A Melbourne Web Development Agency for WordPress, Shopify and Custom Builds

We plan, build and look after business websites and web applications on WordPress, Shopify, Framer or custom code. Fixed quotes, a senior team based in Melbourne, and everything we make is yours to keep.

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Australian team

Based here, working your hours, not a timezone away

144+

projects delivered

Over 10+ years building and maintaining sites for Australian businesses

One developer, start to finish

The same person every time: no re-explaining your site

Straight answers, on your terms

We only take work we can finish. Ask us anything first: no obligation

300+
Custom Sites From (AUD)
3wk
Typical Build Time
90+
Target Lighthouse Score
100%
Melbourne-Based Team
In short

CloudyWP is a web development company in Melbourne that designs, builds and supports websites and web applications for businesses across Australia. We build on WordPress, Shopify, Framer and custom code, and we recommend whichever platform will be cheapest to run for what your site has to do. Small jobs start from $300 AUD, a typical business website lands between $2,500 to $5,500, and custom web applications run up to $30,000. Every project is fixed-quoted before work starts, and you own the code, the domain and the hosting when it is done.

Which platform should your website be built on?

The right platform is the one your team can run without calling a developer for every change. As a Melbourne web development agency that works across four platforms, we have no reason to push one over another. Here is how we usually decide.

WordPress

Best for service businesses, publishers and anyone who adds pages and posts often. It handles content, forms, bookings, memberships and WooCommerce stores, and almost every hosting company supports it. The catch is upkeep: plugins and core need regular updates. When WordPress is the answer, our WordPress developers in Melbourne handle themes, plugins and fixes. Sites that run on Elementor, Divi or a similar editor are covered under page builder development, and a custom design built as code is custom WordPress theme work. Memberships and recurring billing can be added with a WordPress subscription plugin.

  • Content-heavy sites and blogs
  • Custom post types, memberships, WooCommerce
  • Needs a maintenance routine after launch

Shopify

Best for retailers who want to sell, not manage servers. Shopify hosts the store, handles checkout security and takes care of its own updates, so running costs are mostly the monthly plan and apps. It is less flexible than WooCommerce for unusual pricing or product logic. See our Shopify development page for store builds and theme work.

  • Online stores of any catalogue size
  • Hosted checkout and payments
  • Monthly plan and app fees add up

Framer

Best for design-led marketing sites, landing pages and startups that want a polished site their designer can keep editing. Framer is fast to launch and hosts itself, but it is not built for stores, complex forms or large content libraries. We cover it on our Framer development page, including Figma to Framer builds.

  • Marketing sites and launches
  • Designer-friendly editing
  • Limited for ecommerce and integrations

Custom builds

Best when the site is really an application: customer portals, booking engines, dashboards, internal tools or a SaaS product. We build these with Laravel, Node and React, or on WordPress as a back end when editors still need a familiar admin. Custom code costs more to build, so we only suggest it when off-the-shelf platforms would need constant workarounds. We also run the servers these applications live on through hosting and application management.

  • Portals, dashboards and SaaS
  • APIs and system integrations
  • Highest flexibility, highest build cost

Services Built for Melbourne Businesses

Delivered by our Melbourne team with a clear process, fixed timelines, and measurable results.

Custom Website Development

Full custom website development: discovery, design and build. Hand-coded, native blocks or a page builder, on WordPress or a custom stack. No marketplace themes, and you own it outright.

  • Custom WordPress or static HTML/CSS/JS build
  • Performance-first: PageSpeed 90+ on mobile
  • SEO technical foundations built in on every project
  • API and third-party service integration
  • Full source code and documentation delivered
Custom web development

Web Application Development

Custom web applications: membership portals, booking systems, dashboards, APIs, and SaaS tools built with modern PHP and JavaScript. More than a website, less than enterprise software.

  • Laravel or WordPress REST API backend
  • React or Vanilla JS frontend: no unnecessary frameworks
  • User authentication, permissions, and session management
  • Database design, optimisation, and backup strategy
Web application development

API Development & Integration

RESTful APIs and third-party integration: connecting your website or application to payment processors, CRMs, shipping carriers, accounting software, and any external service.

