Introduction
Did you know the average website design cost for small businesses in Melbourne ranges from $5,000 to $10,000+?
Most don’t…That’s why many businesses in Melbourne end up overpaying for their websites—or worse, getting stuck with a low-quality site that doesn’t meet their needs. One of the biggest reasons for this is a lack of understanding of website design costs and the hidden expenses that come with it.
For business owners and marketing professionals, a well-designed website is more than just an online presence—it’s a crucial investment in your brand’s success. But how much should you really spend? Should you go for a budget-friendly option, or is it worth investing in a custom-built site? What about hidden costs like hosting, maintenance, and security?
In this guide, we’ll break down website design costs in Melbourne, explore cost-saving strategies, and help you avoid unexpected expenses—so you can make a confident, informed decision.
Understanding Website Design Costs
Website design costs in Melbourne vary widely, depending on your business needs, the complexity of your site, and whether you choose a template-based solution or a fully custom build. Please note, that these figures are based on what we typically charge at Marketing Lab.Prices may vary for other agencies and freelancers who offer web design services in Melbourne. Below is a breakdown of common website pricing tiers and what you can expect at each level.
Website Design Cost Comparison Chart Melbourne
| Website Type | Price Range | Best For | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Business Website | $1,500 – $5,000 | Small businesses needing a simple online presence | Pre-built templates, limited customisation, essential pages (Home, About, Contact) |
| Custom Business Website | $5,000 – $15,000 | Businesses wanting tailored branding and features | Unique design, advanced functionality, SEO optimisation, scalability |
| E-commerce Website | $8,000 – $30,000+ | Businesses selling products/services online | Shopping cart, payment gateways, inventory management, UX optimisation |
| Enterprise & Custom Development | $30,000 – $100,000+ | Large businesses requiring complex functionality | Custom integrations, high performance, security, automation |
Basic Business Website ($1,500 – $5,000)
If you’re a small business looking for a simple yet professional online presence, a basic business website is the most affordable option.
These websites typically include:
✅ A pre-built template customised with your branding.
✅ Essential pages like Home, About, Services, and Contact.
✅ Mobile-friendly design and basic SEO setup.
💡 Who is this for? Sole traders, startups, and small businesses need a cost-effective website to establish an online presence.
⚠️ Limitations: Limited customisation, potential template restrictions, and fewer advanced features.
E-Commerce Websites ($8,000 – $30,000+)
Selling online requires more than just a standard website—you need a secure, user-friendly, and scalable e-commerce platform.
These websites typically include:
✅ Product catalog, shopping cart, and secure checkout functionality.
✅ Integration with payment gateways (Stripe, PayPal, Afterpay, etc.).
✅ Inventory management and automation features.
✅ Optimized UX for conversions, including product filters and recommendations.
💡 Who is this for? Retailers, wholesalers, and businesses selling physical or digital products online.
⚠️ Limitations: Higher upfront cost due to design, security, and functionality requirements.
Enterprise-Level & Custom Development ($30,000 – $100,000+)
For large corporations or businesses needing highly customised functionality, enterprise-level websites require extensive development and integration.
These websites typically include:
✅ Advanced web applications and integrations (CRM, ERP, API connections).
✅ High-performance hosting and security features.
✅ Custom UX/UI design with a focus on performance, accessibility, and scalability.
💡 Who is this for? Large enterprises, SaaS companies, and businesses require highly specialised web solutions.
⚠️ Limitations: High investment, longer development time, and ongoing technical maintenance required.
Each type of website serves a different purpose, and understanding your business needs is key to determining the right investment. In the next section, we’ll explore how to save money on web design without sacrificing quality.
Cost-Saving Strategies Without Compromising on Quality
Using Pre-Built Templates vs. Custom Design
One of the best ways to reduce website design costs is by choosing between pre-built templates and custom designs.
Benefits of Pre-Built Templates:
- More affordable than custom-built websites.
