I'm Rav, and I run JetBlok Studio, a web design and SEO studio in Gosnells, Perth. I build websites for tradies and small businesses across Australia. Before most owners ring me, they've read the cheap website builds Reddit threads. In r/ausbusiness, someone starting a one-van tourism business asked for the best and cheapest way to build a website: "I have the abn registered but have not traded yet." The top reply: "Best and cheapest are not compatible".
Some of those warnings hold up. Some don't. For this guide I went through 43 Reddit threads from r/ausbusiness, r/smallbusiness, r/webdev, r/web_design, r/tradies, r/perth and r/nocode, then checked the warnings against auDA, the ACCC, business.gov.au and the WA Small Business Development Corporation. It follows on from my guide to what web dev Reddit gets right. For how I build, see web design Perth and websites for tradies.
What cheap website builds Reddit threads warn about
Strip out the jokes and the sales pitches, and the same six warnings keep coming up:
- "Free" or $100 sites that make their money monthly
- Domains held hostage by someone else
- Getting locked into one builder or one person's account
- Templates sold as custom work
- Offshore or Fiverr builds that stall or vanish
- Sites that look fine but never bring in work
Here's how each one checks out. But first, something Reddit is honest about too: cheap isn't always wrong.
When a cheap website build is the right call
In an r/perth thread asking about website developers in Perth, the top reply came from a Perth web dev: "I'd recommend doing it yourself with squarespace/wix etc when you're just starting out with your business." They added: "Any half-decent web dev will charge a few thousand minimum for a simple site", so you're "likely better off reinvesting that money in your business at the start."
For a brand new business still testing the idea, I agree. A cheap website build isn't the problem. The cost doesn't disappear, it moves: into your evenings, or into fees you didn't see coming. In an r/web_design thread on what designers charge for simple sites, the top reply said: "the exact same 5-page site is $500 from a freelancer and $5k from an agency". Same pages, very different deal. So check the deal, not just the price. For price ranges, see how much a tradie website costs.
Warning 1: "Free" sites that charge you monthly
In r/ausbusiness, a builder with 15+ years in the trade posted about all the free or under $100 website posts: "Just make sure you ask upfront about ongoing costs - hosting, domain, maintenance." One reply: "Grift comes from hosting and/or domain fees". In a thread from a developer who stopped offering free websites, a commenter said they'd assume "they have some scammy way to get money out of me later." Their example: "Here is your new website, it's all yours, as long as you continue paying me the $200 a month management fee".
It happens. In r/webdev, a poster found their mum was paying $400 a month for a static website and an email: "she's been paying them $400 a month for the last TEN YEARS to host her site." Even there, one reply pushed back: "It's fine to not always be chasing the cheapest option just because it exists." A monthly fee isn't a scam if you know what it covers. The trouble is not knowing.
The ACCC's guide to false or misleading claims says price claims can mislead when products are "offered 'free' but on closer examination 'conditions apply'". It also says: "In some circumstances, failure to disclose information can be misleading." Get every ongoing cost in writing. In r/tradies, a reply to an owner who paid $1000 for an about and contact page asked the right questions: "Where is it hosted? Do you have a monthly payment for that too?" and "Did it include domain name and email addresses?"
Warning 2: Your domain held hostage
This is the warning I'd take most seriously, because it's the hardest to undo. The same r/ausbusiness post warned that if your domain "is owned by a third party, essentially they can control your website and hold it hostage. If you add email to it later on, it means they can control that too." In the $400 a month thread, the top reply said: "You probably need to get the domain off them or she will lose her old email address which people likely have saved." The update was a relief: "THANK GOD yes, she owns the domain".
Not everyone is that lucky. In r/smallbusiness, an owner whose website guy vanished had paid him to "make the website, set up emails, host it, etc." Then the site went "under maintenance" and he stopped replying. One reply was blunt: "Never Ever let someone else have control over your domain registration." Another: "You wouldn't let a bookkeeper set up your bank accounts and credit cards, etc., without ever giving you primary access."
What auDA says about .com.au domains
To get a .com.au, business.gov.au says you need to "be a commercial entity" with an ACN or ABN. auDA, which runs .au, says on its com.au page that a web developer can register one for you "with your explicit written permission". But "They should use your details, such as your name, contact details and your company's ABN". If they use their own, "you are reliant on them staying in business to keep control of your name", and if renewal notices go to them and aren't passed on, "your registration could inadvertently lapse."
Check yours in two minutes
Search your domain on the auDA WHOIS. Look at the Registrant and Registrant ID. auDA's WHOIS policy describes the ID as the number tied to the registrant, "e.g. ACN for company, ABN for sole trader". It should be your business, not your developer's. Don't just trust a dashboard. In r/webdev, one buyer learned that a domain showing in their account wasn't theirs: "Seeing a domain in your registrar account does not mean you actually own it."
