Custom Website Design for Melbourne Businesses

We select the right platform for each project based on your performance requirements, content management needs, and technical complexity. For high-performance marketing sites and professional services firms, we favour Astro — a modern static-site framework that delivers exceptional Lighthouse scores. For businesses that need a flexible CMS with a familiar editing experience, we use WordPress with a custom theme (not a page builder). For complex web applications or businesses with dynamic content requirements, Next.js. We explain the trade-offs of each option before recommending one.

A standard professional services website — 6-12 pages, custom design, CMS integration — typically takes 6-10 weeks from the initial discovery session to launch. The primary variable is content: businesses that come with finalised copy and photography move faster than those still drafting pages at design review. We provide a detailed project schedule at the proposal stage with milestones for each phase — discovery, wireframes, design, development, content integration, review, and launch.

You own everything — the design files, the code, the domain, and the hosting. We transfer all assets at project completion and provide documentation so any competent developer can maintain or extend the site. We do not use proprietary platforms, builder lock-in, or licensing arrangements that restrict your ownership. We recommend retaining us for ongoing maintenance and updates, but it is entirely your choice.

Yes — every website we build is responsive by design. We use a mobile-first approach, designing the mobile layout before desktop, and test on real devices throughout development. With the majority of Melbourne web traffic now arriving on smartphones, mobile performance is not a nice-to-have. Our sites are tested on iOS and Android devices across multiple screen sizes and achieve top scores in Google's Core Web Vitals mobile assessment.

Yes. We offer ongoing website maintenance retainers that cover CMS and plugin updates, security monitoring, uptime monitoring, monthly performance checks, and a bank of hours for content updates and minor changes. Maintenance plans start from $199/month for WordPress sites and are highly recommended — an unmaintained WordPress installation can be compromised within months. For Astro and Next.js sites, maintenance requirements are lower, and we offer lighter-touch plans accordingly.

A professional custom website for a Melbourne SMB — 6-12 pages, custom design, responsive build, CMS integration, and SEO foundations — typically ranges from $4,500 to $12,000 AUD depending on scope, content complexity, and integration requirements. Larger professional services sites with 20+ pages, custom functionality, or CRM integration sit in the $12,000-$25,000 range. We provide a fixed-price proposal after a scoping session, so there are no surprises. We do not offer hourly-rate engagements for website projects — you know the cost before we begin.

No lock-in. The website is yours on delivery and you are free to host it anywhere, maintain it yourself, or engage another provider. Our ongoing maintenance and support plans are month-to-month with 30 days notice to cancel — we earn your continued business by delivering value, not by contractual obligation. The only exception is domain registration, which has annual renewal cycles managed by your preferred registrar.

We build websites compliant with the Australian Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) by default — including a privacy policy covering data collection, storage, and use; cookie consent banners for analytics and tracking scripts; and secure contact form handling that does not expose personal data in URLs or server logs. For Melbourne businesses that have European clients or website visitors, we implement GDPR-compliant consent mechanisms. We also configure SSL certificates, enforce HTTPS, and ensure contact form submissions are transmitted and stored securely. If you operate in a regulated sector — health, legal, financial — we document the specific compliance measures in place.

Yes — and this is one of the core strengths of CX IT Services compared with design-only agencies. We integrate your website with your existing business stack: HubSpot, Salesforce, or Zoho for lead capture; Calendly, Acuity, or HubSpot Meetings for appointment booking; Xero for client portal or payment integrations; and practice management platforms like Clio, LEAP, or Cliniko for law and health clients. Contact form submissions, chat leads, and booking requests all flow into your CRM automatically. We scope integrations in the initial proposal so you know exactly what is connected before the project begins.

Our design process includes two formal review rounds — one at the wireframe/mockup stage and one after the development build — with a structured feedback process at each stage. This ensures major directional changes are caught before development, not after. Post-launch, our 30-day support window covers adjustments arising from the go-live. If you are genuinely unhappy with the outcome before launch, we work with you to resolve it — we do not invoice the final payment until you have approved the site. We have built our process around minimising surprises, but if something is not right, we fix it.