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Top 5 Rated Web Designers in Auckland

Know how much to pay, what to ask and what essential features you need as standard before agreeing to any quote. We shortlist Auckland's top web designers that offer websites that deliver performance and value for money

Updated 18 February 2021
​If you’re thinking about getting a website built for your business, knowing what you should pay and what you’ll get are essential things to know upfront. Despite the competition for your business, many web design agencies are not upfront with their costs and quickly ask for your ‘budget’. You may find yourself contracted in with hosting, hourly services and many other things without knowing about better (and cheaper) alternatives. 

In our guide to web design companies in Auckland, we outline everything you need to know before you get a bunch of quotes. 

Our Auckland web designers guide covers:​​
You may have a recommended web designer from a friend or seen an agency's advert, but that’s no indication of the cost and their suitability to your project. We have put together a useful guide to help you estimate what you should pay, and everything you need to consider that's related. Please note, the prices are for guidance only and quotes will vary based on the specific web design scope and individual work performed.
MoneyHub's Top 2 Auckland Web Designers - Avoid overpaying and/or being left disappointed by using a trusted expert who puts customer service at the heart of their business
  • MoneyHub puts its name to two Auckland web designers that reliably and consistently offer value-based service: Small Business Web Designs and Zyber. 
  1. Most popular option - If your budget is between $500 and $2,500, we suggest contacting Small Business Web Designs - their portfolio of clients in Auckland and around New Zealand is extensive, with these clients leaving hundreds of 5 star reviews.
  2. Custom and eCommerce creations - If you're looking for a large-scale build and/or custom e-commerce, i.e. something over $15,000 - $20,000, we suggest contacting Zyber. Zyber has delivered results for New Zealand's most trusted brands and prides itself on being a Shopfiy specialist.
  • Asking for a quote takes only a few minutes. When you do, be clear with what you want and include some websites you like the look of to help give the web design company an idea of your needs. There is no obligation to accept any quote.
  • Make sure to ask about hosting - beyond the upfront web design cost is the ongoing cost. If you're building a website for a small business that doesn't offer eCommerce or anything complicated, a hosting rate of $25/month or less is reasonable.

​How much do web design services in Auckland cost?

Generally, there are many different pricing ranges, depending on what you’re looking for. Our research suggested the following:
  1. Single page websites started from around $500
  2. 3-page packages (covering a home page, about page and services page) going for around $600 to $1,000.
  3. 5 to 9-page packages generally cost between $1,000 to $1,500 (five to seven pages is the recommended page size for small and medium-sized businesses)
  4. eCommerce websites cost at least $2,500 for a basic setup which includes some products
  5. Premium eCommerce websites cost at least $5,000+, but could be up to $10,000 or more. 
  6. Custom websites for specialist needs (government agencies, financial services etc) started from around $7,500 with the exact cost coming down to the scope of design and pages.

Make sure your website will be mobile friendly: This is usually a standard service, but it pays to check. 

Top Tip: Don't pay more than you should: Generally, a small or medium-sized business looking for a standard website of around 5 or 6 pages shouldn’t pay more than $2,000, although many web designers will charge above this. The best process is to shop around and look for trusted web designers with a track record and reasonable quotes.

​What is the standard process for getting a website made?

To get the best result for your business, knowing what to expect is vital. Also, like any service, you will usually have a better experience when you ask the right questions upfront. 
​
  1. Know what you’re looking for – for example, if you’re an SME, your needs are likely to be a fixed-page package that covers the basics, such as a homepage, about us/staff, services, testimonials, gallery and/or contact details. And, if you’re selling products online, it will be an eCommerce website. 
  2. Know what your budget is, and be realistic – you’re unlikely to find anything decent for under $500, so be prepared to spend around $1,000 for a standard website that covers all the basics. An eCommerce website designed in Auckland will cost at least $3,000, but more likely to be $5,000+. 
  3. Ask for quotes – contact a trusted web designer (see our list of recommended providers, or Google for Auckland companies), telling them a little about your business and the number of pages you need. It helps to mention some websites you like (i.e. other companies in Auckland) to help understand what you’re looking for. 
  4. Make a decision – once you have received the quotes and are satisfied with the communication and that your needs can be delivered, select the best web design agency by considering the price, flexibility of terms and reviews from other clients (and anything else you feel is important). 
  5. Pay the deposit, send your details and photos (if applicable) – the web design agency will build your website based on your design preferences, business information and any relevant images. 
  6. Review your website – after a set time, your web designer will ask you to review your draft website. You’ll be given the opportunity to ask for changes to get it just right. 
  7. Pay the final bill, and go live – once you’ve approved your website, your web designer will invoice the final amount, and you will go live. 
  8. Keep your domain and hosting bills up to date – the only ongoing obligation is the payment of your website domain and hosting package. If you let either of these slip, your website will go offline.