  • REST API development with JWT authentication
  • Stripe, PayPal, and Australian payment gateway integration
  • CRM, ERP, and accounting system API connections
  • Webhook handling and event-driven architecture
API development

Performance Optimisation

Your existing website is slow and losing you Google rankings and conversions. We diagnose every performance issue (server to browser) and fix them comprehensively.

  • LCP, CLS, and INP: Core Web Vitals fixed to pass
  • Server response time and caching configuration
  • Image pipeline: WebP conversion, lazy loading, CDN
  • JavaScript and CSS bundle analysis and reduction
Performance optimisation

Web Security & Hardening

WordPress and web application security: malware removal, hardened configuration, security monitoring, and ongoing protection so your site does not become a liability.

  • WordPress hardening: login protection, file permissions
  • Malware scanning and removal if infected
  • WAF configuration and DDoS protection
  • Monthly security scanning and vulnerability reporting
Security & hardening

What our clients say

4.6 from 9 reviews

Thomas

Sydney, NSW

Ravi helped secure my WordPress site after I started having issues. He explained what was being done and the site is running noticeably faster now.

Mark

Melbourne, VIC

Easy to work with and happy to answer questions. The changes I requested were completed without any hassle.

Olivia

Sydney

Needed help moving my website to a new domain. Everything was transferred smoothly and I didn't run into any downtime.

Lia Tran

Melbourne, VIC

Got in touch about a few issues on my website. Ravi explained the options clearly, pricing was fair, and the work was completed quicker than I expected.

Mia Tong

Sydney

Communication was straightforward from start to finish. The project was completed as discussed and I'm happy with the result.

Ben Caruso

Newcastle, NSW

Booked a call to discuss some website improvements. Received practical advice and everything we agreed on was completed.

Ethan

Geelong, VIC

Luke helped with updates and improvements on my Shopify store. The process was smooth and the changes were implemented properly.

Kelie Williams

Sydney, NSW

My website had security issues that I couldn't figure out myself. They secured the site, set up Cloudflare, and explained what needed to be monitored going forward.

Rajinder Singh

Wollongong, NSW

Reliable and easy to deal with. Work was completed as quoted and I received a clear breakdown of what was changed on the website.

How do you choose a web development company in Melbourne?

Choose the agency whose quote tells you exactly what you will get, who will build it and what it will cost to keep running. Price matters, but most disappointing projects go wrong on scope, handover or support rather than on the original number.

These are the checks we would run if we were hiring a web developer ourselves.

Is the scope written down?

A good quote lists pages, templates, integrations, content responsibilities and the number of revision rounds. If two quotes differ by thousands of dollars, the difference is almost always hiding in what each one leaves out. Ask what happens, and what it costs, when something new comes up mid-project.

Who actually writes the code?

Many agencies sell the project and pass the build to a junior or a subcontractor you never speak to. Ask for the name of the developer and whether you can talk to them directly. At CloudyWP the senior developer who scopes the work is the one who builds it and answers your questions.

Does the platform suit you, or them?

An agency that only builds in one tool will recommend that tool for every job. Ask why the platform they propose is right for your business, what it costs per year to run, and what you would lose by choosing the alternative. If the answer is vague, keep looking.

What does year two look like?

Launch is the start of the cost, not the end. Ask about hosting, plugin or app licences, updates, backups and the hourly rate for changes after launch. Ours is $100 an hour, and care plans start at $159/mo for sites that need regular updates.

Comparing web development agencies?

Whether you are shortlisting web development companies, looking for a WordPress development agency, or about to hire a WordPress developer directly, the thing that decides how this goes is not the quote. It is what you are left holding at the end.

One number, agreed up front

Every build is fixed-quoted against a written scope before anything starts. Changes get quoted too, so the invoice at the end is the number you agreed rather than a running total nobody was watching.

You own the code outright

No licence fees, no proprietary builder you cannot leave, no accounts in our name. You get the source and the documentation, and any competent developer can pick it up after us, which is the point.

Taking over a half-finished build

We regularly inherit projects that stalled, including AI-generated and vibe-coded ones. We audit what exists and say plainly whether it is worth finishing or cheaper to rebuild, before you spend anything either way.

