Who this is for
Small business website development is for owners who need a site that brings in enquiries or sales, and that staff can update without calling a developer. We build company websites and online stores for Australian businesses and for businesses selling into other markets.
It fits when:
- your current site is slow, awkward on a phone or impossible to edit;
- a trades business or professional practice needs clear service pages and an enquiry form that reaches the right person;
- a retailer or wholesaler wants to sell online, with stock and orders in one place;
- a cafe group or training provider needs menus, locations, timetables or bookings kept current by staff;
- you have outgrown a do-it-yourself site builder and want the site connected to your other systems.
If what you need is closer to a customer portal or a booking system than a website, see custom software. Projects we have built, including an online marketplace, are listed on our work page.
Problems a new website solves
Most website projects start with one or more of these:
- Visitors leave because pages load slowly or are hard to read on a phone
- Enquiry forms deliver to an unwatched inbox, or straight to spam
- Nobody on staff can change opening hours, prices or a staff profile without a developer
- Search engines cannot read the pages properly, so services are missing from results
- Online orders are retyped by hand into the accounting or stock system
- An old site builder, theme or plugin no longer receives security updates
- The domain or hosting is registered to a former designer, and nobody holds the login
What is included
A website project covers planning, design, build, launch and the handover of every account.
Structure and content plan
A page map built around what your customers search for and ask about, with notes on the words and photos each page needs.
Design for every screen
Layouts designed for phones first and checked on tablets and desktops, using your brand colours and type.
Search-ready pages
Descriptive titles and headings, clean addresses, structured data, a sitemap and redirects from old pages, so search engines can read the site properly.
Online store
Product pages, cart, checkout, payments, shipping rules and order emails, on Shopify or a custom build. Stock levels, discount codes, GST-inclusive prices and customer accounts are set up to match how you sell.
Editing tools
A content management system so staff can change text, images, products and prices themselves.
Forms, analytics and launch
Enquiry forms with spam protection, visitor analytics, HTTPS, and domain and email records moved without losing mail. Quote and booking requests can be routed to the right person or branch.
What you hold at the end
- The website or store, live on your own domain
- Domain, hosting and store accounts registered in your business name
- Source code or theme files in a repository you control
- Editor logins for your staff and a short written editing guide
- A training session on updating pages, products and orders
- A redirect list mapping old addresses to new ones
- Launch test results covering speed, accessibility, forms and checkout
- Analytics and search reporting accounts opened in your name
- A record of the domain and email settings as they stand at launch
Technologies we use and why
Next.js
A framework that sends ready-made pages to the browser, which helps loading speed and lets search engines read the content. Speed matters most to customers on a phone and mobile data.
React and TypeScript
The building blocks behind the pages. TypeScript adds checks that catch errors before visitors see them. Both are widely used, so you do not depend on one developer.
Shopify
A hosted online store platform that handles the cart, checkout, payments and stock. A sound choice when you want to sell without running your own store software: the platform looks after security updates and payment handling.
Content management system
The editing screen your staff use. We pick one that suits how often you publish and who does the publishing: a simple editor that gets used beats a powerful one that is avoided.
Cloud hosting
Sites run on Google Cloud, AWS or Azure, with HTTPS, backups and monitoring in place. Capacity follows traffic, so a small site is not paying for a large server.
How we deliver a website
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Discovery call | A free conversation about what the site must achieve, who it is for and what is wrong with the current one. We look at your existing site together. |
| 2. Plan and quote | You receive a page map, a design direction and a written fixed quote covering design, build, content loading and launch. |
| 3. Build and test | Design comes first, then the build in stages on a private preview address. You review it at regular demos while we test speed, accessibility and forms on real devices. |
| 4. Launch and train | We switch the domain over, redirect old addresses, submit the sitemap and train your staff to edit pages and manage orders. |
| 5. Ongoing support | A support plan covers software updates, backups, monitoring and small content changes, so the site stays secure and current. |
Engagement options
| Option | Suits | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed quote | A company website or store with an agreed page list and features | One written price for design, build, content loading and launch, agreed before work starts. |
| Staged pricing | Larger stores, or sites launching in phases | For example, the main site first, then the store, then links to stock or accounting. Each stage is quoted and approved separately. |
| Monthly plan | Sites that need regular care and changes | Hosting, updates, backups, monitoring and an agreed allowance of content or design changes. |
Fees charged by third parties, such as domain registration and store platform subscriptions, are separate and held in your name.
