How I run Fortolker.no "myself"

I also wanted a fast, simple and very cheap (ideally free!) solution, where I have full control over all the data.

The result was a modern, so-called «headless» setup, where I own both the code and the content myself – without needing to know a single line of code.

The whole setup was done via Claude, where I specified which tools and technologies I wanted to use. Claude simply built and set up everything for me.

The tools: Sanity, Vercel, Next.js and GitHub

The setup has four parts. Sanity Studio is the editing interface where I update text, images and blog posts – just like in an ordinary CMS.

Next.js is the framework the website itself is built in.

GitHub keeps track of all the code and every change Claude makes. Each change is saved there as its own 'commit'.

Vercel hosts and publishes the site and is connected to GitHub. Every time a change is pushed to GitHub, the website is automatically built and published on Vercel in under a minute.

This is where Claude comes in

What I can't do myself in Sanity – like changing the design, adding a new feature or fixing the layout – I solve by describing what I want, in plain language, to Claude Code.

Claude makes the actual code change, tests it visually in a browser before anything goes live, and pushes it to my code with a clear description of what was done.

A few examples from the last few weeks: I asked Claude to add partners' logos to the footer – I just pasted a link to their website and asked Claude to do the job, and Claude found the logo and implemented everything itself.

I've also added English language support to the website, resized the top image on the page, and reworked the main menu – all done in a few minutes, while I spent my own time on other things.

So all development on the website is managed via Claude Code, meaning I'm essentially just chatting with my own website. When new content needs to be added, I do that through Sanity Studio, a very clear and simple CMS.

What it costs

This is almost free to run. Vercel and Sanity have free tiers that cover a website of this size, GitHub is also free, and the only fixed cost is the domain (check out Gigahost for cheap, good hosting).

The only thing I pay for beyond that is the Claude Pro subscription. Which I use for a lot more than website development anyway :)

Why this matters for other businesses

This is exactly the kind of choice we at Fortolker help other businesses make: choosing the right technology, avoiding unnecessary costs, and building solutions that are easy to own and manage yourself.

Does your website or system cost more than it should, or depend on someone else to change? Feel free to get in touch for a no-obligation chat about the possibilities!