Web Design FAQs

To help you through the detail of web design, we have outlined answers to common questions business owners have during the prospecting stage. If you have a question you would like to see here, please email our research team. 

​How do I pay a web design company?

Most agencies will accept credit card, bank transfers and cheques. The usual process is to pay an upfront deposit, then the final bill, then any ongoing costs such as domain renewal and website hosting. These are usually billed annually. 

Will I have to write everything myself?

It depends on who you engage, but a good web design agency will include content writing as part of its service.

What happens if I don’t like the web design?

It depends on your agency, but generally, the occurrence of such cases is rare if you’re dealing with a professional designer and your preferences are understood upfront. If you are not happy with what you see, a good web design agency will offer a ‘make right’ service, whereby they will edit the design based on your feedback. If you’re still not happy, some web designers will offer a refund of the service.

​How does the web design process work, and what do I need to do?

Based on our research and generally accepted best business practice, the most seamless option is to engage a web design agency who also hosts the website. They will charge an ongoing fee for the hosting, but this way there are no gaps in the service. This avoids the problem of owning a website, hosting it with a third-party hosting company, and then being in the middle of the two if there’s a problem. 
MoneyHub's Top 2 Auckland Web Designers - Avoid overpaying and/or being left disappointed by using a trusted expert who puts customer service at the heart of their business
  • MoneyHub puts its name to two Auckland web designers that reliably and consistently offer value-based service: Small Business Web Designs and Zyber. 
  1. Most popular option - If your budget is between $500 and $2,500, we suggest contacting Small Business Web Designs - their portfolio of clients in Auckland and around New Zealand is extensive, with these clients leaving hundreds of 5 star reviews.
  2. Custom and eCommerce creations - If you're looking for a large-scale build and/or custom e-commerce, i.e. something over $15,000 - $20,000, we suggest contacting Zyber. Zyber has delivered results for New Zealand's most trusted brands and prides itself on being a Shopfiy specialist.
  • Asking for a quote takes only a few minutes. When you do, be clear with what you want and include some websites you like the look of to help give the web design company an idea of your needs. There is no obligation to accept any quote.
  • Make sure to ask about hosting - beyond the upfront web design cost is the ongoing cost. If you're building a website for a small business that doesn't offer eCommerce or anything complicated, a hosting rate of $25/month or less is reasonable.

7 Web Design concepts you need to know about

Getting a grasp of owning a website takes some time, so we have outlined the important need-to-knows below, with a guide price of what you should expect to pay.

​Understand Contracts

The best web designer is one who doesn’t insist on contracts, which (usually) cover the website build process and the website hosting. Most web designers will charge 50% upfront, which acts as a deposit. This is understandable to protect from losses if a client vanishes without putting any money upfront. However, some web designers insist in their terms and conditions that refunds are not possible and/or they are due the full quote even if you’re dissatisfied. 

​Understand Content Management Systems and Self-Management Access

  • A Content Management System (CMS) assists in the modification of digital content. In plain terms, it lets you log in and edit your website when you have changes to make.
  • If you’re running your own business, a CMS you can access is often preferable than having to pay your web designer to make edits for you.
  • Good web design firms will offer both options – CMS access and fixed-fee or hourly rate editing services. This gives you full control of your website and avoids extra costs for changes.

Understand Hosting Fees

Every website on the Internet needs to be ‘hosted’ on a server. It’s like paying a monthly "rent” for your website to “live” on the Internet and without it, your site would not exist. 

​Guide price: Hosting fees vary, but unless you’re expecting thousands of visitors a day to your website, a reasonable monthly fee is $15 to $30. If you’re quoted higher, it’s worth asking what is included in the hosting service. 