What to ask any website development company

  1. Who owns the code, the hosting and the domain when it is finished: in writing?
  2. Is it hand-built or assembled in a page builder, and what happens if that builder is abandoned?
  3. What does it cost to change something six months after launch?
  4. Can you see three sites they built over a year ago that are still live and still fast?

The last question is the one that separates a portfolio from a track record.

Why Melbourne Businesses Choose Us

Local expertise, transparent process, measurable results.

Built Your Way

Custom code, the native block editor, or a page builder like Elementor: whichever suits how you will maintain it. No marketplace themes, no bloat, and you own it outright.

Performance by Default

Core Web Vitals, PageSpeed 90+, and sub-2.5s LCP are not features: they are the baseline we deliver on every project. Slow websites are never handed over.

Security Built In

Hardened configuration, proper file permissions, and security monitoring are included on every project. Not an upsell you have to ask for.

Melbourne-Based Developers

Local team, Melbourne hours. You can call, meet, and escalate to a real person who knows your project, not a ticketing system in a different time zone.

Measurable Outcomes

PageSpeed scores, Core Web Vitals reports, and post-launch analytics tracking: you can see the performance of what we built, in numbers.

Long-Term Support

We build websites we intend to support and evolve, not launch and forget.

What does a web development project with us include?

Every project runs through the same five stages, whether it is a five-page WordPress site or a custom booking platform. The size of each stage changes; the order does not.

Scope and fixed quote

We talk through what the site needs to do, who will edit it and what it must connect to. You get a written scope and a fixed price. If you are unsure what you need, a paid diagnostic at $249 turns an existing site or a half-finished build into a clear plan first.

Design, or your designer's files

We can design the site, or build from Figma files your own designer supplies. If the look and copy matter more than the engineering, our website design service is the better starting point.

Build on a staging site

The site is built on a private copy you can review at any time. Integrations such as payment gateways, CRMs, booking tools and accounting software are connected and tested with real accounts before launch.

Testing and technical SEO checks

We test forms, checkout, mobile layouts and page speed, then check the technical SEO basics: redirects from old URLs, an XML sitemap, clean headings, structured data and indexable pages. Ongoing technical SEO is a separate service if you want it.

Launch and handover

We launch, watch the site for problems, and hand over every login, licence and a short guide to editing it. From there you can run it yourself, pay for changes as needed, or move onto a website maintenance plan.

How much does web development cost in Melbourne?

Web development with us costs from $300 for a single focused job up to $30,000 for a custom web application. Where your project lands depends on the number of unique page templates, the integrations involved and how much content we have to create or move.

For a full breakdown of what drives a WordPress budget, read how much a WordPress website costs in Australia.

Small, focused jobs

From $300. A landing page, a new feature on an existing site, a form connected to your CRM, or one page rebuilt properly.

Business websites

Typically $2,500 to $5,500. A custom-designed site with core pages, forms, analytics and the technical SEO basics. Larger WordPress builds and WooCommerce development can reach $15,000.

Online stores and design-led sites

Shopify store builds run up to $20,000 for a large catalogue with custom features. Framer marketing sites run up to $12,000.

Web applications

Up to $30,000 for portals, dashboards and SaaS products. These are scoped in phases so you can launch a first version and fund the rest from what it earns.

Who works on your project, and who owns it afterwards?

Your project is built by senior developers from our Melbourne team, and you own everything when it is finished. We are a small web development team rather than a large agency, which means the person you brief is the person writing the code. We work with clients across Australia by video call, email and a shared project board, and we are open all week, 9 to 5 AET.

Ownership is set up from day one rather than handed over at the end. The domain, hosting account, analytics and any premium licences are registered in your business name. The source code is yours, with no proprietary builder or licence fee that ties you to us. If you ever move to another developer, they get a working site, documentation and every login on the same day you ask.

More about how we run, and what we will not take on, is on our about page.

Areas we serve: Melbourne, the south-east around Dandenong, Clayton and Berwick, St Kilda and Ballarat, and businesses across Australia. All areas are listed on our locations page.

Examples of our web development work

Four recent projects that show the range: a SaaS platform, an AI-built site rescued onto WordPress (if you have one of your own, see fixing a vibe-coded app), two Shopify stores merged into one, and a live WooCommerce store rebuilt without losing an order. More are in our work.

