WordPress developer and consultant in Melbourne
WordPress built properly, by someone who'll also tell you when it's the wrong choice.
I build, fix and take over WordPress sites for businesses across Australia, including sites another developer or agency built. Fewer plugins, tested updates, and the same person from the first call to support after launch.
What does a WordPress developer do?
A WordPress developer builds and changes WordPress sites: the theme, templates, plugins and integrations, and the fixes when an update breaks something. I build new WordPress sites, take over ones another developer built, speed up slow ones and move sites onto or off WordPress, as an independent developer in Melbourne.
What I do in WordPress
New sites and sites someone else built, for businesses across Australia.
WordPress consultant: an independent opinion before you spend
I'm both. As a developer I build, fix and look after WordPress sites myself. As a WordPress consultant I give you an independent opinion before you spend money, and the advice doesn't depend on me doing the work. Consulting usually means one of these:
- A WordPress audit. Speed, security, plugins, hosting, tracking and SEO, with a ranked list of what to fix first. That's the Website Health Check.
- Is WordPress still right? Whether your site has outgrown it, and what a move would involve, before anyone quotes you a rebuild.
- A second opinion on an agency's quote. What's in scope, what's missing and what looks high, through vendor and agency selection.
- A stalled build. A project rescue when a WordPress project is late, over budget or stuck.
When WordPress is the right choice
WordPress runs more than 40% of websites, for good reasons. It isn't always the right call, and I build in the alternatives too, so you'll get a straight answer.
| Compared on |  WordPress is a good fit | Look at something else |
|---|---|---|
| Your content | Pages, posts, news and a team listing | Complex, related content edited by several teams: Craft CMS |
| Selling online | A small shop alongside a content site | Selling is the main job: Shopify |
| Upkeep | Someone will keep the plugins updated every month | You want few moving parts and little to update: Craft CMS |
| Developers | You want a big pool to choose from, now and later | One senior developer will look after it for years: Craft CMS |
| Budget | Tight, with a fast launch on a good theme | Room to model the content properly for a site that has to last: Craft CMS |
WordPress is a good fit
- Your content
- Pages, posts, news and a team listing
- Selling online
- A small shop alongside a content site
- Upkeep
- Someone will keep the plugins updated every month
- Developers
- You want a big pool to choose from, now and later
- Budget
- Tight, with a fast launch on a good theme
Look at something else
- Your content
- Complex, related content edited by several teams: Craft CMS
- Selling online
- Selling is the main job: Shopify
- Upkeep
- You want few moving parts and little to update: Craft CMS
- Developers
- One senior developer will look after it for years: Craft CMS
- Budget
- Room to model the content properly for a site that has to last: Craft CMS
How pricing works
Nothing starts until you've agreed the price.
- A free 20-minute callTell me what's going on. I'll ask about the site, the systems around it and what you need.
- A ballpark by email, when the scope is clearFor most jobs, such as a takeover, a fix, an audit or a straightforward build, I can send a ballpark after the call.
- Paid scoping, when it isn'tIf the work means learning your internal systems and processes, such as an integration with your CRM or ERP, it starts with a paid scoping agreement: a reverse brief, tech spec and fixed price in 1 to 2 weeks. It's credited against the build if you go ahead.
Who you get
Senior, and still hands on
What a client says
It is an absolute pleasure to work with Anthony. He is incredibly efficient in his development skills, delivers on time and with exceptional eye for detail. Anthony is a great communicator and a delight to work with. I worked with many developers over my career and have found Anthony to be the easiest and most professional to work with. Highly recommended and endeavour to continue to work with him in the future.
Common questions
How much does a WordPress developer charge in Australia?
It depends on the size of the site and what it connects to. After a free 20-minute call I can usually send a ballpark by email. Complex work, such as an integration with your CRM or ERP, starts with paid scoping, credited against the build.
Can you take over a WordPress site another developer or agency built?
Yes. I check the WordPress version, theme, plugins and hosting, sort out logins and access, and take a full backup before I change anything. After that, changes run on prepaid hours or pay as you go.
How do I hire a WordPress developer?
Ask to see sites they built and still look after, ask who will actually do the work, and ask how they handle updates and backups after launch. Then get a fixed price for the build and an hourly rate for changes, in writing. With me, the person on the first call is the person who does the work.
How do I hire a WordPress consultant?
Decide first whether you need advice, hands on the code, or both. Most WordPress consultants do one or the other. Ask what they'd check first, whether they'd tell you if WordPress is the wrong platform, and for a fixed price for the review. With me it starts with the Website Health Check: a ranked list of fixes you can hire me for or hand to anyone.
WordPress developer or web developer: what's the difference?
A web developer can work in any language or framework. A WordPress developer knows WordPress's themes, plugins and update cycle, which matters most after launch, when updates and plugin conflicts are what break sites.
How much does it cost to move a WordPress site?
A move to a new host runs on hours, and I'll estimate them after a first look. A rebuild, or a move to another platform, starts with paid scoping, credited against the build, and ends with a fixed price, with every old URL redirected to protect your rankings.
Is WordPress still the right choice, or should we look at Craft CMS?
For most content-led sites, WordPress is still the right choice. Look at Craft CMS if your content is complex and several people edit it. I build in both, so you'll get a straight answer. There's more in Craft CMS vs WordPress.
Are you a freelance WordPress developer or an agency?
Independent. You deal with me from the first call to support after launch. On the biggest jobs I bring in Keal Collective, vetted people I work with, and stay your lead.
Got a WordPress site nobody wants to touch?
Send me the URL and tell me what's going on. I'll look at the theme, plugins and hosting before we talk, so the first call is useful.
Book a 20-minute call or send me a message. I answer both myself.
Bigger project? I bring in Keal Collective, vetted people I work with, and stay your lead.