Tools built around how you work

Your business isn't one-size-fits-all. Get custom web apps, plugins, and systems designed for your exact workflow. Save your team hours every week. Turn more visitors into customers. Stop fighting with software that wasn't built for you.

Trusted by businesses since 2018

TSB Living
Indus Mortgages
Cheeky Chapati
GB Mech Tech
House of Lasers
Lendy
Ray White Austar Property Services
The Cookie Collective
Tactics Bar
Finance World
Data Cal
Associated Plastics
Ray White A T Realty
Manga Freight
FeeFunders
Ceebs
Professional Financial Solutions
Fundmaster
Client
Client
TSB Living
Indus Mortgages
Cheeky Chapati
GB Mech Tech
House of Lasers
Lendy
Ray White Austar Property Services
The Cookie Collective
Tactics Bar
Finance World
Data Cal
Associated Plastics
Ray White A T Realty
Manga Freight
FeeFunders
Ceebs
Professional Financial Solutions
Fundmaster
Client
Client

Template websites vs custom development

Templates are fine for simple sites. But when your business has specific needs, custom development pays for itself.

Template websites

Quick and affordable for simple needs

Custom development

Built exactly for your business

Lower upfront cost

Good for tight budgets

Exact functionality

Features built for your workflow

Faster launch

Can be live in days

System integrations

Connect to your existing tools

Limited flexibility

You adapt to the template

Scales with you

Add features as you grow

No custom features

What you see is what you get

Competitive edge

Tools your competitors don't have

Custom software we've built

Built by an engineer, not assembled from a template. These are real systems we have shipped, described by what they do.

OpnUp's website home page, with its headline about therapy tools for telehealth sessions
We built the platform behind this site from the ground up.
Read the case study
  1. 01

    A SaaS platform built from the ground up

    18 interactive tools, secure sharing with clients who never need a login, and branded PDF export.

  2. 02

    A refunds system that replaced a shared spreadsheet

    One multi-user system with approval steps, role-based access, a full audit log, order details pulled straight from the online store, and reporting by product and supplier.

  3. 03

    Delivery tracking customers use without logging in

    Customers open a live tracking page from their dispatch email, with no login. One search box then covers five tracking systems.

  4. 04

    Website listings that sync from a CRM

    A custom WordPress plugin that pulls listings from the agency's CRM on a schedule, and posts website enquiries straight back into the CRM.

  5. 05

    Orders that move between systems on their own

    Dispatch-ready orders become delivery jobs automatically, with duplicate checks, address validation, retries, status sent back to the warehouse system, and an alert if an order doesn't come through.

How a build is scoped and priced

How we put a quote together, whether it is for a website or for custom software.

  1. A fixed price per phase, with the hours shown

    We estimate the hours each part of the job takes and quote a fixed price for each phase, with the hours shown so you can see how the price is built.

  2. Redesigns priced by template, not page count

    Most of a site's pages are built from a small number of templates, so we price the templates rather than counting pages.

  3. A measured look at your current site

    If you ask for our view of your current site, we measure it at desktop and mobile widths, check accessibility and keyboard use, and report page length and weight.

  4. Concepts are a starting point

    Any concept designs we show are early drafts to refine together, not a final design.

  5. Dates that name what they depend on

    Delivery dates depend on your content and approvals arriving on time, and the proposal says which ones.

How a website build runs, and where you sign off

The order every website we build follows. There are four points where nothing moves on until you approve it: the sitemap, the wireframes, the designs and the staging site. Where a step needs something from your side, it ends with "From you".

  1. 01

    Discovery call

    Your goals, your audience, the features you must have, sites you like and dislike, the platform (WordPress, Astro or Shopify) and your timeline. All of it is written up.

  2. 02

    Competitor review

    We review three to five competitor sites for design, navigation, features, content, calls to action and SEO, and note what to match and what to beat.

