead flows
Digital forms, request processes and lead flows that capture, validate, route and document data cleanly.
Contact formsBooking requestsTypeformResendCRM integrationEmail confirmation
S.03
AI automation
AI-powered workflows for summaries, classification, content creation, internal assistance and process automation.
n8nOpenAI APIDocument flowsEmail automationContent pipelineReporting
S.04
CRM & operations
Simple CRM, mailer and reporting structures so requests, customer contacts and operational tasks remain traceable.
HubSpotSupabaseAirtableGoogle WorkspaceMailer flowsStatus dashboards
S.05
Hosting & DevOps basics
Pragmatic technical operating models for domains, DNS, hosting, deployments, monitoring, backups and documentation.
CloudflareVercelDockerUptime KumaGitHubBackupsDNS
S.06
Technical due diligence
Analysis of existing setups with clear assessment of risks, dependencies, quick wins and next steps.
Website auditTool landscapeSecurity basicsCost analysisRisk checkRoadmap
Packages
Packages instead of endless consulting.
Each package is built around a clear outcome. First understand, then build, then operate.
Transparent fixed prices instead of open hour budgets — we clarify the exact scope upfront in the free baseline check, matched to scope and value.
Package 01 / Audit
SME Digital Audit
Baseline assessment for website, tools, processes and technical risks.
▮Fixed price · results in ~1 week
- +Analysis of the existing website
- +Review of domains, DNS and hosting
- +Review of forms, mailers and data flows
- +Identification of manual processes
- +Risk and dependency analysis
- +Prioritised roadmap with quick wins
You get a clear basis for decisions: what is critical, what is unnecessary, what brings quick impact.
Request audit →Package 02 / Build
Website & Automation Sprint
New website or landing page including forms, mailer flows and clean hosting.
▮Fixed price per sprint · 2–4 weeks
- +Structure and copy foundation
- +Landing page or compact website
- +Contact or request form
- +Email confirmations
- +Hosting and deployment
- +Analytics and SEO basics
- +Documentation
A digital setup that goes live, processes requests cleanly and can be operated traceably.
Start the sprint →Package 03 / Automate
AI Operations Setup
AI-powered workflows for internal processes, email, content, documents and reporting.
▮Fixed price per use case
- +Use-case selection
- +Workflow design
- +n8n or API automation
- +AI prompt and data-flow logic
- +Human-in-the-loop review
- +Error handling and logging
- +Documentation
Recurring tasks become partly automated without losing control or traceability.
Review AI setup →Package 04 / Operate
DevOps Care
Operations, monitoring and technical order for existing digital systems.
▮Monthly · cancel anytime
- +Domain and DNS review
- +Hosting and deployment structure
- +Monitoring with alerts
- +Backup concept
- +Update and change process
- +Technical documentation
- +Regular system check
Your digital system is not just built but controlled, monitored and evolved cleanly.
Clarify operations →Operating Model
How we work together.
01 / Understand
Understand
We clarify the business goal, current state, existing tools, risks and the question of what actually creates value.
02 / Order
Order
The digital landscape is structured: systems, data flows, ownership, dependencies and priorities.
03 / Build
Build
The solution is implemented pragmatically: website, form, automation, hosting, monitoring or integration.
04 / Operate
Operate
The setup is documented, monitored and prepared so it does not depend on implicit knowledge.
05 / Optimise
Optimise
After go-live, data, feedback and new requirements are used to evolve the system in a targeted way.
Stack
Pragmatic stack. No religious tool debates.
The stack follows the problem, budget, operations and ownership. The goal is not maximum complexity but a robust setup with good maintainability.
Frontend
- Next.js
- React
- Tailwind
- Vercel
Content & Data
- Headless CMS
- WordPress
- Supabase
- Postgres
- Airtable
Automation
- n8n
- OpenAI API
- Resend
- Webhooks
- Google Workspace
Operations
- Cloudflare
- GitHub
- Docker
- Uptime Kuma
- Backups
- DNS
AI & Local Lab
- Ollama
- Open WebUI
- ComfyUI
- Stable Diffusion
- Local AI Experiments
Not every SME needs everything. Good architecture means deliberately leaving things out.
Use cases
Typical use cases.
Local service business
Clear offer structure, automated requests
New website, clear offer structure, contact form, email confirmation, CRM capture and a simple reporting view.
Consulting firm
Lead magnet & qualified requests
Landing page for a new offering, lead magnet, automated mail flow and qualified request handling.
Practice or studio
Bookings & structured customer data
Booking requests, structured customer data, automated communication and a clean technical foundation.
Trades business
Requests with image upload & triage
Request form with image upload, automatic categorisation, internal routing and status overview.
Agency without tech depth
Technical implementation partner
Technical implementation partner for complex frontends, API integrations, automation and hosting questions.
Owner with a grown setup
Untangle tool chaos, build a roadmap
Analysis of tool chaos, costs, risks and dependencies with a clear roadmap to simplification.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
Is this classic web development?+
Only partly. A website is often the entry point but not the goal. What matters is the digital system as a whole: data flows, forms, automation, hosting, monitoring and operations.
Which businesses is this for?+
For SMEs, local service providers, consultancies, practices, studios, agencies and owners that need digital order but don't want to build their own IT department.
One person for business-critical systems — isn't that a risk?+
Fair question. That's exactly why documentation, monitoring and handover come first, not last: access, runbooks and architecture sit with you, not in my head. Everything runs on standard infrastructure (Vercel, Cloudflare) and can be operated by a third party without me. I've run business-critical platforms in public transport to that same standard for years.
Can existing infrastructure be taken over?+
Yes. The Audit package is often the best next step after the baseline check. From there we decide what stays, what is replaced and which risks to reduce first.
Does everything need to be rebuilt?+
No. Good technical work often means stabilising, connecting or simplifying existing systems instead of reinventing everything.
How is AI used?+
Pragmatically. AI can summarise emails, classify requests, prepare text, generate reports or support internal workflows. Critical steps stay traceable and controllable.
What does it cost — and is the baseline check really free?+
The first baseline check is free and non-binding. After that I work with transparent fixed prices per package instead of open hour budgets; operations (DevOps Care) run monthly and can be cancelled anytime. We clarify the exact scope upfront.
What is the first sensible step?+
A free baseline check. It surfaces where technical risks, manual processes, tool chaos and quick improvements actually sit.
Next step
Digital order starts with a clear baseline check.
A free baseline check shows where your setup stands today, which risks exist and which measures create the most impact with the least effort.
Free and non-binding · reply usually within 24 hours · a full audit is a paid fixed-price package, you decide afterwards.
// No sales show. No agency pitch. A technical and operational assessment of what actually needs to be done.