Warning 3: Locked into one builder or one person's account
Lock-in isn't only about domains. In an r/smallbusiness thread on the best budget website builder, one reply warned: "Stay away from platforms like Wix and Squarespace unless you want to stay there a long time, because the design time and effort will not transfer to another platform." In r/nocode, the fix for a growing no-code site was simple: "Buy the domain yourself at a registrar, outside the builder. Then if you outgrow it later you just point the domain to the new site and nothing changes for your visitors."
Hosting matters too. In r/web_design, a designer said a client's old agency, once told it was being replaced, "deleted the entire site and locked them out of hosting." In r/ausbusiness, a developer who kept several client sites under one account was told the provider would "suspend all websites on my account", including "releasing those domain names to be bought by others". The advice in the replies: make sure "hosting accounts are fully paid and under the control of the client and they give you access if needed."
The WA Small Business Development Corporation agrees: "ownership and control should sit with you once the website is launched." It says to "Be cautious if you're presented with a contract which states that your supplier retains ownership of your website or domain, even after it's launched. This could lock you in, meaning only they can make changes to your website or domain." business.gov.au's contract guide adds: "Under IP laws, the contractor automatically owns any IP they create." If you want to own the site, "the contract must state this."
Warning 4: The template sold as custom
Templates aren't the enemy. In the r/web_design pricing thread, one studio said it charges "~$500" to set up a WordPress template and swap in images and copy, "because it's just a few hours of work." That's honest. The problem is a template sold as something else. An r/web_design thread on the industry's reputation opens with owner stories like "we paid 10K for a custom site and turns out it's just an out of the box theme" and "support disappeared as soon as it launched." In r/smallbusiness, an owner who paid $8k for a site later found the original template: "All he changed was the logo and some wording."
A fair point from the reputation thread: "Every story has 2 sides." Slow feedback and changing briefs sink projects too. But the ACCC says business claims "should be true, accurate and based on reasonable grounds", and that includes "a quotation". If a quote says custom, ask what that means. As one r/smallbusiness reply put it: "Good paper makes good friends."
Warning 5: Offshore and Fiverr builds that stall
Reddit is mixed here, and fair. In an r/smallbusiness thread on hiring a developer in another country, one owner said what worked: "written scope before ANY work begins, even if it's just a bullet list in an email. And milestone-based payments, never lump sum upfront." What didn't: "Both times ended with half-finished work and ghosting. The money saved wasn't worth the rebuild cost."
In r/ausbusiness, someone who has outsourced website work overseas for years said the key is "having a clear scope, agreed milestones, controlled access and making sure you retain ownership of the code, logins and IP." In r/webdev, an owner looking for help after a bad freelance hire wrote: "The full job was for $600 and he was not able to deliver anything."
One Australian catch: the ACCC's consumer guarantees page says "it can be difficult to get a repair, replacement or refund from an overseas business", and "the help Australian consumer protection agencies can provide is limited." I cover the trade-offs in local vs offshore website design.
Warning 6: Cheap website builds that never rank
In r/ausbusiness, a former commercial cleaning business owner asked if websites are overpriced for what they actually do: "we paid a few grand for a website. it looked nice - didn't really move the needle." Their own fix list: "they just need to show up locally - have clear service pages - load fast - make it easy to contact - and show real reviews." The top reply pointed at Google Business Profile.
So price alone doesn't decide it, cheap or dear. Google's Search Essentials say: "It costs nothing to get your page in search results, no matter what anyone tries to tell you." Its SEO hiring guide says: "No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google." Local results, per Google's Business Profile help, are "mainly based on relevance, distance, and popularity." A build gives you fast, clear service pages and clean basics. My web dev SEO guide covers what to ask for, and local SEO Perth covers the Google Business Profile side.
Watch who's giving the advice
One thing the threads don't warn you about is the threads. In the 43 I read, the same website builder discount code turned up in 6 comments across 5 threads, 5 of them from one account. One was a reply to an owner whose site had just disappeared from that same company's hosting. It recommended that company's builder, with the code. A fair bit of the advice in cheap website builds Reddit threads is an ad. Weigh the reply, not the upvotes.
The same goes for cold emails. Google says to "Be wary of SEO firms and web consultants or agencies that email you out of the blue."