  3. 03

    Redesigns: content and URL audit

    Every existing page is tagged keep, update, merge or remove, every URL that will change is mapped for a redirect, and your current Search Console and GA4 figures are saved as a baseline.

  4. 04

    Sitemap and content plan

    The page structure and navigation, with the key journeys mapped and a conversion point on every page. The content plan sets what each page needs, who writes it and when. From you: written sign-off on the sitemap.

  5. 05

    Wireframes

    Layouts for the key pages, mobile included, agreed before any visual design starts. From you: approval of the wireframes.

  6. 06

    Designs

    The homepage and key inner pages at desktop, tablet and mobile, with the revision rounds set out in your scope. No development starts until you approve the designs. From you: written design approval.

  7. 07

    Build on a private staging site

    A mobile-first build that matches the approved designs, on a staging site kept out of Google until launch. Real content goes in, not placeholder text.

  8. 08

    Testing, launch and handover

    The site is tested against the checklist below, launched once you approve the staging site, then handed over to you. From you: written approval of the staging site.

What goes into every website we build

What goes into the build, page by page, pinned on a site we rebuilt. We check page speed and Core Web Vitals before launch and again on the live site.

Turbo & Diesel's website home page, with the navigation, the headline, a free quote button and a call button
The home page of a site we rebuilt.
  1. The menu comes from the sitemap, with the key journeys mapped and a conversion point on every page.

  2. One H1 per page, a written title and meta description, a canonical URL, an XML sitemap, robots.txt and schema markup that fits the site, such as LocalBusiness, BreadcrumbList, FAQ and Article.

  3. Every form is tested from submission through to the notification email arriving, with a thank-you page, and routed into your CRM or email platform where you have one.

  4. Tag Manager and GA4 with your conversion events, checked in preview before launch and again on the live site. The Meta Pixel and Google Ads conversion tag are added when you run those ads.

  5. Images compressed, served as WebP and lazy-loaded, plus caching, a CDN, minified CSS and JavaScript, deferred non-critical scripts and optimised fonts.

Read the case study

How we test before launch

Every website we build goes through the same checklist on the staging site before it goes live. Here is what that checklist covers.

Layouts checked at five widths

375, 768, 1024, 1440 and 1920 pixels wide

Turbo & Diesel's home page at desktop width
Turbo & Diesel's home page at phone width
The same site at desktop and phone widths.
Desktop
Chrome, Safari, Firefox and Edge
Mobile
Safari on iPhone and Chrome on Android, plus a tablet
  • Function

    • Every link, form, phone and email link, map and interactive element
    • The 404 page and the cookie banner
    • Privacy Policy and Terms pages in place, with wording you supply or approve
    • No sideways scrolling on mobile, and text that is easy to read
  • Search

    • One H1 per page, unique titles and meta descriptions
    • Schema that validates, and no stray noindex tags
    • Social sharing tags set
    • llms.txt and llms-full.txt files in place for AI search tools
  • Tracking

    • GA4 recording, and every conversion firing
  • Security

    • SSL with no mixed content, and backups configured
  • Accessibility

    • Colour contrast to WCAG AA, keyboard navigation, form labels and a skip link
    • Touch targets of at least 44 pixels

Launch day and the weeks after

Going live is not where the job ends. This is what happens from the day before launch to the 30-day review, on every website we build.

Get our free website launch checklist
  1. 01

    Day before

    Your written sign-off on staging, both sites backed up and a launch time agreed.

  2. 02

    Launch day

    DNS and SSL switched, then pages, forms and tracking re-checked on the live site.

  3. 03

    First checks

    Search Console crawl errors, analytics and redirects checked, and bugs fixed.

  4. 04

    First week

    404s fixed, your feedback worked through and your training booked.

  5. 05

    First 30 days

    Weekly check-ins, bug fixes, minor content edits and Core Web Vitals watched.

  6. 06

    30-day review

    Your GA4 and Search Console figures, each with its source and date range, and the next step agreed.

When it is a redesign

The extra steps that carry your existing pages across.

