13Core

What 13Core does

13Core is a privately held, women-owned WordPress web agency headquartered in Carbondale, Illinois, founded by Michele Jones in November 2011 and operated today by an eight-person team. It delivers an end-to-end stack of services on the WordPress platform: custom website design and development, managed hosting (Basic, eCommerce & Membership, and Enterprise tiers), monthly maintenance retainers (Standard up to 2 hours, Plus up to 6 hours, Premium up to 12 hours), website restoration and hacked-site cleaning, Core Web Vitals optimization (LCP/FID/CLS), digital marketing (SEO, PPC), and paid/organic social media management. Accessibility compliance—covering WCAG 2.1 Level A/AA and DOJ standards for government-funded entities—has become a differentiated offering, with a dedicated Government ADA Services line and free audits for qualifying entities. The firm holds SBA Women Owned Small Business certification, WP Engine Preferred Agency Partner status, and Termageddon Data Privacy Certified Agency Partner status, and its CEO is a WordPress Core Contributor and national-level speaker/trainer.

Revenue is generated through a mix of subscription recurring hosting and maintenance retainers and project-based professional services for design, marketing, restoration, and accessibility remediation, with pricing disclosed only in ranges (e.g., $500–$5,000 for one-time accessibility reviews). The go-to-market is sales-led and regionally anchored in Southern Illinois (Carbondale, Marion, Murphysboro, Carterville), supplemented by a self-serve "Get Started" intake form, blog-driven content marketing on accessibility and security topics, social media presence, and WordPress community involvement (meetup organizing, WordCamps, Five for the Future). Customer segments include restaurants, marketing firms, nonprofits, first responders/EMS/government, and SMBs broadly, with named logos concentrated in local hospitality, legal, media, and healthcare accounts. No external funding, M&A, or institutional investors are disclosed; ownership and leadership remain with the founder and her family/early team.

Cumulative operating metrics include 100+ clients served, 50+ custom sites built, and 400+ hacked websites cleaned over a 14-year operating history, providing a long tail of small recurring accounts rather than a few enterprise anchors.

Name

13Core

Legal name

13Core, LLC

Website

https://13core.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

13Core is a women-owned WordPress web agency in Carbondale, Illinois, providing design, hosting, maintenance, accessibility compliance, and digital marketing services to SMBs, restaurants, nonprofits, and government entities in Southern Illinois and beyond.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Carbondale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Web Hosting Services: Managed WordPress hosting with packages including weekly updates, daily backups, SSL certificates, uptime monitoring, and malware removal. Packages include Basic Hosting for brochure sites/blogs, eCommerce & Membership Hosting, and Enterprise Hosting.
2. Website Maintenance Retainers: Monthly maintenance packages (Standard up to 2hrs, Plus up to 6hrs, Premium up to 12hrs) for ongoing updates and optimizations.
3. Website Design & Development: Custom website builds, UI design, landing pages, and website refresh services for new and existing websites.
4. Digital Marketing Services: SEO (on-page and local), PPC marketing, and digital advertising services.
5. Social Media Services: Organic and paid social media marketing including strategy development, content creation, community management, and targeted ad campaigns on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok.
6. Website Restoration and Repair: Hacked website cleaning, security audits, and new website security setup services.
7. Accessibility Remediation: Single review and repair services, ongoing monthly accessibility retainers, and comprehensive site reviews for WCAG compliance. Free accessibility audits offered for government-funded entities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

13Core is a full-service WordPress web and digital marketing agency that designs, develops, hosts, maintains, secures, and markets websites for small and mid-sized businesses, nonprofits, and government-funded entities. Its core offering bundles website design and development with managed hosting, monthly maintenance retainers, accessibility remediation, security restoration, SEO/PPC digital marketing, and social media services into an end-to-end online branding solution.

