My web design services can be broken down into 4 key areas:
  • WordPress Development – Content Management System
  • Custom Programming – From scratch or out of the box customisations
  • Search Engine Optimisation – Get seen on Google and Bing
  • Excellent Service & Support – Attention to detail and turnaround time

Usually a web development project will span more than one area.

Hourly Rate: $100 per hour

I charge a flat hourly rate of $100/hr.

WordPress Development

WordPress is a free, secure, user friendly content management system. It has never been easier – or cheaper – to get a slick site up and running and keep it up to date.

A Cost Effective Approach
The quickest and cheapest way to get your site developed is to find a WordPress theme that is closest to how you’d like your site to look. I can then tweak the theme to match your corporate identity and functionality needs.

I recommend using an out-of-the-box theme because it streamlines the development time – and gives you that ‘professional’ look without reinventing the wheel. My site is uses a WordPress out-of the-box theme and it took me 2 days to bash together including all the images.

Themeforest has some amazing themes for between $50 – $80.
Within a handful of days, you can have your site up and running for around $3000.

Tips For Choosing A Design
Trawling for that ideal theme is probably the most time consuming part of the process. There are a few things to look out for when choosing a theme with Themeforest:

  • Mobile / Tablet Responsive
    Views nicely on smaller devices without pinching, zooming and scrolling.
  • Supports Internet Explorer 8+ (IE8)
    Internet Explorer has some weird ways of showing your site elements. So if you know a theme is supported back to IE8, then you know the vast majority of your visitors will be seeing your site as intended. Most other modern browsers play by the rules – so you know your site will look its best.
  • Have a play!
    View the live demo and click any X at the top to remove the site out of the ‘frame’ so you can play with browser resizing.
  • Note the features you like.
    The live demos pack ALL features in so you can evaluate them. Your site doesn’t have to have everything twirling, whirling and flashing. I highly recommend it doesn’t! Just choose the features that tastefully lend themselves to your identity. You may want to email yourself links to themes you like – and what you liked or disliked about them.

Custom Programming

Web designer, analyst and programmer all in one.
Clear communication and minimal technical jargon.

My Approach
I have a degree in Software Engineering and Business – so I can:

  • take a look at your needs with my Business and Technical hats on,
  • recommend the customisation/functionality required,
  • quote you a fixed price for the job, and then
  • program those needs to ensure I’m achieving the specific business goals.
The buck starts and stops with me – and that’s how I can ensure my customers get the very best service and outcomes.
Benefits of Custom Programming With Me
I’ve had a few clients come my way who’ve started their web development only to find out that the web developer can’t customise or program. So those bells and whistles that make the site ideal for them get outsourced (read that as the price unexpectedly goes up), just plain left out or the whole project stalls. Because I have background in programming, you can be assured I can deliver what I promise.

I’m usually pretty good a sniffing out functionality that is beyond my skill set. If it is something new to me, then I don’t charge for my learning curve. I get the benefit of learning something new – and usually really cool – and my client gets a fair quote. If it’s something simply beyond my capabilities, then I’m up front about it. Nobody likes to waste their time.

Whether it is a custom programming job from scratch, like IGM Financial Planning’s “Iplan” online software, or heavily customising WordPress to store and display additional information like the Dynamic Garage Doors & Operators project, I’m your analyst, designer and programmer all in one!

Search Engine Optimisation

In our globally connected world, how do we get your site visible on search engines – like Google and Bing? You guessed it. We search engine optimise each page to target what we think your customers will type into that magical search box.

I can help with suggesting key phrases and optimising your site.

A Rigged Race
It is best to do our analysis of what we think customers will type into search engines before we begin development. Search engine optimisation runs right to the foundation of your site including the webpage addresses. So it is a good idea to design to your target audience from the ground up to achieve the best results. It’s a little like rigging a race – but totally legitimate!

So start asking colleagues, friends and family “What would YOU type to find my product/service”. Try doing some searches for your product / service in Google, and see how Google will suggest phrases based on what you start typing. Note these phrases down – most people will start typing then choose from the offered suggestions.

A Moving Goal Post
Best of all, with Google re-evaluating websites every 2-4 weeks, if we don’t nail it the first time, we can keep modifying our optimisations and measure the results. It pays to keep the content fresh on a monthly basis – so your precious position / rank doesn’t see you slipping off the first page.

But a word of caution – over-optimising a website reads like the work of a nagging robot. Your audience are real people who need to satisfy an informational need! The very best way to optimise your pages is to include relevant information that ties directly to the phrases you’re trying to target.

Excellent Service & Support

If you’ve read everything so far, you will have picked up that I’m passionate, knowledgeable and capable.

I’m a little bit fun – but I’m absolutely serious when it comes to developing your site.

What You Get
When I work on a project with you:
  • I’ll meet with you at your location and I don’t charge travelling time.
  • You’ll get my mobile number and email address which I’m checking regularly – so you’ll get me whenever you need me.
  • I give a fixed price quote based on the scope of the work – so there’s no surprises.
  • I pride myself on delivering a professional result.  I encourage at least 2 iterations of full review before publishing any site and invoicing for it.

Where to Next
If you like what you’ve seen or read so far, jump over to the Contact page and drop me an online enquiry. I’ll be in touch within 24 hours and look forward to having a discussion about what you need.