  • Redirect map ready before launch day

    Built from the URL audit, so every old address that changes has a new home.

  • 301 redirects switched on at launch

    Old URLs point to their new pages from the moment the new site is live.

  • Redirects re-checked after launch

    Alongside the crawl errors in Search Console.

  • Your baseline is saved before the build

    Your Search Console and GA4 figures are exported during the URL audit, before anything changes.

What you own when we hand over

Everything we create specifically for your project becomes yours once the final invoice is paid. If we use any of our own general tools along the way, you can keep using them as part of the work we delivered, permanently, at no cost.

Before you sign off, check three things yourself: the domain is registered in your business name, you can log in to the hosting account, and you are an Administrator in GA4 and an Owner in Search Console.

  1. You own your domain at all times

    Before, during and after the build.

  2. Accounts we set up are transferred to you

    Analytics, Tag Manager or hosting: anything we set up on your behalf moves into your ownership before we step back.

  3. Files and admin logins handed over securely

    And we check that you can log in before we call it done.

  4. A recorded training session

    Website builds include one: editing content, posting to the blog, managing forms, and backup and security basics. The recording is yours to keep.

Built with technology that fits your needs

No vendor lock-in. Your project gets the right tools for the job, not whatever is trendy.

WordPress
Shopify
WooCommerce
React
Next.js
Astro
Node.js
PHP
MySQL
MongoDB
AWS
Vercel

WordPress that does what you need

You already know WordPress is flexible. But generic themes and bloated plugins slow your site down and limit what you can do. Custom WordPress development changes that.

Get a site that loads fast, ranks well, and works exactly how you want it to. Custom plugins that add features no off-the-shelf solution offers. A backend your team actually enjoys using.

Whether you need a lead-generating business site, a membership portal, a booking system, or something unique to your industry, you get WordPress tailored to your business.

Popular WordPress projects

  • Custom themes
  • Custom plugins
  • Online stores
  • Member portals
  • Booking systems
  • Multi-site setups
  • CRM integrations
  • Speed fixes

Everything connects automatically

  1. Take payments easily

    Stripe, Afterpay, PayPal. Customers pay how they want.

  2. Shipping on autopilot

    Real-time rates from major carriers. Labels print automatically.

  3. Stock that manages itself

    Low stock alerts and supplier sync, so stock levels stay accurate.

  4. Bookkeeping sorted

    Xero and MYOB sync. GST handled. No manual data entry.

Online stores that sell more

Your online store should make it easy for customers to buy. That means fast pages, a checkout that doesn't lose people, and a backend you can actually manage.

Shopify or WooCommerce. Payment gateways that work. Shipping that calculates itself. Inventory that stays accurate. Less admin for you, more sales coming in.

Every part of your store is built to reduce abandoned carts and increase the average order. When sales go up and complaints go down, you know it's working.

Questions to ask before you hire a web developer

Straight answers to the decisions you'll make before a custom build starts.

  • How do I choose a web developer for a custom project? (Read the guide)

    Choose the developer who asks how your business runs before talking about technology. A good developer starts with what slows your team down, then gives you a clear proposal with the scope and a fixed price for each phase. Also check they test across devices and browsers, train your team at launch, and stay on for support afterwards.

  • What should I prepare before talking to a web developer? (See how a build works)

    Come ready to show how your business actually runs. Note the tasks that eat your team's time, the tools you already use, such as your CRM, accounting or booking system, and what you want the new tool to fix. That's what our discovery call is built around, and it shapes everything we build.

  • What should a web development proposal include?

    A proposal should spell out the scope, the price and what the dates depend on, so nothing comes as a surprise later. Ours set a fixed price for each phase, with the hours shown. Also look for where you sign off during the build, what testing covers, and what training and support you get after launch.

  • How involved should I be during a custom build? (See how custom apps are built)

    You should stay involved from start to finish, without being buried in tech jargon. Expect to show the developer how your business runs at the start, then approve each stage before the next one starts: the sitemap, the wireframes, the designs and the staging site. That's how we run website builds.