- Faster development time, allowing you to launch quickly.
- Pre-designed layouts that can be customised to fit your brand.
Websites That Offer Pre-Built Templates:
- ThemeForest (themeforest.net) – A marketplace with thousands of website themes for WordPress, Shopify, and more.
- TemplateMonster (templatemonster.com) – Offers a wide selection of templates for different industries.
- Wix (wix.com) – Provides ready-made website templates with an easy drag-and-drop builder.
Example of a Pre-Built Template Website:
- Reliable Bathrooms – A cost-effective website built by Marketing Lab using a pre-built template for a bathroom renovation service provider.
When Custom Design is Worth the Investment
While pre-built templates work for many small businesses, custom-designed websites provide:
✅ A unique brand identity tailored to your business.
✅ Better scalability to grow with your needs.
✅ Optimised user experience (UX) for higher conversions. Examples of Custom Design Websites:
- Objective 3D – A fully customized website designed for a 3D printing solutions provider.
- Techni Waterjet – A high-performance industrial website with tailored functionality and branding.
Open-Source CMS vs. Proprietary Platforms
The platform you choose for your website will significantly impact both the cost and flexibility of your site.
Open-Source CMS (WordPress, Shopify, WooCommerce)
Open-source platforms are affordable, highly flexible, and widely supported by a global community. https://wordpress.com/, https://www.shopify.com/au, https://woocommerce.com/
Pros of Open-Source CMS
✔ Lower cost: No expensive licensing fees-just domain, hosting, and plugin costs.
✔ More customization: You can modify and extend functionality using thousands of plugins.
✔ Large support community: Access to forums, tutorials, and developers worldwide.
✔ Easier for beginners: Drag-and-drop website builders make setup easy.
✔ All-in-one pricing: Hosting, security, and support are often included.
Cons of Open Source CMS
❌ Higher long-term costs: Monthly fees add up over time.
❌ Limited customisation: You’re restricted by platform limitations.
💡 Best for: Non-technical users who prefer an all-in-one website solution and don’t need extensive customisation.
💡 Best for: Small to mid-sized businesses that want flexibility and affordability.You can check out our video guide, comparing Wix and WooCommerce platforms – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QOnBb-kNuI
DIY vs. Professional Web Design
Many small businesses consider DIY website builders like Wix, Squarespace, or Shopify to save money, but is this a good long-term strategy?
Pros of DIY Website Builders
✔ Lower upfront cost: No need to hire a designer-just a monthly subscription fee.
✔ Easy to use: Drag-and-drop functionality makes it simple for beginners.
✔ Pre-built templates: A quick solution for getting online fast.
Cons of DIY Website Builders
❌ Limited SEO & performance: Many DIY platforms lack proper SEO tools and have slower page speeds.
❌ Restricted scalability: Difficult to add advanced features later.
❌ Generic design: Your site may look like many others using the same templates.
Best for: Solopreneurs, hobby websites, or businesses with minimal customisation needs.
Why Professional Web Design Pays Off in the Long Run
A professionally designed website might cost more upfront, but it’s often the smarter long-term investment.
✔ Optimised for SEO: Professional sites are built with search engine visibility in mind, helping drive organic traffic.
✔ Stronger brand identity: A custom design ensures your brand stands out from competitors.
✔ Better user experience: Faster load times, mobile responsiveness, and a user-friendly layout lead to higher conversions.
✔ Technical support: Many agencies offer ongoing maintenance, ensuring your site stays secure and up-to-date.
💡 Best for: Businesses looking for a scalable, high-performing, and professional online presence.
Avoiding Hidden Costs in Web Design
When planning your website development, it’s essential to anticipate all the potential costs involved, so there are no surprises down the road. Hidden costs can quickly add up if you’re not fully aware of what your web design project entails. Below are some areas where costs can arise:
Domain & Hosting Expenses
The cost of your website doesn’t end with the design itself. Domain registration and web hosting are ongoing expenses you need to consider.