A course platform on Kubernetes

A coding education SaaS built with React and Node, deployed on Kubernetes and live in six weeks with custom quizzes and role-based admin access.

Read the SaaS case study

Lovable site to WordPress in three days

A site generated in Lovable rebuilt in WordPress and Elementor, forms included, so the owner could edit and host it themselves.

Read the Lovable rebuild

Two Shopify stores merged into one

Two separate Shopify stores consolidated into a single multi-vendor marketplace, with more than 10,000 products moved and neither store taken offline.

Read the Shopify merge

Product pages rebuilt on a trading store

A WooCommerce store's product pages and gallery rebuilt while it kept trading, across more than 2,500 products, with no failed orders.

Read the WooCommerce rebuild

Custom web development that ships fast and converts.

From WordPress and Shopify builds to custom web applications, we design and code fast, secure websites for businesses across Australia, with full code ownership.

Questions about hiring a web development agency

What does a web development agency actually do?

A web development agency plans, designs, builds and maintains websites and web applications. For CloudyWP that covers choosing the platform, building the site, connecting it to your other systems, testing it, launching it and supporting it afterwards. Some agencies only design; we write the code as well.

How much does it cost to hire a web development company in Melbourne?

With us, projects start from $300 for a small focused job. A typical business website costs $2,500 to $5,500, online stores can reach $20,000, and custom web applications go up to $30,000. Every project is quoted as a fixed price before work starts.

Should I hire a freelancer or a web development agency?

A freelancer suits a small, well-defined job if you can find one with the right skills and you are comfortable relying on one person. An agency suits projects that need several skills, such as design, development, integrations and ongoing support, or where you need someone to answer if a developer is away. We sit in between: a small senior team, so you deal with the developer directly but are not dependent on one person.

WordPress, Shopify, Framer or custom code: which do I need?

Choose WordPress for content-heavy business sites, Shopify for online stores you want hosted and managed for you, Framer for design-led marketing sites, and custom code when the site is really an application. If you are not sure, tell us what the site has to do and who will edit it, and we will recommend the cheapest option that fits.

How long does a web development project take?

Small jobs take days. Most business websites take three to six weeks from kickoff to launch, depending on scope and how quickly content and feedback arrive. Online stores and web applications take longer, and your quote includes a timeline.

Do you only work with Melbourne businesses?

No. We are based in Melbourne and work with businesses across Australia. Projects run by video call, email and a shared project board, so where you are makes no difference to how the work is delivered. Our hours are 9 to 5 AET, open all week.

Who owns the website and the code when the project ends?

You do. The domain, hosting, analytics and premium licences are set up in your business name, and the source code is yours with no licence fee or proprietary builder attached. Any competent developer can take the site over later.

Can you take over a site another agency or an AI tool built?

Yes. We audit what is there and tell you whether it is worth keeping or cheaper to rebuild before you spend anything on either. A diagnostic costs $249 and ends with a fixed quote for the fix.

What happens after the website launches?

You choose. You can run the site yourself, pay for changes at $100 an hour when you need them, or join a care plan from $159/mo that covers updates, backups and monitoring. Nothing is locked in.

Melbourne web development agency building WordPress, Shopify, Framer and custom sites for Australian businesses. Fixed quotes, senior team, you own it.

Get in touch

From first call to live: four steps, no surprises.

Every CloudyWP project runs the same way, whether it is a one-page site or a store with a thousand SKUs. Here is exactly what happens.

01

We map what you actually need.

A single scoping call, then a written plan: what gets built, what it costs, and when it ships. No discovery-phase invoices, no moving targets.

  • Free scoping call
  • Written scope document
  • Fixed price, no hourly creep

48 hrs to your quote

02

We design and build it properly.

Custom WordPress or Shopify on clean code you own outright. Every build ships fast, passes Core Web Vitals, and is handed over documented.

  • Design signed off before build
  • Core Web Vitals passed
  • Full code ownership

95/100 average PageSpeed

03

We automate the busywork.

Your site talks to the tools you already run: CRM, invoicing, email, stock. The repetitive admin stops being someone's job and starts running itself.

  • CRM & invoicing connected
  • Stock and orders in sync
  • Alerts when something breaks

15 hrs saved every week

Get in touch