website design melbourne cost
What businesses in Melbourne pay for websites in 2025 — realistic price ranges, what adds cost, and how to get the best value
If you're a tradie, café, retailer, or professional service in Melbourne, this practical guide explains how website pricing works in the current market, which choices add (or reduce) cost, and exactly what to ask for to make your investment drive enquiries and bookings.
Typical website design costs in Melbourne (2025)
Below are common market brackets you’ll encounter when getting quotes in Melbourne. These are indicative — final price depends on scope, provider, and included services (hosting, domain, SEO, maintenance).
Starter / Basic
Small brochure sites, 3–6 pages, template-based, minimal customisation.
- Simple contact form
- Basic on-page SEO
- No advanced integrations
Freelancer / Small Agency
Custom design, CMS (WordPress/Headless), a few integrations, basic e‑commerce or bookings.
- Custom design and layout
- Some SEO work + analytics
- Ongoing updates often billed hourly
Full Agency / Custom Build
Large, complex builds with custom features, integrations, design systems and ongoing retainers.
- Extensive UX, research & testing
- Advanced integrations (ERP, CRM, booking engines)
- Project management & QA
Subscription & managed options (best for busy businesses)
Managed subscriptions (like Congero) deliver a professional, mobile-first site for a flat monthly fee (typically from $49/month) and include hosting, security, domain options and unlimited updates — removing large upfront costs and surprise fees.
7 factors that drive website design cost
1. Project scope & page count
More pages, more content types (services, blog, team, FAQs) and additional templates increase time and cost. A single landing page takes hours; a 30‑page site takes days to design, write and QA.
2. Design complexity & customisation
A custom visual identity, bespoke animations or a design system increases cost compared to editing a prebuilt template. The higher the pixel-perfection requirement, the higher the hours.
3. Functionality & integrations
E-commerce, booking engines, CRM/ERP connections, membership systems, or custom forms require development time and testing—each integration adds complexity and cost.
4. Content creation (copy & media)
If you supply copy and images, costs are lower. Professional copywriting, photography, or video production are additional line items—expect $500–$5,000 depending on quality and volume.
5. Hosting, security & performance optimisation
Fast hosting, CDN, SSL, backup and performance tuning cost extra with one-off builds. Managed subscriptions include these in the monthly fee—often the better value for small businesses.
6. Project management & testing
Time spent communicating requirements, reviewing designs, testing across browsers and devices, and fixing bugs is billable. Expect 10–25% of the project cost to be project management and QA.
7. Ongoing support & update policy
If the provider charges hourly for updates, factor that into long‑term cost. Unlimited update subscriptions can be more cost-effective if you change content often.
Melbourne-specific considerations that change pricing
Melbourne’s market, competition and local search behaviour influence what you should buy and how much it will cost:
- Local competition and design expectations: In Melbourne CBD and inner suburbs, customers expect polished websites. Higher-quality design often translates to higher leads but costs more upfront.
- Local SEO and "near me" searches: Melbourne businesses rely on local search (Google Business Profile). Budget for local SEO optimisation, schema, and citation setup—these improve visibility for people searching "near me".
- GST and contracts: All quoted costs should show GST where applicable. Also ask about contract length — many quality providers offer month-to-month plans.
- Industry rates by sector: Tradies in Melbourne often need quick, conversion-focused sites (lower design cost, higher conversion ROI). Cafés and hospitality need photography and menu systems (higher media cost).
- Turnaround expectations: If you need a site fast (1–3 days), expect a premium. Plan projects with realistic timelines to avoid rush fees.
How to get the best value when buying a website in Melbourne
1. Define your business goals first
Do you want calls, bookings, foot traffic, or online sales? A clear goal keeps scope tight and avoids paying for unnecessary features.
2. Ask for a detailed scope & fixed-price quote
A line-item quote (pages, custom features, SEO, hosting) helps you compare apples-to-apples and reduces surprise fees.
3. Prioritise what's essential — launch fast, iterate later
Consider staging the project: launch a conversion-focused site, then add advanced features in later phases to spread cost and see ROI earlier.
4. Compare maintenance policies — hourly vs unlimited
If you expect frequent changes, an unlimited updates subscription often beats hourly retainers.
5. Insist on basic SEO & analytics setup
Proper titles, meta descriptions, schema for local business, and Google Analytics/GA4 setup should be included or itemised. Track traffic and conversions from day one.
6. Confirm hosting, backups & security
Ask what uptime, backups, software updates and SSL are included. Cheap hosting without backups costs more when things break.
Negotiation tips
- Bundle services (design + hosting + updates) for a lower total cost.
- Ask for a demo, links to live sites and references from Melbourne clients.
- Request a maintenance window agreement — quick response times matter for customer-facing businesses.
Realistic examples — what Melbourne businesses actually pay
Tradie / Local service
Single-page lead-gen site, contact form, service list, Google Business integration.
Best if fast and conversion-focused.Café / Small hospitality
Menu management, photography, map, social links, booking integration.
Photography adds cost but improves conversions.Retail / Small e‑commerce
Product setup, payments, shipping logic, inventory and integrations.
Recurring monthly costs for hosting/payments apply.Quick total-cost example (Year 1)
Freelancer brochure site: $4,000 build + $20/mo hosting = ~$4,240 first year. Subscription site: $49/mo = $588 first year with unlimited updates and hosting included — big savings if you need frequent edits.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I budget for a simple Melbourne business website?
Is it cheaper to use a freelancer or an agency?
What should I ask for in a quote?
Are subscriptions worth it for Melbourne small businesses?
How long does a professional site take in Melbourne?
Ready to get a quote tailored for your Melbourne business?
Get a free demo or a fixed-price quote that lists exactly what's included — design, hosting, SEO and support. Avoid surprises and pick the option that will get you the most leads.
Tip: When comparing quotes, always check examples of live Melbourne sites and ask for reporting access once your site is live.
