Straight Talk
Straight advice for small business
What websites cost, how Google works and what actually brings in customers. Written without the jargon, including when we're not the right fit.
Start here, costs and pricing
How Much Does a Website Cost in Australia?
DIY, freelancer, budget agency or full agency: honest price ranges for an Australian small business website, and the costs that keep turning up after launch.
Read it, 6 minutesThe short answer
It depends on the route. Roughly: a DIY builder $15 to $60 a month, a freelancer $800 to $3,500, a budget agency $500 to $2,500, and a custom full-service agency from around $5,000. Hosting, domain renewals and edits are often extra, and these figures exclude GST.
Comparisons
hipages vs Your Own Website: Which Is Better for Tradies?
Lead platforms can fill a quiet diary fast, but you rent the customers. Your own site and Google listing take longer and you keep what you build. Here is a fair look at both.
27 October 2026, 7 min read
Your website
Do I Need a Website If I Have a Facebook Page?
A Facebook page is a good start, but it is not the same as a website. Here are the honest pros and cons, and how to decide.
25 October 2026, 6 min read
Comparisons
Wix Alternatives for Australian Small Business
Wix is not the only way to get a website. Here are the main alternatives, what each is good at, and which kind of business each one suits.
24 October 2026, 7 min read
Getting found on Google
How to Get More Google Reviews (Without Breaking Rules)
More reviews help you get found and chosen. Here is a simple routine for asking, a script you can copy, and the shortcuts Google does not allow.
24 October 2026, 6 min read
Your website
What a Physio or Allied Health Website Needs
A good clinic website helps new patients book without a phone call, and keeps you on the right side of the advertising rules. Here is what to include and what to leave out.
23 October 2026, 7 min read
Costs and pricing
How Much Does a Tradie Website Cost?
A tradie website can cost anything from a few hundred dollars to many thousands. Here is what you actually need, what it should cost, and where the extras creep in.
22 October 2026, 6 min read
Costs and pricing
What a $500 Website Includes (and What It Doesn't)
A plain list of what you get for $500 + GST, what we do not do, what we need from you, and who should look elsewhere.
21 October 2026, 6 min read
Comparisons
Straight Up Web vs Hiring a Freelancer
A good freelancer can be a great choice, and so can we. Here are the honest pros and cons of each for an Australian small business.
16 October 2026, 6 min read
Comparisons
Website Builder vs Freelancer vs Agency
Four ways to get a small business website in Australia, with realistic price ranges, the trade-offs of each, and the questions worth asking before you pay.
13 October 2026, 7 min read
Comparisons
Straight Up Web vs Squarespace for Small Business
Squarespace is known for polished templates, and you build it yourself. We build it for $500 + GST. Here is how they compare on cost, time, SEO and ownership.
8 October 2026, 7 min read
Comparisons
Straight Up Web vs Wix for Small Business
Wix is cheap per month but you do the work. We charge $500 + GST and do it for you. Here is how the two compare on cost, time, SEO and ownership.
6 October 2026, 7 min read
Getting found on Google
How Long Does SEO Take to Work?
A realistic, month-by-month look at what SEO actually involves, how to tell if it is working, and why any guaranteed ranking claim should worry you.
26 September 2026, 6 min read
Costs and pricing
Cheap Website Red Flags to Watch For
Cheap does not have to mean bad. Here is what to check before you pay for a budget website, and what a genuinely good cheap site looks like.
21 September 2026, 6 min read
Your website
What to Put on a Small Business Website
The pages, details and features a small business website actually needs, and what you can safely skip, especially at the start.
16 September 2026, 6 min read
Getting found on Google
How to Set Up Your Google Business Profile
A step-by-step walkthrough of setting up Google Business Profile properly: verification, categories, photos, reviews and posts.
11 September 2026, 6 min read
Getting found on Google
SEO or Google Ads? What Your Business Needs
SEO and Google Ads solve different problems on different timelines. Here is how each one actually works, and when it makes sense to run both.
6 September 2026, 6 min read
Ready for a website that actually works?
Tell us about your business in five minutes. We'll have your site live in about a week, for $500 + GST.