  • What should I ask a developer about testing? (See how we test before launch)

    Ask what gets tested and when. Testing should cover the devices and browsers your customers use and the real scenarios they'll run into, and it should happen before launch, not after. Our checklist for websites is set out in the testing section above.

  • What do I get when a custom build is handed over? (See what you own at handover)

    Working software, a recorded training session for websites, and the files and logins, handed over once the final invoice is paid. Anything we created specifically for you becomes yours.

What our clients say

Real reviews from the businesses we have built, ranked and run campaigns for.

5.0 from 70+ reviews
Paul Zellman, BDM, Austar Property Services
“Our CPA dropped by 66% and lead quality increased 200-300%. Not only almost immediately, but consistent for the last few months.”
Paul Zellman BDM, Austar Property Services
Jaide Wooler Executive Assistant, Tom Rawson

We’ve been working with Jason from Lucid Media and couldn’t recommend him more. He’s been a fast communicator, proactive, and always willing to help. Jason goes above and beyond with providing recommendations and support.

The websites he’s built and implemented for us have been excellent. He has captured our business perfectly and ensured that it is user friendly on both desktop/mobile. Fantastic service!

Google review
Terry Bradley Director, Precision Building Inspectors

Jason and his team have been fantastic to work with from the initial website design and with the ongoing maintenance. They built us a really professional and well-designed site that represents our business well and it has been great having their continued support.

It is nice to know someone reliable can manage our website and make sure it stays ranking on Google. They are always responsive when we need updates or changes made, and their technical expertise gives us peace of mind.

Google review
Andrew Baker, Owner, Electrical Plus
“I’ve had around 10 websites developed over the years, and Jason is by far the best web developer I’ve ever worked with.”
Andrew Baker Owner, Electrical Plus
Mitch Taylor Director, Horton Taylor

I have been working with Jason for a year now and he is absolutely brilliant, honest and reliable. His client first approach has meant his work is always on time and to a high standard.

Most of all he actually gets the results he says he will.

Google review
Grace Zhang Sunshine Mortgages

Communication with him is always smooth and effortless. The website he created for me exceeded my expectations in every way. I’m genuinely impressed with both the design and the overall structure.

I’m looking forward to seeing what else the website can bring to me. If you’re thinking about building a website, Jason is definitely the person to go to.

Google review
Harry & Maria, Owner, Pots of Joy
“Absolutely great in delivering our e-commerce website. A great experience from start to finish, and even beyond.”
Harry & Maria Owner, Pots of Joy
Samir Khanna Director, Professional Financial

Working with Jason @ Lucid Media on our website was a great experience from start to finish. Jason brought our vision to life with creativity and professionalism; he understood what we were after, and this could be seen in the result.

The design is clean and modern, and the functionality is exactly what we needed. Communication was smooth throughout the entire process, and deadlines were always met. Highly recommend to anyone looking for top-tier web design and development.

Google review
Alex Mayo Owner, Playceholdr

I had Lucid Media do some SEO work for us and I'm super impressed with the results. Jason also took the time to educate me deeply on the topic so I didn't feel like everything was smoke and mirrors like I have had with previous agencies.

Google review
Britta Friedrich Manager, MagicGerman

Working with Lucid Media was an excellent experience from start to finish. They took the time to thoroughly analyse our previous website, understand our product, and align with our company goals before creating a new, professional layout and copy.

They truly went above and beyond, exceeding expectations at every step. I genuinely enjoyed the collaboration and look forward to working with them again in the future.

Google review
Melitta Adam Founder, Melitta Skin

I had a call with Jason and was so impressed by how in-depth it was. He really listened, understood where I’m at, and gave me a clear action plan that I can actually use.

It was practical, straightforward, and made me feel confident moving forward with my ads. I couldn’t recommend working with him enough.

