I'm Rav, and I run JetBlok Studio, a web design and SEO studio in Gosnells. Before you hire anyone to build a website, you have probably searched Reddit first. Type web dev Reddit into Google and you get a wall of threads. Some are developers talking shop. Others are owners asking what you are asking: what should this cost, and who owns it?
For this guide I went through 15 real threads from r/perth, r/tradies, r/AusFinance, r/smallbusiness and r/webdev. Below is what web dev Reddit gets right, where it goes quiet for a local tradie, and a checklist to use before you hire anyone. For how I build, see web design Perth and websites for tradies.
What you find when you search web dev Reddit
A lot of r/webdev is developers talking to developers. It is still useful. In one thread on domains, hosting and code ownership, the top comment came from a developer who wants clients to hold their own accounts: "I want them to be ok if I get hit by a bus tomorrow." Another wrote, "I'm not in the business of holding anyone to ransom." That is the attitude you want from whoever builds your site. The threads started by business owners are even more useful, if you read them as a buyer.
What web dev Reddit gets right
Yes, tradies still need a website
The r/tradies thread Are websites worth it for tradies mostly said yes. One tradie wrote that "the older clients (the ones with money) want to see a website. It isn't much and it's a one off cost." An accountant added that it is "Easier to justify your quotes too when the other guys just have a mobile number on their ute."
The numbers show there is room to stand out. ABS figures for 2024-25 show 55.1% of employing businesses had their own website or app, and 55.5% in WA. In construction it was only 39.8%. So about six in ten employing construction businesses have no site or app of their own.
Own your domain, in your name
A popular r/smallbusiness post, don't buy your domain through your web host, put it simply: "Buy your domain separately from your web host." One reply on leaving a host that holds your domain: "It's messy."
In an r/AusFinance thread on business email, domains and hosting, one commenter said to "secure a domain name that has com.au on it." Under the auDA licensing rules, a com.au applicant must be a commercial entity and keep an Australian presence, such as an ABN. So the licence should sit under your business and ABN, not your developer's.
"Free website, just pay monthly" needs a second look
In r/perth, a local developer offered free website builds for Perth small businesses: "You just pay the hosting", at $15 a month. In r/smallbusiness, an owner asked if a free build with $60 a month hosting was a rip-off. Most replies said the price was fine. The better question, from one commenter: "do you actually OWN the site if you stop paying?"
Another thread asked owners what they actually get for a monthly website fee. One reply: "Hosting and maintenance are two different things." An agency offering $0 down and $175 a month, with a 12 month minimum, was asked what happens if a client cancels. The answer: "They lose it." As another reply put it, "monthly is actually financing the build, and you lose the site if you stop paying".
Monthly fees are not bad by themselves. On small business hosting costs, an r/AusFinance commenter said "The hosting part is usually pretty cheap", and support is where costs add up. So ask what the fee covers, or as one owner suggested: "Ask for the last three months of change entries."
Read the ownership clause before you sign
In r/webdev, a developer shared an SEO company holding clients' websites hostage. The UK firm wrote that "all website files are the sole property of" the firm. One commenter asked: "Did your client sign this?" The contract decides.
Australian guidance agrees. The WA Small Business Development Corporation says "ownership and control should sit with you once the website is launched." It warns that a contract letting the supplier keep your website or domain after launch could lock you in. business.gov.au adds: "Under IP laws, the contractor automatically owns any IP they create. If the hirer wants to own the IP, the contract must state this." In plain terms, if your contract does not say you own the site, you may not.
Already signed a lock-in deal? The ACCC says unfair contract terms in standard form contracts have been banned since 9 November 2023. Small businesses with fewer than 100 employees, or under $10 million in turnover, are covered. Only a court can decide if a term is unfair, so get advice before you act.
Cheap builds and wild quotes
In an r/perth thread asking what $29,000 actually gets you, the owner paid for a WooCommerce site and then "was asked to write my own copy into the Lorem ipsum dolor pages". One commenter said local agency quotes ran "14-30k", and they "got the site done for 4k in the end".
An r/smallbusiness post offered a website for $500: "I can make you a seo optimized website in a day". A veteran application architect replied: "I can't make a website in 1 day; with AI or not." The lesson on cheap website builds from Reddit: the price is easy to compare, the scope is not. "SEO optimised" is a label, not a result. Good web dev SEO shows up later, in speed and local enquiries.
Wix and DIY builders: fine, with a catch
In the r/smallbusiness thread Is Wix really that bad?, one commenter said "The biggest mistake with Wix isn't the design" and pointed to lock-in. In their view, "if you ever want to leave, you have to rebuild from scratch." A Wix partner in the same thread noted that "Wix lets you design your mobile site differently from your desktop site". Builders suit DIY. The trade-off is portability. I compare the two in custom website vs Wix.
Fiverr, Upwork and offshore
In the r/smallbusiness thread on Fiverr and Upwork developers, a recruiter warned: "There are so many scammers and low quality developers there that the good candidates get lost in the pile." One hirer found a freelancer with a great portfolio piece "admitted they only built the front page". The advice: "Verify their references."
In an r/perth thread on sole trader web developers, a former freelancer recalled clients who went offshore at $2 to $4 an hour, then came back to get the work fixed. Offshore can work, but you become the project manager. See local vs offshore website design.
Anyone who guarantees rankings
In r/smallbusiness, someone asked for SEO agencies that can guarantee rankings. A later edit said they found one that promises them and "hired them on the spot." Google's Search Central guide says "No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google." I do not promise rankings either. Nobody honestly can.
