Products / WordPress Websites

Every website is different however many of the core elements* are the same “under the hood”. In general the difference between a vanilla site and a more customised one comes down to the custom sites having more specialised functionality.

* (Theme plus Plugins plus WordPress core engine.)

Ultimately most site building processes go through a series of iterations. Each version takes time even if it is just one element that is being tweaked. When building sites we can build to a budget but what that really means is that we cover the basics and then only the most important components until our allocated time has run out.

In simple terms the difference between a vanilla edition WordPress website and the more advanced versions is that more time (and more skills) are made available to customise each part of the site. In practise that means testing, testing and more testing. 

Getting from a concept to a fully executed version that you like may involve multiple iterations and on occasion even rework or experimental options. We may work from mockups and wireframes but only for the larger projects but for smaller ones it may be the proverbial “sketch on a napkin”.

Pricing and Budget Expectations

We used to have a set of tables on this page setting out what kind of scope you get for a series of ballpark budgets typically called bronze, silver and Gold and / or Platinum. In 2023 the way that most business owners think about their online activities has changed. 

The best questions to ask ( and answer) are still – What is the problem/s you are wanting to solve? The budget can then be constructed in reverse order and the most important questions will be the most urgent and important. 

It is still possible to build a basic website for $1-2k if you are will to do most of the content work. You will likely end up with a site that covers most scenarios but may not be suitable for advanced use on mobile for example. For planning discussions we would call this a bronze level site. 

A mid-range site which allows for project planning and adequate testing of components and some level of design expertise would be in the $5-7k range. This is our Silver level.

A more realistic budget is likely to be in the $10k range as expectations of what can be managed online have increased over the years. The good news is so have the tools, the platform and the hosting configurations. Sites with this budget level are gold.

For a website you will typically need a domain that you own. A robust hosting plan and a developer partner who can translate your wish list into a build list and actually execute in a timely manner.

By the way ecommerce has more variables than a simple marketing site and so you should expect those complexities around products, payments and fulfilment to about double your budget. Ecommerce is definitely platinum level.

Keep in mind that commissioning a well lit set of company photos is more complex than just rocking up with a phone camera. You may also require branding and other design work which needs to be executed by specialists.  

Please note: These edition pricing models will be adapted to your project and we often have to work backwards from a set budget. In that case we would agree on the top priorities and do as much of the list as the time allocation will allow. The list does not include everything we might do but it aims to cover off all of the key topics we will need to discuss. All prices mentioned are excluding GST and are indicative only until we confirm the project scope with you in writing.

Planning and Project Management

We often work with specialist designers, photographers, videographers, copy writers and hosting companies to customise your website exactly the way you want it.

For any of the creative elements the best way to get results is to work to a budget and limit versions. For example you may need some great well lit photos for the site. We can use an image library but it is usually better to have a photographer come in for a live shoot and get photos of your actual staff.

We have worked on some magazine style content sites and sourcing content should not be underestimated. We recommend a separate content budget for the larger projects as this can be almost open ended.

To build a robust site there is typically a threshold of time and software. We can build in stages if need be and especially for larger projects that is always recommended.

In every case a WordPress site can be almost unlimited in the size and range of its content. However if you are planning a large scale site we can scale up our team to suit.