How to check a cheap website quote before you pay
Every warning in those cheap website builds Reddit threads comes back to a few questions. Here's the checklist I'd use on any cheap website build quote, mine included. You don't need to know code. You need clear answers, in writing.
| Check | What to ask | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Domain | Is my business the registrant, using my ABN or ACN and my contact email? | auDA |
| Hosting account | Whose account is the hosting in, and will I get the login? | WA SBDC |
| Ongoing costs | What do I pay each month or year for hosting, domain, email and updates? | ASBFEO |
| "Free" offers | What are the conditions, and what happens if I stop paying the monthly fee? | ACCC |
| Site ownership | Does the contract say I own the site and content once paid? | business.gov.au |
| Leaving | If I leave, how do I get the logins, files and passwords? | ASBFEO |
| Scope | Which pages and features are included, listed in writing? | r/smallbusiness |
| Payments | Is it a deposit and milestones, not everything upfront? | r/ausbusiness |
| Template or custom | Is it built on a template? If so, which one? | ACCC |
| Contact form | Will the form be tested to reach my inbox before launch? | r/web_design |
| Business email | Where is my email hosted, and will it keep working if I change web provider? | r/webdev |
| Rankings | Any ranking guarantee is a red flag. Ask what they will actually do. |
One more from r/smallbusiness, in a thread on cheap vs expensive websites: "I want instructions on how to make changes on the website myself. (I never get all the instructions.)" Ask what handover looks like. ASBFEO's contract checklist includes "handover of assets, access, permissions, passwords, and systems". Comparing several quotes? See how to compare website quotes.
Your rights if a cheap website build goes wrong
Buying for your business doesn't leave you without protection. The ACCC says "A business can be a consumer too." Services for business use are covered by consumer guarantees when, among other conditions, they cost "less than $100,000 including GST". The work must be "at least as good as what a competent service provider with average skills and experience would provide", and "Services must be supplied within a reasonable time, if there's no agreed time frame."
Standard form contracts are covered too. The ACCC's contracts page says changes to the unfair contract terms law "came into effect on 9 November 2023", covering small businesses with "fewer than 100 employees" or that "make less than $10 million in annual turnover". One example of a term that may be unfair: "terms that penalise one party (but not the other) for breaching or ending the contract". Only a court decides, so if you're stuck, get advice. This isn't legal advice, just a place to start.
Where JetBlok fits
I'll be straight: JetBlok isn't the cheapest way to get online. A DIY builder costs less in cash. What I sell is the stuff those threads warn about, sorted from day one: you own your domain, the scope is clear, and no surprise monthly fees.
My packages are one-time builds. Starter is $999, Growth is $1,999 and Pro is $2,999+. You can also build it page by page from $599, with extra pages at $99. All prices are No GST. JetBlok hosting is included, with no mandatory monthly website fee. The Care Plan is optional at $299 per month.
You see it first. It's a 10% deposit (minimum $199) to start. You see your finished site, then pay the balance before it goes live. You own the domain and, once paid in full, the finished site. You can migrate off JetBlok hosting anytime. No ranking promises. See pricing, fixed price website design or small business web design.
The bottom line
Most of the cheap website builds Reddit warns about go wrong on control, not code. Get the domain under your own ABN or ACN, hold the logins, get the ongoing costs and ownership in writing, and walk away from anyone promising rankings. Do that and a cheap build can be a fair deal, wherever you are in Australia. If you want a straight quote to compare, get a quote, or see how I work on web design Perth and websites for tradies.
Photos via Pexels: Kaboompics, Shoper.pl, RDNE Stock project. Unsplash: FlyD. Sources: Reddit threads linked above; auDA; business.gov.au; WA Small Business Development Corporation; ASBFEO; ACCC; Google Search Central; Google Business Profile Help.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are cheap websites a scam, according to Reddit?
Not always. Many cheap website builds Reddit threads say cheap is fine for a new business testing the waters, and a Perth web dev on r/perth suggested doing it yourself at the start. The common problems are hidden monthly fees, someone else holding the domain and templates sold as custom. Check who owns what and what it costs after launch.
How do I check who owns my .com.au domain?
Search it on the auDA WHOIS at whois.auda.org.au and look at the Registrant and Registrant ID. The ID is usually an ACN for a company or an ABN for a sole trader, and it should be yours. If it shows your developer's details, ask them to move it to your business. auDA calls this a registrant transfer.
Can a web developer register my .com.au domain for me?
Yes. auDA says someone can register it for you with your explicit written permission, but they should use your name, contact details and ABN, because those details show who holds the domain name licence. Use your own email so renewal notices reach you.
What hidden costs come with a cheap website?
Usually hosting, domain renewals, business email and maintenance. An experienced builder on r/ausbusiness said to "ask upfront about ongoing costs - hosting, domain, maintenance." The ACCC says "free" offers where conditions apply can be misleading. Get every ongoing cost in writing before you start.
Do consumer guarantees cover a website I buy for my business?
They can. The ACCC says a business can be a consumer, and services for business use are covered when they cost less than $100,000 including GST, among other conditions. The work must be done with due care and skill and, without an agreed timeframe, within a reasonable time. Get advice for your situation.
Can a cheap website rank on Google?
It can, but nobody can promise it. Google says "No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google," and local results are mainly based on relevance, distance and popularity. JetBlok doesn't promise rankings. Call or WhatsApp 0431 242 326, email [email protected], or get a quote.
