Four ways to put a renovation business online, compared plainly
A managed plan is not the right answer for every renovator. Here is how it stacks up against building it yourself, hiring an agency, or running on social media alone, including where it loses.
The real question is who keeps it current
Every option can produce a decent site on launch day. The difference shows a year later, when the gallery either holds a year of new work or still ends at the job you finished before launch.
The options are described in general terms. We don’t name other providers or quote their prices, because prices change and vary widely. Get written prices from anyone you are considering, including us, and compare them over three years rather than month to month.
More Australian businesses now use social media for their online presence, 51% 1 in 2024-25 according to the ABS. That makes a social page common, not a way to stand out. What matters is what a buyer finds when they go looking for more.
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A managed website plan
Someone else builds it, hosts it and keeps it current.
A provider builds, hosts and updates the site for a monthly fee. Ours is one example: A$249 a month, A$499 setup, 12-month minimum term, GST may apply.
Good
- A low upfront cost compared with a custom build
- Changes are made for you, so finished projects actually get added
- Hosting, security updates and certificate renewals are not your job
- Built around how renovations are bought, if the provider knows the trade
Watch for
- You pay every month for as long as you keep the plan
- Most plans, this one included, have a minimum term
- Design choices sit within what the provider builds
- You rely on the provider to make changes promptly
Suits: Renovators who want a proper site without running it, and who will keep sending finished work to add.
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A DIY website builder
The cheapest in cash, the most expensive in evenings.
You sign up to a website builder, choose a template and build the pages yourself, then pay the builder’s subscription.
Good
- Usually the lowest cash cost
- You can change anything, any time
- Nobody else to wait on
Watch for
- It costs your time, usually after a full day on site
- Templates are generic, not built around project pages or licence details
- Half-finished sites that never get a new project added are common
- Structured data, image descriptions and page speed are left to you
Suits: Owners who enjoy the work, have the time, and will add finished projects themselves every month.
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A one-off agency build
A good launch, then a site that often stands still.
A web agency or freelancer designs and builds a site to your brief for a project fee. Hosting and later changes are arranged separately.
Good
- A design made for your brand, if the budget allows
- You may own the finished site outright, depending on the contract
- Suits larger businesses with specific requirements
Watch for
- Usually the largest upfront cost of the four
- Changes after launch are often billed separately, so the gallery stops at launch day
- Quality and trade knowledge depend entirely on who you hire
- Hosting and security become your job, or another invoice
Suits: Established businesses with a design budget and a plan for keeping the site current after launch.
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No website: Facebook or Instagram only
Good for work in progress. Weak for a buyer doing homework.
The business runs on a Facebook page or Instagram account, posting work photos as jobs finish.
Good
- Free to set up and quick to post to
- Good for showing work in progress and staying in front of past clients
- Easy for customers to share
Watch for
- You don’t control the platform, its rules or who sees your posts
- A long feed is hard to search for a specific kind of job
- Little room for licence details, a process page or service areas
- Plenty of buyers expect a real website before they call about a large job
Suits: Businesses fully booked from referrals that don’t need new enquiries yet. Many renovators use social media alongside a website.
Side by side
| Compared on | Managed plan | DIY builder | Agency build | Social only |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cash cost | A$499 setup | Low | Highest, usually | None |
| Your time each month | Sending edits | Building and updating | Briefing and approving changes | Posting |
| Project pages by room type | Included | If you build them | If briefed and paid for | Not really possible |
| Licence details on every page | Included | If you add them | If briefed | In the profile only |
| Changes after launch | Up to 5 a month included | You make them | Often billed separately | You post them |
| Hosting and security | Included | Part of the subscription | Arranged separately | The platform’s |
| Who controls the platform | Your domain, our hosting | You, on the builder’s platform | You, depending on contract | The social platform |
Our cost over three years, stated plainly
Compare every option on the same footing. For our plan, the whole cost of three years is here, before any GST. There is nothing else to pay for what the plan includes. Your domain registration is paid to your registrar, in your business name.
Prices shown without GST, GST may apply. 12-month minimum term, then month to month.
- Year 1
- A$3,487
- A$499 setup plus 12 monthly fees
- Year 2
- A$2,988
- 12 monthly fees
- Year 3
- A$2,988
- 12 monthly fees
- Three years
- A$9,463
Seven questions to ask any provider, including us
- Who owns the domain, and is it registered in my business name?
- What does it cost in total over three years, including setup, hosting and changes?
- Is there a minimum term, and what happens if I leave early?
- How many changes a month are included, and how quickly are they made?
- Can I get a copy of my content if I leave?
- Will my licence details appear on every page?
- Do you promise rankings or a number of leads? If yes, ask how, and be careful.
Our answers are on the pricing page and in the plan terms. We don’t promise rankings, traffic or enquiries. The website cost guide for renovators goes through each question in more detail, and website or Facebook page covers the social-only option.
Not sure which option fits? Ask us to argue against ourselves.
Book a call and tell us how you win work now. If a DIY builder or social media suits your business better today, we will say so.
A$249 a month, A$499 one-off setup, GST may apply, 12-month minimum term.
After you book: a call, then a content checklist if you go ahead. See pricing