Cost Differences: Hosting costs vary depending on your needs. Shared hosting is often the most affordable, but it may lack the speed and flexibility your site needs as it grows. Virtual Private Servers (VPS) provide more control and better performance, while dedicated hosting offers the highest level of service, but it comes with a higher price tag.
Website Hosting Costs
| Hosting Type | Cost |
|---|---|
| Shared Hosting | $3 – $10 per month |
| VPS Hosting | $20 – $100 per month |
| Dedicated Hostin | $100 – $500 per month |
| Cloud Hosting | $20 – $250 per month |
| Managed WordPress Hosting | $20 – $100 per month |
| E-commerce Hosting | E-commerce Hosting $30 – $200 per month |
Importance of SSL Certificates: Security should be a priority for your site, particularly if you’re handling customer data. An SSL certificate is a must for protecting sensitive information, ensuring that visitors trust your site. It’s a relatively small investment compared to the potential costs of a data breach or damaged reputation.
SSL Certificates Cost
| SSL Certificate Type | Cost |
|---|---|
| Domain Validated | $5 – $50 per month |
| Organisation Validated | $30 – $150 per month |
| Extended Validation | $100 – $500 per month |
| Wildcard SSL | $50 – $500 per month |
| Multi-Domain | $50 – $300 per month |
Ongoing Maintenance & Support
Building a website is only the beginning. To keep it secure, functional, and up to date, ongoing maintenance and support are essential.
- Security Updates, Bug Fixes, and Performance Optimisation: Websites need regular updates to keep up with the latest security threats, fix bugs, and ensure smooth performance. Neglecting this can lead to vulnerabilities and a poor user experience.
- Subscription Fees for Premium Plugins & Integrations: Many premium features, such as advanced integrations or high-quality plugins, come with recurring subscription fees. It’s important to factor these costs into your long-term budget to ensure you can maintain the best features for your site.
SEO & Performance Optimisation
Ensuring that your website is optimised for search engines and performance should be an ongoing priority to avoid costly fixes later on.
- SEO-Friendly Design Elements: A well-structured website with SEO-friendly design elements can save you time and money in the future. For example, choosing the right URL structure, having clean code, and using proper heading tags can help improve your SEO and prevent costly redesigns or fixes later.
Page Speed and Mobile Responsiveness:.
With mobile users accounting for a large percentage of web traffic, having a mobile-optimized website is non-negotiable. Additionally, a slow website can negatively impact your SEO ranking and user experience. Investing in speed and mobile optimisation from the start will prevent the need for costly adjustments down the line
The Cost of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
SEO Should Be Included in Every New Website
A brand-new website is only as good as its visibility-and that’s where Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) comes in. Any professionally built website should include foundational SEO work to ensure your site is search-engine-friendly from day one.
What’s Typically Included in Website SEO?
When a web design agency builds your site, they should include:
✅ Keyword Research – Finding relevant search terms for your industry.
✅ On-Page Optimisation – Optimizing title tags, meta descriptions, and headers.
✅ Technical SEO – Ensuring fast page speeds, mobile responsiveness, and proper indexing.
✅ URL Structure & Internal Linking – Creating clean, logical navigation for better ranking.
✅ Basic Content Optimisation – Writing SEO-friendly content for key pages.
✅ Google Analytics & Search Console Setup – Enabling tracking for performance insights.
This initial SEO work lays the foundation, but SEO is not a “set and forget” strategy-it requires ongoing effort to drive traffic and stay ahead of competitors.
Ongoing SEO: A Long-Term Investment
SEO is an ongoing process that helps improve search rankings over time. New websites, in particular, need a long-term SEO strategy to increase visibility, attract organic traffic, and convert visitors into customers.
How Much Does Ongoing SEO Cost?