Security and data handling
- Accounts. Each editor has their own login with the lowest role that lets them do the job. Multi-factor authentication is switched on for the hosting, domain, store and email accounts.
- Updates. The content management system, themes and plugins are kept current, and unused ones are removed.
- Encryption and backups. Every page is served over HTTPS. The site and its database are backed up automatically, apart from the live site, and a restore is tested.
- Payments. Card details are entered on the payment provider's or store platform's checkout, so card numbers are not stored on your site.
- Forms. Each form asks only for what you need to answer the enquiry, and submissions are kept in accounts you own.
The Australian Signals Directorate's Essential Eight names patching applications, multi-factor authentication and regular backups among its eight mitigation strategies. On collecting less, the OAIC's Guide to securing personal information puts it plainly: personal information that is not collected or is not stored cannot be mishandled.
Support after launch
A site left alone slowly becomes a risk. A support plan covers updates to the content management system or store software, automatic backups, checks that pages and forms are answering, reminders before a domain or security certificate lapses, and small content or design changes. New sections or features are quoted in writing first.
Email hello@comingwave.com.au, phone us or use the enquiry form, and we reply within one business day. Our Insights articles cover practical topics between requests.
Industries this suits
Retail and e-commerce
Online stores with stock, shipping rules and order emails that match what happens in the shop or warehouse.
Trades and construction
Service-area pages, project photos and a quote request form that reaches whoever prices the job.
Hospitality
Menus, locations, opening hours and booking links that staff can change before service.
Professional services
Clear service pages, staff profiles and enquiry forms for accounting, legal and advisory practices.
Education and training
Course pages, timetables and enrolment enquiries kept current by administrators.
Australian context: accessibility, privacy and selling online
Accessibility. The W3C's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) explain how to make web content more accessible to people with disabilities. They are organised under four principles (perceivable, operable, understandable and robust), with success criteria at three levels: A, AA and AAA. WCAG 2.2 was published on 5 October 2023 and the W3C encourages use of the latest version. We design and test against WCAG 2.2 at Level AA.
Privacy. The OAIC defines a small business as one with an annual turnover of $3 million or less, and lists the businesses the Privacy Act covers regardless of turnover, such as health service providers and businesses trading in personal information. A business the Act covers must have a clearly expressed and up-to-date privacy policy, usually made available on its website, and must take reasonable steps to notify people about the collection before or at the time it collects their personal information. We build a privacy policy page and a short collection notice beside each form; the wording is yours to settle with your adviser.
Selling online. The ACCC states that when a consumer shops online, all the usual consumer rights apply. A business must follow the consumer guarantees and must not make false or misleading claims on its own website, including in what it does with product reviews. Our store builds include clear pages for returns and refunds, delivery and contact details. This is general information, not legal advice.
Website questions
Should we use Shopify or have a custom online store built?
Shopify suits most small stores: it handles checkout, payments and stock, and is quick to set up. A custom store is worth considering when you have unusual pricing or trade accounts, or need the store tied closely to your own systems through an integration. We recommend one after seeing your products and order process.
Will the new website appear in Google?
We build every page so search engines can read it: clear titles and headings, fast loading, structured data and a sitemap. Where a page ranks depends on competition and on your content over time, so nobody can honestly promise a position.
Can our staff update the website themselves?
Yes. Text, images, products, prices and new pages are edited through a content management system, and we train your staff to use it. Changes to layout or new features are developer work, which a support plan can cover.
Who owns the domain name and the website?
You do. The domain, hosting and store accounts are registered in your business name, and the code and content are yours.
Can you move our existing site without losing search traffic?
We list the current addresses, carry the useful content across and redirect each old address to its new page, so search engines and bookmarks lead to the right place. Some movement in results is normal straight after any relaunch.
Do you write the content and supply photos?
We give you a content plan showing what each page needs, then load the text and images you supply. The facts and final wording come from you, because you know your business. Tell us what you have and we will say what is missing.
What do we need to have ready before a website project starts?
Access to your domain registrar and current hosting, your logo and brand colours, and a list of the services or products you want to show. Photos and wording can follow the content plan. If a login has been lost, we help you recover the account from the registrar.
Can you redesign our existing website instead of rebuilding it?
Sometimes. If the platform underneath is sound and still supported, new templates and content can be enough. If it is slow, unsupported or hard to edit, a rebuild is usually the sounder choice. We tell you which after reviewing the current site.