Google review
Alana Saunders, Business Manager, A T Realty
“We wanted to bring our idea for an app to life. He turned our ideas into reality.”
Alana Saunders Business Manager, A T Realty
Andrew Harvey Director, AES Comp

Lucid Media provides great service, quickly establishing and refining our website. They are always available to us when we need changes made.

Expert in SEO which is critical, our company now ranks at the top of Google searches, alongside our international suppliers but ahead of other agents around the world. We totally recommend Lucid as a highly competent and committed website developer and manager.

Google review
Ratu Tau Trekway Shuttle

We had previously used another digital company for our website and digital marketing… things went downhill quickly, and our business suffered badly.

Within 30 minutes, we were on a Teams meeting discussing the problems we were facing. By 2am, Jason had sent us a detailed report… By 4pm, our Google Ads were back up and running.

Everything was turned around in less than 24 hours… seeing results that quickly was honestly incredible.

Jason and the team at Lucid Media have helped get our business back on solid ground… Young, full of energy, passionate, and genuinely driven to help businesses succeed.

Google review
Alex Fladgate Owner, JunkBoss

Jason created our JunkBoss company website from start to finish. He always responded immediately, shared great ideas, and the final site looks spectacular!!

Highly recommend to anyone looking to get their website done.

Google review
Dev Dhingra, CEO, Fundmaster
“They took the time to understand our vision and business needs, translating them into a stunning, user-friendly website.”
Dev Dhingra CEO, Fundmaster
Isaac Smith Managing Director, PSI

Communication was insanely good, the work Jason provided me with was on a new level and blew me away. If you’re looking for someone who will go above and beyond for you then he is your man.

Google review
Tyler Newman Tillen Finance

From the start, Jason has taken the time to understand my business properly rather than just pushing a generic marketing setup. We’ve built out a new website, landing pages, CRM integration, Google Ads and Meta campaigns, and the attention to detail across everything has been excellent.

What stands out most is his responsiveness and willingness to adapt quickly. Any time we’ve needed changes or seen something in the data, he’s on it straight away and is always looking for ways to improve performance rather than just letting campaigns run.

The key difference is that he genuinely feels invested in the success of the business, not just running ads in the background.

Google review
Brianna Hoy, Managing Director, PplPeople
“He was really acting in our best interests and went beyond what we were expecting him to achieve.”
Brianna Hoy Managing Director, PplPeople
Fiona Ashford Manager, Fee Funders

When the finance company I manage, Fee Funders, changed ownership, Lucid Media took over all aspects of our IT and technology, and the impact has been outstanding. Jason quickly learned our legacy systems, implemented critical changes during the transition, and then led the development of our new software platform and reporting systems.

Jason is exceptional across all areas of technology, both front-end and back-end. He’s practical, solutions-focused, and genuinely understands business needs as well as the technical side.

Google review
Lynnae Sands Manager, Windsor Industries

Jason has been awesome to work with over the last few months. Whenever we've had any sort of issue with our website, he is extremely prompt in resolving it. Very professional and helpful, I highly recommend.

Google review
Eddie, Director, PlastiCard
“Jason is exceptional, excellent communications, a highly motivated individual. Such rare traits - very happy with his development work for us!”
Eddie Director, PlastiCard
Joel D'leema Director, TSB Living

Jason has been awesome in the work he has done for us. He is fast, very responsive and professional. Would highly recommend.

Google review
J-Tip It Google review

The team at Lucid Media have provided excellent service while recently coming in to help position J-Tip It to where they need to be!

We are absolutely blown away with their quick responses, smooth customer service and their initiative to stay 10-steps ahead at all times. Results are immediate and the cost is undeniably justified.

If you want to be in safe hands, choose Lucid!

Google review
Aidan Fraei, Agent, Ray White
“The site looks clean, professional, and easy to use. He made the whole process super simple and stress-free.”
Aidan Fraei Agent, Ray White
Paul Zellman

Austar Property Services

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