The cost of an SEO program depends on the level of service and competition in your industry:
| SEO Service Level | Monthly Cost Range (AUD) | What’s Included? |
|---|---|---|
| Basic SEO (Small Business) | $500 – $1,500 | Local SEO, basic link building, content updates. |
| Mid-Tier SEO (Growing Businesses) | $1,500 – $5,000 | In-depth keyword research, content creation, technical SEO, backlinks. |
| Advanced SEO (Competitive Markets) | $5,000 – $15,000+ | High-level content strategy, aggressive link building, digital PR, conversion rate optimization. |
For new websites, investing in SEO is crucial-without it, your site may remain invisible in search results. A good SEO strategy involves ongoing content creation, technical improvements, and backlink building to maintain and improve rankings.
Responsive Web Design: A Must-Have for Modern Websites
What Is Responsive Web Design?
Responsive web design ensures your website looks and functions seamlessly across all devices, from desktops to tablets and smartphones. It dynamically adjusts layout, images, and content to provide the best user experience on any screen size.
How Responsive Design Affects Website Costs
Building a responsive website requires additional design and development work, which can increase the initial cost. Factors influencing pricing include:
✅ Custom layouts for different screen sizes.
✅ Mobile-friendly navigation and touch-optimized elements.
✅ Optimised images and media for faster loading speeds.
✅ Thorough testing across multiple devices and browsers. While responsive design adds to the development effort, it’s no longer an optional feature-it’s the industry standard.
Why Responsive Design Matters
📱 Nearly 60% of website traffic comes from mobile devices-if your site isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re losing potential customers.
📉 Higher bounce rates on non-responsive sites mean visitors leave quickly if they can’t navigate easily.
🎯 Google prioritises mobile-friendly websites, which affects your search rankings and visibility.
Without a responsive website, you’re essentially throwing money away by losing mobile traffic. Investing in a mobile-optimized, responsive design ensures better user experience, higher engagement, and increased conversions.
How to Choose the Right Web Design Agency in Melbourne
Choosing the right web design agency is a crucial step in ensuring your website meets your business goals and provides a seamless user experience. Here are some factors to consider and questions to ask when hiring a web designer.
Factors to Consider When Hiring a Web Designer
- Portfolio & Previous Work in Your Industry: A solid portfolio demonstrates the agency’s ability to design websites that match your vision. Look for agencies with experience in your industry, as they’ll understand the unique challenges and goals of your business. Their previous work will give you an idea of their design style, creativity, and functionality.(source – Web Design Portfolio)-
- Transparent Pricing Structures and Contracts: Clarity on pricing is vital to avoid surprises later on. Ensure the agency provides a transparent breakdown of costs, including design, development, hosting, and ongoing maintenance fees. A well-defined contract will outline the project scope, deadlines, payment terms, and any additional charges. Client Reviews & Testimonials: Reviews and testimonials from previous clients offer valuable insight into the agency’s professionalism, customer service, and the quality of their work. A reputable agency should have positive feedback, and you can even ask them for references to hear directly from past clients.
Questions to Ask Before Hiring
- “What’s included in the quote?”: This is essential to avoid any confusion about the scope of work. Clarify what services are covered, such as design, development, SEO optimisation, and post-launch support, and whether there are additional costs for specific features.
- “Do you provide post-launch support?”: Websites often need ongoing updates, bug fixes, and technical support after launch. Make sure the agency offers post-launch services to keep your site running smoothly.
- “How will you ensure my website is SEO-friendly and scalable?”: SEO is crucial for your website’s visibility, so ask how the agency will optimise your site for search engines. Also, ensure they design with scalability in mind, so your site can grow with your business without needing a complete overhaul in the future.
How Marketing Lab Determines Web Design Project Cost?
