MAD Develops
Free website

Blog

Website tips for small business owners

Straight answers on website costs, getting found on Google and avoiding getting ripped off. No jargon.

Getting a website

Costs, options and how to avoid getting ripped off.

How much does a website cost in Australia? (2026 guide)

How much does a website cost in Australia in 2026? Real price ranges for DIY builders, freelancers and agencies, the ongoing monthly costs, and what actually drives the price.

Read more →

Wix vs Squarespace vs WordPress (vs a custom site) for small business

Wix vs Squarespace vs WordPress vs a custom-built site — an honest comparison for Australian small businesses on cost, time, Google rankings and who does the work.

Read more →

How to get your business on Google Maps (free, step by step)

How to get your business on Google Maps and Google Search for free — a step-by-step guide to setting up and optimising your Google Business Profile in Australia.

Read more →

Why small businesses overpay for websites

Why do small businesses pay $5,000+ for a basic website? The hidden costs, agency overheads and sales tactics that push the price up, and how to avoid overpaying.

Read more →

Paid $8,000 for a website? Here's where that money went

Paid thousands for a small business website and not sure what you got? A breakdown of where agency website money goes, and what a website really needs to cost.

Read more →

Is your "local" web designer outsourcing your site overseas?

Some local web designers quietly outsource your website overseas. Here's how to tell, what questions to ask, and why it matters for your business.

Read more →

7 signs your website is costing you customers

Is your small business website scaring customers away? 7 warning signs to check today, from slow load times to missing phone numbers, and how to fix each one.

Read more →

Tradies: your customers are Googling you. What do they find?

Your customers are Googling your business before they call. Here's what they see, what puts them off, and how tradies can make a better first impression online.

Read more →

Wix, a freelancer or an agency? Here's the honest answer

Should your small business use Wix, hire a freelancer or pay an agency for a website? An honest comparison of cost, time, quality and risk for each option.

Read more →

Websites that bring in leads, not just look nice

A good-looking website isn't the same as one that brings in customers. The key things that turn small business website visitors into calls and enquiries.

Read more →

What you get for $990 (and what agencies charge $5k for)

What's included in a $990 small business website from MAD Develops, how it compares to a typical agency build, and why the price is so much lower.

Read more →

From first chat to a live site: how we build your website

How MAD Develops builds a small business website, step by step: the quick form, the free build, reviewing your site live, and launching on your own domain.

Read more →

Why we build your website before you pay a cent

Why MAD Develops builds your website before asking for payment, how the "pay only if you love it" model works, and what it means for you.

Read more →

Website psychology

Why we build sites the way we do: the bold words, the buttons, the photos and everything else.

Why are some words in bold on my website?

Why web designers put certain words in bold: people scan websites instead of reading them, and bold text tells them what matters. Plain-English explanation for business owners.

Read more →

Why is my phone number at the top of every page?

Why your phone number sits at the top of every page and works as a tap-to-call button, and why tradie websites need a call button that's always on screen.

Read more →

What does "above the fold" mean, and why does it matter?

What 'above the fold' means on a website, why the first screen people see matters most, and what we put there on a small business or tradie website.

Read more →

Why we use real photos instead of stock photos

Why we use real photos of you, your team and your work instead of stock photos, and why photos of faces make people more likely to call a small business.

Read more →

Why your website has one big button (not ten)

Why good websites focus on one main action, like 'Call now' or 'Get a quote', and why giving visitors too many options means fewer enquiries.

Read more →

Why are the reviews right next to the contact button?

Why we put customer reviews right next to your call and quote buttons: reassurance at the moment people decide to get in touch. Website psychology explained.

Read more →

Why is there so much empty space on my website?

Why modern websites have lots of white space, and why cramming more onto the page makes customers read less. Plain-English web design explained.

Read more →

Why we cut the words on your website

Why shorter website copy gets more enquiries: people skim, especially on phones. How we write tradie and small business websites so customers actually read them.

Read more →

Why are all those suburbs listed on my website?

Why tradie and local business websites list the suburbs they service: it helps you show up on Google for local searches and tells customers you'll come to them.

Read more →

Why does my website look different on my phone?

Why your website looks different on a phone than on a computer, and why that's a good thing. Mobile-first web design explained for small business owners.

Read more →