How to Choose a Web Developer in Canberra: What to Look For

Finding the Right Developer Shouldn't Be This Hard

You know you need a new website. But searching "web developer Canberra" returns dozens of options - agencies, freelancers, offshore teams, DIY platforms. How do you choose?

Here's what actually matters, based on years of seeing what goes right and wrong.

What to Look For

1. A Portfolio of Real Work

This seems obvious, but look carefully. Does their portfolio show:

• Websites that are actually live (not just mockups)?
• Results (traffic increases, lead generation, speed improvements)?
• Businesses similar to yours (or at least in a similar industry)?
• Recent work (not projects from 2019)?

A good developer should proudly show 3-5 recent projects with measurable outcomes.

2. Clear Communication

The biggest frustration we hear from business owners who've had bad experiences? "They just disappeared."

• They respond to your initial enquiry within 24 hours
• They ask smart questions about your business (not just "what colours do you want?")
• They explain things in plain English
• They provide a clear timeline with milestones
• They're upfront about what's included and what's extra

3. A Defined Process

Professional developers have a process. It should look something like:

1. Discovery - understanding your business, goals, and audience
2. Proposal - scope, timeline, and fixed pricing
3. Design - wireframes or mockups for your approval
4. Development - building the site with regular check-ins
5. Testing - checking on multiple devices and browsers
6. Launch - going live with proper redirects and monitoring
7. Support - ongoing help after launch

If someone says "just send me the content and I'll have it done in a week," that's a red flag.

4. Technical Knowledge That Matters

You don't need to understand code, but your developer should be able to explain:

• How they handle mobile responsiveness
• What they do for page speed optimisation
• How they approach SEO (at minimum, proper page titles, meta descriptions, heading structure)
• Whether the site will be easy for you to update
• What hosting they recommend and why
• How they handle security (SSL, updates, backups)

5. Transparent Pricing

The web development industry is notorious for unclear pricing. What you should expect:

• Fixed project pricing (not hourly with no cap)
• Written scope (what's included and what's not)
• Payment milestones (not 100% upfront)
• Clear ownership (you own the website and domain, always)

Typical pricing for a professional business website in Canberra:

If someone quotes significantly below these ranges, question what you're getting. If significantly above, ask why.

Red Flags to Watch For

They use lots of jargon If they can't explain things simply, they either don't understand it themselves or they're trying to confuse you. Neither is good.

They don't ask about your business If the first questions are about design preferences rather than business goals, they're building a pretty website, not a business tool.

No written contract or scope Verbal agreements lead to disputes. Always get scope, pricing, and timeline in writing.

They won't show you live examples Mockups and screenshots can be faked. Ask to visit their actual client websites.

They own the domain or hosting You should always own your domain name and have full access to your hosting. If they control these, you're locked in.

They promise page-one Google rankings No one can guarantee Google rankings. Anyone who promises this is either lying or using tactics that could get your site penalised.

Freelancer vs Agency vs DIY

Freelancer - Pros: Often cheaper, personal attention, flexible - Cons: One person = single point of failure, may disappear, limited skill range - Best for: Simple websites, tight budgets

Agency - Pros: Team of specialists, reliable processes, ongoing support - Cons: Higher cost, sometimes slower, may assign junior staff - Best for: Businesses that depend heavily on their website

DIY (Squarespace, Wix, WordPress.com) - Pros: Cheapest, quick to set up, you control everything - Cons: Limited customisation, often slow, you're the support team - Best for: Very early-stage businesses testing an idea

Our Approach

We're a Canberra-based agency that works primarily with local service businesses. We're upfront about pricing, we show our work, and we explain things in plain English.

If you're shopping around (and you should be), get in touch. We're happy to provide a detailed proposal so you have a benchmark to compare others against.

> Hiring for AI work instead? The evaluation criteria are different - see our guide on how to choose an AI developer in Canberra.