At Marketing Lab, we understand that every business has unique needs when it comes to web design. That’s why we tailor our pricing based on several factors that influence the scope and functionality of your website. Below are the key elements we consider when determining the cost of a new website design project:
- Website Scope: The complexity of your website plays a significant role in pricing. A custom-built website from scratch requires more time and effort compared to redesigning or re-imagining an existing site. We’ll work closely with you to discover your brand, target market, sales pitch, and unique selling proposition to create a website that truly represents your business and drives results.
- Website Functionality: Websites with advanced functionality, such as e-commerce stores or lead generation tools, require more development time and resources, impacting the overall cost. Additionally, other features like shipping integration or custom applications (e.g., calculators, filtering options, chatbots) will also shape the pricing.
- Marketing: If you’re looking for ongoing marketing services such as SEO, PPC, social media marketing, or require the creation of marketing materials, this will be integrated into the overall plan and influence pricing. Our goal is to build a website that not only looks great but also works hard to attract and convert visitors.
For a more detailed breakdown of how we determine pricing for web design projects, we invite you to check out our Web Design Pricing Page to learn more.
How To Get Accurate Pricing For Your Website Build Without Engaging A Marketing Agency?
If you’re looking for a rough estimate of how much a website build will cost without going through the process of engaging a web design agency, there are several ways to gather that information.
- Refer to the Pricing Table Above Start by using the information in the pricing table earlier in this article. Identify the type of website you’re looking to build, and you’ll be able to get a general cost estimate.
- Engage with Business Owners in Online Communities Look for forums, such as Reddit or Facebook groups, where other business owners share their experiences with website design. You can ask questions about which agencies they used, how much the build cost, ongoing maintenance fees, and the project timelines. This can give you insight into what you might expect for your own project.
- Use Website Design Cost CalculatorsThere are tools available like the WebFX Website Design Cost Calculator that can give you an estimate based on your website’s requirements. To get the most accurate price from these tools, you’ll need to have a clear idea of what you need-number of pages, required functionality, and any specific features. If you’re new to website design, this might feel a bit overwhelming, but it can still provide you with a rough idea.
While these methods can help you gain a basic understanding of website costs, if you’re looking for a truly accurate breakdown of the investment involved in your website-from development through to ongoing maintenance-your best option is to engage an agency. Working with professionals ensures you get a tailored approach that reflects your specific needs and business goals, along with an accurate cost for the entire process.
Leading Website Design Companies in Australia
Choosing the right web design company can make all the difference in how well your website performs. Whether you need a simple website, a complex e-commerce platform, or a high-converting lead generation site, working with an agency that aligns with your business goals is crucial. Here’s a list of some of the top web design companies in Australia, along with their areas of expertise:
Marketing Lab (marketinglab.com.au)
- Excels in web development, innovation, and custom design projects.
- Specialises in full-scale e-commerce and lead generation solutions.
- Works predominantly with large retailers, B2B clients, and high-ticket vendors.
King Kong (kingkong.com.au)
- A digital agency focused on growth-driven web design.
- Specialises in conversion rate optimization (CRO) and performance marketing.
- Known for delivering high-converting websites for businesses of all sizes.
Megaphone Marketing (megaphonemarketing.com.au)
- Experts in website design combined with digital marketing strategies.
- Strong focus on SEO, PPC, and social media integration.
- Helps businesses maximise online visibility and lead generation.
23 Digital (23digital.com.au)
- Specialises in custom web design and development.
- Provides e-commerce and digital transformation solutions.
- Works with businesses to create high-performance websites that drive sales.
Conclusion
To wrap things up, understanding the factors that impact website design pricing-like scope, functionality, and marketing needs-puts you in control of your budget and helps you avoid unexpected costs. Whether you’re starting from scratch or enhancing an existing site, it’s essential to plan and choose the right features that will maximise your website’s impact on your business. Ready to move forward with a website that delivers real value? At Marketing Lab, we’ll work with you to create a tailored strategy that aligns with your goals and maximises your return on investment. Don’t leave your website’s success to chance-reach out today for a personalised consultation and take the first step toward building a website that works for you.