Product overview

13Core is a web and digital marketing agency offering a comprehensive suite of services built around WordPress. The core offerings include Website Design & Development (full-site builds, UI design, website refreshes) paired with Hosting & Maintenance packages (Basic, eCommerce & Membership, Enterprise tiers) and Monthly Maintenance Retainer services (Standard, Plus, Premium). Supporting services include Website Support for one-off requests, Accessibility Services with specialized Government ADA Services for compliance with WCAG 2.1 and DOJ standards, Restoration and Repair for hacked website cleaning and security, Digital Marketing (SEO, PPC, Local SEO), Social Media Services (organic and paid), and Core Web Vitals Optimization. The company primarily serves Southern Illinois businesses with services for restaurants, nonprofits, first responders, government agencies, and SMBs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Website Design & Development Full-service custom website design and development for businesses, including new site builds, UI design, landing pages, complex web applications, and website refresh services for existing sites. Targets businesses seeking a unique online brand presence optimized for conversions.
• Managed WordPress Hosting Subscription managed WordPress hosting packages including weekly core/theme/plugin updates, daily backups, free SSL certificates, uptime monitoring, and free malware removal. Tiered into Basic (brochure sites/blogs), eCommerce & Membership, and Enterprise (high-traffic and large-scale eCommerce).
• Monthly Maintenance Retainers Recurring monthly website maintenance packages providing ongoing updates, optimizations, and technical support. Tiers include Standard (up to 2 hours/month), Plus (up to 6 hours/month), and Premium (up to 12 hours/month).
• Website Support Services One-off website support including landing page creation, functionality implementation, website optimizations, and Core Web Vitals improvements for businesses needing ad hoc technical assistance.
• Website Accessibility Services Web accessibility services covering single review and repair, dedicated monthly accessibility retainers, audit-only engagements, and comprehensive site reviews for WCAG 2.1 compliance at Levels A, AA, and AAA. Targets businesses, nonprofits, and government entities needing accessibility conformance.
• Government ADA Services Specialized accessibility compliance services for government-funded entities (first responders, EMS, park districts, hospitals, schools) to achieve WCAG 2.1 Level A and AA conformance per DOJ requirements, including free accessibility audits and remediation services ahead of 2026/2027 deadlines.
• Website Restoration and Repair Website restoration and security services including comprehensive malware and virus removal, security patch application, blacklist removal, website restoration, security audits, ongoing security monitoring, and new website security setup.
• Digital Marketing Services Digital marketing services including on-page SEO optimization, local SEO for geographic market domination, and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising campaign management for SMB and enterprise clients.
• Social Media Services Social media marketing services covering both organic strategy (strategy development, content creation, community management, audits) and paid advertising campaigns on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok.
• Core Web Vitals Optimization

Quantifiable outcome

• 100+ Happy clients and 50+ custom sites built over 14 years
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• SPARC Coalition of Southern IllinoisflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 October 202413Core is sponsoring the 10th annual Weathering the Storm Conference for emergency preparedness on October 16, 2024. The company is handling all social media for the conference and updating their website to be fully accessible. Owner Michele Butcher-Jones is speaking about DOJ Accessibility standards for government entities.
• SIH HealthcareflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 October 2024Co-organizer with SPARC Coalition of the Weathering the Storm Conference for emergency management in Southern Illinois. SIH Healthcare and 13Core are co-presenting this community event.
• WP EnginecoreTechnology or IntegrationPreferred Agency Partner with WP Engine for managed WordPress hosting services. 13Core leverages WP Engine's platform for client hosting needs and receives preferred partner benefits and support.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Big Drop Inc: Web design and digital marketing agency offering custom website design, development, and branding for SMB and mid-market clients. Comparable agency delivery model.
• Huemor: B2B web design and development agency focused on WordPress and Shopify builds for SMB and mid-market. Comparable offering in custom site builds and website redesigns.
• WebFX: Digital marketing and web development agency offering design, SEO, PPC, and hosting-adjacent services to SMB and mid-market clients. Comparable scope of services and customer profile.
• Lounge Lizard: Digital marketing and web design agency with services spanning web design, development, SEO, and PPC for SMB clients. Similar agency model and service mix.
• Thrive Internet Marketing Agency: Full-service WordPress and digital marketing agency serving SMBs with web design, hosting-style maintenance, SEO, and PPC. Closest direct competitor to 13Core's end-to-end service stack.

Emerging players

• accessiBe: Automated WCAG accessibility overlay/product competing for the same compliance-driven demand (especially pre-DOJ deadline) that 13Core's accessibility services target. Adjacent competitor for accessibility budget.

Broad incumbents

• Bluehost: Mass-market SMB web hosting and site builder provider. Competes with 13Core's hosting tier on price and self-service convenience for very small businesses.
• GoDaddy: Broad incumbent offering domain registration, hosting, website builders, and marketing services targeting SMBs. Largest overlap in the SMB web services category.
• WP Engine: Large managed WordPress hosting platform and 13Core's preferred hosting partner. Sits upstream of 13Core's hosting stack and represents the broader incumbent ecosystem of WordPress-specialized infrastructure.

Others

• Termageddon: Privacy policy and compliance tooling partner already integrated into 13Core's stack. Adjacent ecosystem player rather than direct competitor, but shapes the compliance services landscape.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/13corewps
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/13core

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about 13Core