Daylo Build
A design-and-build renovation company in Parramatta, NSW. Separate pages for each service, from kitchens and bathrooms to office fit-outs, plus a project gallery and free consultation enquiries.
Freelance web design · Essendon, Melbourne
Freelance Web Designer in Melbourne
I'm Subesh Thapa, a freelance web designer based in Essendon with more than ten years of experience building websites, most of them on WordPress. I learn how your business works before I design anything, I fit meetings around your schedule, and I stay with you for three months after launch at no extra cost.
- 10+ years designing websites
- 100+ websites launched
- 3 months free support after launch
About your designer
Hi, I'm Subesh. I've been hooked on design since I was a kid.
I grew up on computers. Like a lot of kids, I spent too many hours on FIFA and Counter-Strike, but what stuck with me wasn't winning. It was how the games looked. I wanted to know how the menus, maps and graphics were made, and I started trying to make my own.
That interest in visual design led me to web design. At university I studied a Bachelor of IT, learned to code properly, and built my first real websites. I liked the code, but I loved the design side more: working out a layout, building a custom theme, and seeing a page come together so it looked right and made sense to the person using it.
More than ten years later, that's still the part I care about most. Most of my work is WordPress sites for Melbourne service businesses, plus Shopify stores and Squarespace sites. I'm happy to use AI tools where they speed things up, but every design decision is still mine.
Why clients pick a freelancer
What working with me is actually like
1
Your business first, design second
I don't open a design tool until I understand what you sell, who buys it and why they'd pick you. That's what the questionnaire and first meeting are for.
2
Meetings when you're free
You run a business, so I work around you. Early morning, evening or between appointments, we meet when it suits you, as often as you need.
3
You choose the design
Instead of picking one look and hoping you like it, I send you several design directions. You choose, and I build from there.
4
Straight answers
You deal with me directly: no account manager, no hand-offs to a junior. If something will cost more or take longer, I tell you up front.
My process
From questionnaire to launch in four meetings
Every project follows the same steps, so you always know what happens next and what I need from you.
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Before we meet
Onboarding questionnaire
I send you a short questionnaire about your business, your customers, your competitors, and anything else your website needs to support, like Google Ads, social media or bookings. You fill it in and send it back, so our first meeting starts from what you've told me.
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Meeting 1
Understanding your business
We talk through your goals, your ideal customer and what you want people to do on the site. I ask a lot of questions here. This is where a website that brings in enquiries is decided, long before any design.
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Meeting 2
You pick the design
I show you several design options for your site. You choose the one that feels right, we adjust it together, and I only start building once you're happy with it.
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Meeting 3
Reviewing the draft together
I build the homepage, your service pages and every other page, then we go through the draft site together, page by page, and finalise the wording, images and details before anything goes live.
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Meeting 4
Launch and check
We put the site live. Then I ask you to check it on your own phone and send it to friends and family, so we catch anything that looks wrong or loads slowly on a real device.
Need it quickly? I can build a website in about a week if you need one fast. It works when you're available, reply quickly, and send your content and details up front.
Included with every website
3 months of free support after launch
Most web designers and agencies finish on launch day and charge for every change after that. I don't. For three months after your site goes live, you get:
- Three support meetings at times that suit you
- Fixes to anything that isn't working on the site, at no cost
- Hands-on training in the WordPress dashboard, so you can add pages, swap images and update text yourself
By the end of the three months, most clients can run their own site day to day. If you'd rather hand it over, ongoing website management is available.
Recent work
Websites I've designed and built
A few recent projects. See the full portfolio for more.
Revachi Group
A corporate site for a healthcare trading group with four businesses under one brand: pharmaceuticals, hospitality, paper products and international supply.
Hamasteel
An industrial supplier's outdated site rebuilt for speed, clarity and more enquiries.
★★★★★
"Subesh is a skilled web designer with a focus on creating visually appealing, user-friendly websites. He consistently delivers high-quality results."
★★★★★
"Subesh was fast, professional and easy to communicate with throughout the whole build. Exactly what we needed."
Who I work with
Local service businesses, B2B and B2C
Most of my clients are Melbourne businesses that sell a service and need their website to bring in enquiries: consultants, therapists, dentists, lawyers, boxing and fitness gyms, tradies and professional firms. I've built sites for plenty of other industries too. What matters is that you want a website that explains what you do clearly and gets people to contact you.
What I build with
- WordPress (10+ years)
- My main platform, and the best fit for most service businesses. See WordPress development.
- Shopify
- For businesses selling products online. See Shopify websites.
- Squarespace
- For simple sites you want to edit yourself. See Squarespace websites.
- HTML, CSS and JavaScript
- For hand-coded sites and custom features.
- AI-assisted builds
- Faster builds with animation and AI-drafted content that I edit and check. See AI website design.
Freelancer or agency?
Why hire a freelance web designer in Melbourne
A good agency is the right choice for big projects with lots of people involved. For most small businesses, it means paying for account managers and overheads, and never speaking to the person building your site.
With a freelancer, the person you brief is the person who designs, builds, launches and supports your website. You get a lower price, faster answers, and someone who remembers your business when you call six months later. My freelancer vs agency comparison goes into more detail.
| Typical agency | Working with me |
|---|---|
| Account manager passes messages on | You talk to me directly |
| Meetings on their calendar | Meetings when you're free |
| One design put forward | Several design options to choose from |
| $5,000–$15,000+ builds | Fixed quotes from $1,500 |
| Paid support from day one | 3 months of free support |
Pricing
What a freelance web designer costs in Melbourne
Fixed quotes, agreed before any work starts. Every package includes 3 months of free support after launch.
BASIC
$1,500
5-page website with blog set up
ADVANCE
$2,000
Up to 8 pages, forms, maps and SEO set-up
PREMIUM
$3,000
Up to 12 pages, bookings or e-commerce
See everything included or read what web design costs in Melbourne.
Areas
Based in Essendon, working across Melbourne
I work with businesses all over Melbourne and further afield. Most meetings happen by video call at a time that suits you.
Essendon
My home base, in Melbourne's inner north-west.
View page →Footscray
Cafes, creatives and community groups in the inner west.
View page →Caroline Springs
Family businesses and trades in the western suburbs.
View page →Truganina
New and growing businesses in the western growth corridor.
View page →Geelong
Tradies, retailers and regional businesses.
View page →All locations
Including Sydney and Hobart.
View all →FAQ
Freelance web design in Melbourne: common questions
In Melbourne, freelance web designers usually charge between $1,500 and $5,000 for a small business website, depending on the number of pages and features. My fixed-price packages are $1,500, $2,000 and $3,000, and every one includes 3 months of free support after launch.
Anywhere from $1,500 with a freelancer to $10,000 or more with an agency. Online stores and sites with bookings or custom features cost more. The Melbourne web design cost guide breaks it down.
Three months of free support: three meetings at times that suit you, fixes to anything that isn't working, and training so you can add pages and images yourself in the WordPress dashboard.
Usually 2–3 weeks for a five-page site once I have your content. If you need it sooner, I can build a site in about a week, as long as you're available and send your content and details quickly.
I send you an onboarding questionnaire about your business, customers, competitors and marketing, including anything like Google Ads that the website needs to support. It means our first meeting is about your goals, not basic questions.
For most small and local businesses, a freelancer is the better fit: a lower price, direct contact with the person doing the work, and meetings that fit around you. Agencies suit large projects with big teams and budgets.
No. I'm based in Essendon and most clients are in Melbourne, but I work with businesses across Australia and overseas by video call.
Yes. The website, domain and hosting are in your name, with no lock-in contract.