Why most Melbourne business websites fail before they launch
I've seen it dozens of times. A Melbourne business owner spends $2,000–$5,000 on a website. It looks decent. But six months later, the phone still isn't ringing from it.
The problem is almost never the design. It's that nobody asked the right questions before the build started. Here's the checklist I run through with every client before we write a single line of code.
The 8-point checklist
Do you know exactly who you're trying to reach?
Not "anyone in Melbourne." Think narrower. Are you after residential or commercial clients? New customers or repeat business? Eastern suburbs or the inner north? The more specific your answer, the better your site can be written to attract them — and repel everyone else who'll waste your time.
Is your Google Business Profile set up and verified?
Your website and your Google Business Profile work together. If you don't have a verified GBP with your correct business name, address, phone number, and service area — your website won't rank properly for local searches regardless of how good it is. Sort this first.
Do you have a domain name you own?
You'd be surprised how many tradies don't own their own domain. If someone else registered it — a previous web designer, a mate, your old hosting provider — you're at risk. Make sure your domain is registered to you personally, on an account with your email address, and that you have the login details.
What do you want people to do when they land on your site?
Call you? Fill out a form? Book a quote? Get a price estimate? There should be one clear primary action you want every visitor to take. If your answer is "well, any of those really" — that's the problem. Pick one. Everything else is secondary.
Do you have photos of your actual work?
Stock photos of tradies are one of the fastest ways to lose trust with a potential customer. Real photos of your real jobs — before and afters, finished work, your van, your team — are worth more than any design element. Even decent phone photos beat stock images every time.
Do you have at least a few Google reviews?
A website that says "trusted by Melbourne homeowners" but has zero Google reviews is unconvincing. Before you drive traffic to your new site, get at least 5 reviews on Google from real customers. Message past clients directly and ask — most are happy to help if you make it easy for them.
Which suburbs do you actually want to attract customers from?
Local SEO works suburb by suburb. If you want to rank for "accountant Fitzroy" or "physiotherapist Richmond" or "cafe Collingwood" — those suburbs need to appear naturally in your site content. Make a list of your top 8–10 target areas. This directly shapes how your site gets built.
What's your budget — honestly?
Not what you hope it'll be. What can you actually commit to right now without stress? A $1,500 site built properly will outperform a $5,000 site built wrong. Know your number before you start talking to anyone. And be wary of anyone who won't give you a price until they've had three meetings.
The honest truth: Most Melbourne tradies who come to me with these 8 points already figured out get a better result — faster, cheaper, and with less back-and-forth. The ones who skip this step end up revising the site two or three times post-launch because the brief wasn't clear from the start.
What to do next
Work through this checklist honestly. If you can answer all 8 questions clearly, you're ready to brief a web designer and you'll get a much better result for your money.
If you'd like to talk through where you're at — no sales pitch, just a straight conversation — get in touch here. I work with Melbourne businesses of all kinds and I'll tell you honestly whether a new site is the right move or whether there's something else you should fix first.