Understand Domain Registration and Renewal

A domain name is the name of the website, i.e. MoneyHub.co.nz or AirNewZealand.co.nz. Every website needs a domain name, and you will need to pay for it to be renewed annually.

Guide price: Generally, a reasonable amount for a business .nz or .co.nz domain registration and annual renewal is around $50. If you require a .com or .org.nz, that should also be about $50 per year. Of course, you can register your domain name first, with GoDaddy or 1stdomains being popular choices for New Zealand businesses. 

You can also register a domain through your website designer - a .co.nz domain should cost no more than $50/year to register and renew. 

Understand Hourly Rates for Technical Work

Every web design agency is different, but knowing upfront about the hourly rates for making edits, updates or design changes later on is essential. 

Guide price: $100/hour is reasonable, but it’s essential to get an upfront quote first. 

Understand Customer Support Offerings

It’s perfectly reasonable that you’ll have a question later on with your website – typical questions concern traffic numbers, Google search appearances and help with self-management. Your web designer should have a robust support desk that can meet these needs. It should also be free and have a 1-2 day response time. Few web design agencies offer phone support for clients, with email-based ticketing (like most support services) being the norm. 

​Guide price: As stated above, support services should be included in your monthly hosting charges, with out-of-scope charges made clear. 

5 Recommended Auckland Web Design Agencies

​We have listed three highly regarded Auckland web design agencies below, and detailed their service and terms and conditions to highlight what you need to know. 

​Web Design for Auckland SMEs:

Recommended for budgets between $500 to $2,500, for business operating in trades, allied health, home business, startups, manufacturing and other small/medium-sized activities.

Suggested for SMEs and Standard Websites: ​Small Business Web Designs Auckland

  • Website: Click here
  • Location: Auckland CBD and North Shore
  • Fixed Price service? Yes
  • Deposit required? Yes, 50% of the quoted total
  • Contracts? No contracts apply – customers can move freely without restrictions
  • Content writing? Yes, included in standard packages
  • Mobile-friendly website? Yes, comes as standard
  • 24/7 support service? Yes
  • Hosts websites? Yes
  • Self-Management Access? Yes, included with hosting service
  • Clients? Over 1,000 in and around New Zealand, with 400+ in the Auckland region
  • Reviews? 4.7/5 on Google Places (60+ reviews), 4.9/5 on Facebook (30+ reviews) and 100% on TradeMe Services (90+ reviews) 
  • Phone: 0800 995 065

​Web Design for eCommerce Companies:

Recommended e-Commerce Web Design Services for budgets $2,500+ (for example, Shopify, Magneto, BigCommerce and custom platforms)

Suggested for eCommerce and Custom Development: Zyber

Zyber Digital create award-winning eCommerce solutions with a focus on long term scalability and Conversion Rate Optimisation. Zyber is NZ’s leading digital eCommerce agency with over a decade of success stories. As Shopify Experts and Shopify Plus Partners Zyber are truly experts when it comes to eCommerce solutions to medium and large businesses. Zyber has delivered results for some of New Zealand’s most trusted brands.

Key services:
  • eCommerce Website Development
  • Shopify Development & Custom Solutions
  • Shopify Plus Partner 
  • eCommerce conversion specialists
  • Cross Migration
  • Integrations: Xero, Klaviyo, Gorgias, Hubspot
  • Design
  • Digital Strategy
  • Website: Click here
  • Location: Penrose
  • Fixed Price service? No
  • Deposit required? Yes, varies based on work required
  • Contracts? Yes - discuss with sales team
  • Content writing? Not included as standard
  • Mobile-friendly website? Yes, comes as standard
  • Shopify Plus Partner : Yes
  • Experience: Over 12 years
  • 24/7 support service? No
  • Hosts websites? Yes
  • Self-Management Access? Depends on the website and service agreement
  • Clients? Over 100 in the Auckland region
  • Reviews? 4.3/5 on Google Places (15+ reviews) and 4.3/5 on Facebook (10+ reviews)
  • Phone: 0800 499 237 or call 09 280 3680

Other Options:

