Hi, I’m Kayla Sox. I run a small brand here in Melbourne. I’ve hired more than one web design team in this city. Some big. Some small. I’ve lived the weird little parts too—handover, content, bugs, the lot. You know what? It wasn’t all smooth. But I did learn what works. If you’d like the blow-by-blow of my entire search process, check out my hands-on review of finding a web design agency in Melbourne where I unpack every meeting, quote, and coffee catch-up.
Here’s my straight take on “web design agency Melbourne,” with real projects I ran and paid for.
Project 1: Emote Digital built my Shopify store
I run a niche home goods shop online. Think candles, throws, and tiny gifts. Emote Digital handled the design and build. (If you want to see who they are and what they stand for, Emote Digital share their story on their about page.)
- Timeline: about 7 weeks, start to launch.
- Cost: just under 15k AUD for the core build.
- Platform: Shopify with a few paid apps.
- Tools we used: Figma for mockups, Google Drive for content, Slack for chat.
They set up a clean theme, tidy menus, and simple product filters. We tested checkout. We fixed sticky bits like shipping zones and tax. The team gave me a short training call on how to add products. I liked that. I took notes, clicked along, and asked dumb questions. They were patient. I even compared Emote’s approach to another boutique studio in my real take on Kovak Web Design after launching my shop site—worth a skim if you’re weighing up multiple Shopify specialists.
What I loved:
- The homepage hero felt warm and calm. Big photo. Clear text. No fluff.
- They kept images small, so pages felt quick.
- They added basic SEO: titles, meta, and clean URLs.
What bugged me:
- App costs stack up. Reviews, bundles, and pre-order tools added about 60 AUD a month.
- I had to chase content deadlines. That’s on me too, but still, the project stalled when I got busy.
Did it help? Yes. Three months after launch, sales were up about 18%. The cart drop rate fell a bit too. Not magic. Just better flow.
Project 2: Luminary rebuilt a community site I manage
I also help a local community group. We needed a serious site. Events, donations, and a clear “what we do” section. The old site felt like a maze.
Luminary ran a workshop first. (You can dig into Luminary’s background on their about page if you’d like to know more about their process.) Sticky notes, user flows, and simple wireframes. We met in their city office. Flat whites on the table. Sticky notes everywhere. It sounds corny, but it helped the team hear our real worries.
- Timeline: about 12 weeks, with content running in parallel.
- Cost: higher end (we were in the 50–70k AUD range).
- Stack: enterprise CMS, with a search tool and a member area.
What stood out:
- They pushed us on plain language. “Can a new visitor get it in 5 seconds?” That line stuck.
- They tested the menu with real members. A few older guests, some new parents, and a student. Simple tasks. Real notes.
- Page speed was good. We tracked it in PageSpeed Insights. Phones loaded fast.
Where I frowned a bit:
- Change requests added up. One tweak can touch three pages. That part shocked me at first.
- The support retainer felt pricey, but response time was quick. We used it for bug fixes and tiny layout tweaks.
End result? People could find events and donate without getting lost. Calls to the office dropped. The team felt proud. So did I.
Quick one: a small studio for my café site
My partner runs a tiny café in Fitzroy. For that, we used a two-person studio based in Collingwood. We wanted a simple WordPress site: menu, hours, map, and cute photos. That’s it.
- Timeline: 3 weeks.
- Cost: under 5k AUD.
- Build: WordPress with a light theme and a booking widget.
Good parts:
- Super fast turnaround.
- Real care for photos and color. The site looked like the space.
Watch-outs:
- No formal SEO plan. We had to ask for basics.
- No training doc. We filmed our own screen during the handover call. It worked, but it felt scrappy.
Still, it fit the job. For a café, simple wins. I later tested a different approach—using an on-demand design subscription—and wrote my real take on unlimited graphic design for web projects if you’re curious how that stacks up against hiring a small studio.
The stuff I wish someone told me
Here’s the thing. A “web design agency Melbourne” search gives you big promises. But the basics matter more.
- Own your domain and hosting logins. Keep them safe.
- Ask who writes the words. If it’s you, block time now. Words slow projects.
- Set photo rules early. Who shoots? What size? Where do files live?
- Ask for a content checklist. Pages, headings, images, and links.
- Get a launch plan: 301 redirects, backups, and a rollback plan.
- Ask for a 30-minute CMS lesson. Record the screen. You’ll thank yourself later.
What each type of team did best for me
Big agency (like Luminary):
- Great for complex sites.
- Clear process. Clear goals.
- Cost is higher. But you get strategy.
Mid agency (like Emote Digital):
- Strong for Shopify and clean brand sites.
- Fast enough. Friendly.
- Watch the app costs.
Tiny studio or freelancer:
- Fast. Personal. Budget-friendly.
- You may need to push on SEO and training.
Money, time, and small surprises
- A simple WordPress café site: 3–5k AUD, a few weeks.
- A mid Shopify store: 10–20k AUD, 6–8 weeks.
- A complex community site: 50k+ AUD, 10–16 weeks.
Extra costs I hit:
- Stock photos and licenses.
- Shopify apps.
- Extra rounds of design tweaks.
- Ongoing care plans.
I know, it adds up. But peace of mind is worth something too.
Little wins that made a big difference
- Clear hero text: one strong line and one line of support.
- Big buttons. One main action per page.
- Mobile first. We checked every screen on a phone.
- Real alt text on images. Helps people. Helps Google too.
- A simple menu. Two levels. No deep rabbit holes.
These sound small. They felt huge.
If you ever wonder how sites operating in highly competitive, adult-only niches tune these same fundamentals for maximum conversion—while still staying user-friendly—have a glance at Best Sex Sites to Have a Threesome in 2025 to see real-world examples of clear CTAs, friction-free sign-ups, and privacy-led UX that you can adapt to any industry. Similarly, to see how a location-specific review platform refines its on-page SEO and interactive map features, take a peek at Rubmaps Atascadero—you’ll pick up pointers on leveraging geo modifiers, trust badges, and user-generated content to drive qualified local traffic.
Things I would ask any Melbourne agency
I keep a tiny list in my notes app. It saves time.
- Can I see two sites you launched this year that match my size?
- Who’s my day-to-day contact? How fast do you reply?
- What’s not included? Please list it.
- How many feedback rounds are in scope?
- How do you handle redirects and tracking at launch?
- Can you show me how to edit pages on a call?
If they answer well, I relax. If they dodge, I don’t.
So, who should you pick?
- Selling online now? A mid agency with Shopify chops is safe.
- Need custom flows, members, or heavy content? Go bigger.
- Just need a tidy brochure site? A small studio can shine.
If you’re after a balanced mix of strategy, design, and transparent pricing, take a look at 2Experts Design as well—they’re worth putting on your shortlist.
Honestly, I’d hire all three again—for the right jobs. Emote Digital got my store humming. Luminary gave our community a strong base. The small studio kept the café site light and lovely.
One last bit. Melbourne is a small big city. Meet the team if you can. Grab a coffee. Ask plain questions. Watch how they talk about your users, not just features. That’s where the real work lives.
If you’re stuck, send me a note. I’m happy to share more details, warts and all.