Reddit advice can also be an ad. In one thread about a big SEO spend, the top comment suspected the post was disguised promotion for the agencies it named.
The usual options, as web dev Reddit sees them
| Option | What the threads say | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| DIY builder such as Wix | Fine for DIY, but leaving can mean a rebuild | Can you move the site later? Is the domain in your name? |
| Fiverr, Upwork or offshore | Good people exist, but get lost among scammers | References, and proof the portfolio work is really theirs |
| Free build plus a monthly fee | Price often fine, ownership often unclear | What happens if you stop paying? Who holds the files? |
| Big agency | One r/perth thread mentions quotes of 14-30k and $24k to $60k | Who writes the copy? What is actually custom? |
| One-time local build | An r/tradies commenter liked that a site is "a one off cost" | Ownership in writing, and what any optional ongoing fee covers |
Where web dev Reddit goes quiet for a Perth tradie
Most threads are about building the site. Few cover what happens after launch, when you need the phone to ring.
Your Google Business Profile
Back in the r/tradies thread, one comment stood out: "Nobody's mentioned Google Business Profile yet and that's usually the bigger lever than the website itself." The website and the profile work as a team. An r/AusFinance commenter was blunt: "you're not going to have the money or expertise to really drive much traffic to the website." That is what local SEO Perth is for.
Speed on a phone
Your customer just wants the page to load. Google's Core Web Vitals guidance gives clear targets. Aim for the main content (LCP) to load within the first 2.5 seconds. Keep the response to a tap (INP) under 200 milliseconds. Keep layout shift (CLS) under 0.1. Ask how a developer's past sites score on mobile, then open one on your phone.
Suburb pages
Reddit rarely mentions suburb pages. But when you search for a tradie, you usually add your suburb. A few useful pages for the areas you work in beat dozens of copies with the name swapped. See how I handle local pages across the web design Perth suburb pages.
Actually getting calls
A trade website has one job: turn a search into a call or quote request. Your number should be easy to tap, and the quote form should work on a phone. Track calls and form enquiries, and judge your site on those, not on Reddit upvotes.
Watch for advice written for another country
Plenty of web dev Reddit advice comes from overseas. The domain thread uses US prices, and the hostage case involved a UK firm. Check Australian sources such as auDA, the WA SBDC and the ACCC. For web dev Reddit Australia threads, start with r/perth, r/tradies and r/AusFinance.
A checklist before you hire anyone
Here is the best web dev Reddit advice, boiled down to one list.
- Your .com.au is registered to your business and ABN, in an account you control.
- The contract says in writing that you own the site, files and content once it is paid for and launched.
- You hold every login: domain, hosting, email and the site itself.
- You know what any monthly fee covers, and what happens if you stop paying.
- You know who writes the copy and who loads the photos and content.
- Their portfolio sites are live, really theirs, and load fast on your phone.
- Nobody promises you a #1 ranking.
- There is a plan for your Google Business Profile and local search, not just the build.
Comparing quotes? My guide to choosing a web dev company in Perth covers the questions to ask.
What a website costs at JetBlok
My packages are one-time builds, with JetBlok hosting included and no mandatory monthly website fee. You own the domain. Starter is $999 one-time, Growth is $1,999 one-time and Pro is $2,999+ one-time. The Care Plan is optional at $299 per month, for ongoing SEO, updates and support. All figures AUD, No GST. I work with you until you are happy with the result.
See the tradie website packages page or web design cost Perth. Weighing up an ongoing fee? Website care plans explains what one should cover.
The bottom line
Web dev Reddit is worth reading. It is good at warning you about lock-in, cheap promises and fake guarantees. It is quieter on what pays the bills: being found locally and getting the call. If you want a site you own, built to bring in work, start with websites for tradies or web design Perth, or get started.
Photos via Pexels: Andrea Piacquadio, Ron Lach, Lukas Blazek, CK Seng. Sources: Reddit threads linked above; Google Search Central; WA Small Business Development Corporation; business.gov.au; auDA; ACCC; ABS.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is web dev Reddit good advice for small business owners?
It is useful for spotting warning signs: domain ownership, lock-in contracts, vague monthly fees and ranking guarantees. But much of it comes from developers or from overseas, and some posts are disguised ads. Check contract questions with Australian sources such as the WA SBDC and the ACCC.
Should I take a free website if I pay monthly for hosting?
It can be fine, but ask who owns the site and domain if you stop paying. On Reddit, the worry is rarely the price. It is losing the site when you leave. Get ownership in writing, and ask what the monthly fee covers.
Can an SEO company guarantee me a #1 ranking on Google?
No. Google says no one can guarantee a #1 ranking, and to find someone else if a provider guarantees first place. JetBlok does not promise rankings. A good provider explains what they will do and reports on calls and enquiries.
Do tradies really need a website in 2026?
The r/tradies thread mostly says yes. ABS data for 2024-25 shows only 39.8% of employing construction businesses had their own website or app, against 55.1% of all employing businesses. A simple, clear site can still set you apart.
How much does a small business website cost in Perth?
Reddit threads show quotes from a few thousand dollars to tens of thousands. At JetBlok Studio, Starter is $999 one-time, Growth is $1,999 one-time and Pro is $2,999+ one-time, with an optional Care Plan at $299 per month. All figures AUD, No GST. Call or WhatsApp 0431 242 326, email [email protected], or get started.
