WordPress, built properly
and kept that way.
WordPress is not slow and it is not insecure. Neglected WordPress is both. The platform powers a large share of the web because it is genuinely good at what most businesses need — the failures come from a bloated theme, twenty plugins nobody audits, and updates that stopped happening in 2023.
Why we recommend it to most people
Three reasons, and none of them are that it is easiest for us. You can edit it yourself without ringing anybody. The talent pool is enormous, so you are never trapped with one developer. And the cost of the build goes further, because mature themes and plugins mean less has to be written from scratch.
The drawback is real and we will not talk around it: WordPress needs updating forever, and plugins are the most common way small business sites get compromised. That is not a reason to avoid the platform. It is a reason to decide, up front, whose job the updates are.
For what it is worth, this website is hand-built PHP rather than WordPress, because we sell performance and security and it would be strange not to hold ourselves to it. That is a reason that applies to us and not automatically to you — the full argument, including where WordPress beats a custom build, is in the WordPress versus custom-built comparison.
How we build a WordPress site
Mostly a list of things we do not do. Everything below is a decision made at build time that you cannot easily retrofit later.
No multipurpose mega-theme
Themes that can build anything load the code for everything. We build a lean theme or a tightly configured block theme, so the site ships the markup your pages actually use.
Every plugin has to justify itself
If the theme can do it, the plugin goes. Fewer plugins means fewer updates, fewer conflicts and a smaller attack surface, permanently.
Images processed before upload
Resized and converted to WebP as part of the build rather than left to a plugin to fix at runtime. This is the biggest single speed factor on most WordPress sites.
Local SEO structure from the start
A real page per service and per area, linked properly — the structure described on local SEO. Retrofitting it later is a rebuild in all but name.
Hardened before launch
XML-RPC and file editing off, sane user roles, and a login that is not the default. None of it is exotic; all of it is skipped constantly.
Handover you can actually use
A recorded training session and pages built so editing text and photos cannot break the layout. You should not need us for a price change.
Packages for service & trade businesses
Choose a package that fits your team size and budget.
Trade Starter Site
$1k – $3k
incl. GST
For solo operators and small crews just needing a professional, quote-ready presence.
- 3–5 pages
- Mobile-first design
- Basic on-page SEO
- Simple quote forms
Service Growth Site
$4k – $10k
incl. GST
or from $216/month over 24 months — total $5,184
For growing teams with 3–20 staff who need consistent, higher-value enquiries.
- Everything in Starter
- 6–12 pages
- Individual service pages
- Local SEO structure
- Conversion-focused forms
Service Plus Platform
$10k – $20k
incl. GST
or from $327/month over 36 months — total $11,772
For established businesses up to 50 staff wanting integrations and automation.
- Everything in Growth
- Bookings & CRM logic
- AI reception
- Advanced reporting
All prices include GST. Fixed-price quotes — no hourly surprises.
The same published bands as any other build — the platform does not change how we price, only what we build with. Add managed hosting from $49/month and the updates, backups and monitoring are ours rather than yours. Everything is on the pricing page, including the payment-plan figures.
The part nobody wants to talk about
A WordPress site is not finished at launch. Core, theme and plugin updates arrive monthly, indefinitely, and an out-of-date plugin is how most small business sites get compromised. There are exactly two honest arrangements, and the cheap-hosting version of this story is written up in why cheap hosting costs tradies more.
You do it
Entirely legitimate, and free. Log in monthly, take a backup first, update, and check the site still works. The failure mode is not malice, it is a busy fortnight becoming eight months.
We do it
Managed hosting from $49/month on Australian servers: updates, daily backups, security monitoring and free migration from your current host. Month to month, no lock-in contract.
Want a fixed-price WordPress quote?
Three fields, and a real number back within one business day. No sales call required first.
Or call 08 6323 2970
WordPress questions
Is WordPress the right choice for me?
Will I be able to edit it myself?
How many plugins will it have?
Who keeps it updated?
Do I own the site?
Can you fix or take over an existing WordPress site?
Looking for something more specific?
Four jobs that come up often enough to have a page of their own.
The rest of what we do
One team and one point of contact. See all services or pick one below.
Every price we charge is published — no "contact us for a quote". See the full pricing page.
Start a WordPress project
Tell us what the site needs to do. If WordPress is the wrong answer for it, we will say so before you spend anything.
Prefer to talk? Call 08 6323 2970