KodaWeb

  • Website: Click here
  • Location: Rosedale, North Shore
  • Fixed Price service? No
  • Deposit required? Yes, varies based on work required
  • Contracts? Yes - ask the sales team
  • Content writing? Not included as standard
  • Mobile-friendly website? Yes, comes as standard
  • 24/7 support service? No
  • Hosts websites? Yes
  • Self-Management Access? Depends on the website and service agreement
  • Clients? Over 100 in the Auckland region
  • Reviews? 4.9/5 on Google Places (10+ reviews)

​Web Design for Custom Projects and Budgets over $10,000:

Recommended Specialist Web Design for custom quotes for budgets over $10,000 (for example, Isobar (previously known as Little Giant) and Quentosity

isobar

  • Website: Click here
  • Location: Auckland CBD
  • Fixed Price service? No
  • Deposit required? Yes, varies based on work required
  • Contracts? Yes - ask the sales team for more details
  • Content writing? Not included in standard design
  • Mobile-friendly website? Yes, comes as standard
  • 24/7 support service? No
  • Hosts websites? Yes
  • Self-Management Access? Depends on the website and service agreement
  • Clients? Over 500 in and around New Zealand
  • Reviews? 4.6/5 on Google Places (20+ reviews) and 4.2/5 on Facebook (25+ reviews - since Little Giant's re-branding to Isobar, the Facebook reviews are no longer are displayed, but we have accessed them in an archived version)​

Quentosity

  • Website: Click here
  • Location: Botany
  • Fixed Price service? No
  • Deposit required? Yes, varies based on work required
  • Contracts? No
  • Content writing? Yes, included in standard packages
  • Mobile-friendly website? Yes, comes as standard
  • 24/7 support service? Yes
  • Hosts websites? Yes
  • Self-Management Access? Depends on the website and service agreement
  • Clients? Over 250 in and around New Zealand, with 50+ in the Auckland region
  • Reviews? 4.9/5 on Google Places (15+ reviews) and 4.9/5 on Facebook (20+ reviews)

​Web Design Alternatives - Build Your Business Website for Free (or Very Cheaply)

  • If you have the time, patience and commitment, building your website can be an option.
  • Many ‘drag and drop’ website builders like Squarespace, Wix, Weebly and Shopify (for eCommerce) exist, with monthly hosting costs from around NZ$20-$40.
  • However, building your own website is not without its challenges, and if you’re already flat out with running your business, finding the time is near impossible.
  • As such, paying a professional a one-off $1,000 to $2,000 fee for a standard all-inclusive package is probably a better use of resources.
  • If you're looking at building your own website, you're most likely in the SME category - our list of trusted agencies offering websites from $500 to $1,500 may be of service.
MoneyHub's Top 2 Auckland Web Designers - Avoid overpaying and/or being left disappointed by using a trusted expert who puts customer service at the heart of their business
  • MoneyHub puts its name to two Auckland web designers that reliably and consistently offer value-based service: Small Business Web Designs and Zyber. 
  1. Most popular option - If your budget is between $500 and $2,500, we suggest contacting Small Business Web Designs - their portfolio of clients in Auckland and around New Zealand is extensive, with these clients leaving hundreds of 5 star reviews.
  2. Custom and eCommerce creations - If you're looking for a large-scale build and/or custom e-commerce, i.e. something over $15,000 - $20,000, we suggest contacting Zyber. Zyber has delivered results for New Zealand's most trusted brands and prides itself on being a Shopfiy specialist.
  • Asking for a quote takes only a few minutes. When you do, be clear with what you want and include some websites you like the look of to help give the web design company an idea of your needs. There is no obligation to accept any quote.
  • Make sure to ask about hosting - beyond the upfront web design cost is the ongoing cost. If you're building a website for a small business that doesn't offer eCommerce or anything complicated, a hosting rate of $25/month or less is reasonable.
Advertising Disclaimer:
  • None of the companies above have paid MoneyHub to be featured. Like all MoneyHub Services listings, we have included the companies listed above based on their service offering, pricing, reviews and general reputation.
  • MoneyHub.co.nz is hosted by Small Business Web Designs, and a director of MoneyHub Ltd, the operator of this website, has a personal financial interest in Small Business Web Designs and an affiliate relationship with Zyber. By publishing these companies on this list, we place the reputation of MoneyHub on the services offered by Small Business Web Designs and Zyber, which we are comfortable doing so given our experience with their businesses practices and the services we have received.
  • We encourage MoneyHub users to seek their own quotes from a wide range of businesses.
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