You know those segments on A Current Affair? The ones where some poor homeowner has paid a “builder” $30,000 upfront, and now they’ve got a half-finished extension, a disconnected phone number, and Tracy Grimshaw turning up at a half-rendered McMansion in the ‘burbs?
Web design has its own version of this. It’s just quieter. No half-built structures to point a camera at – just businesses stuck with broken websites, vanished developers, and a sinking feeling that they’ve been had.
And increasingly, the shonky operators aren’t even in the country.
The appeal of gig platforms (I get it)
Let’s be fair to platforms like Bark, Airtasker, and Hipages. The pitch makes sense. You post what you need, you get multiple quotes, you compare and pick. It works brilliantly for plenty of things. Need a removalist? A house cleaner? Someone to assemble that IKEA monstrosity? These platforms deliver.
So when it comes time to get a website built, the same logic seems reasonable. Post the job, get some quotes, pick someone who looks decent and doesn’t charge the earth. Easy.
Except web design isn’t like assembling a bookshelf. And the way these platforms work creates some problems that aren’t obvious until you’re already in too deep.
The overseas problem
Here’s what a potential client told me recently. He’d posted a web design job on Bark, got a stack of responses, and started chatting with a few designers. Seemed promising at first.
Then he noticed the cracks.
Replies coming through at 2am. Slightly odd phrasing in emails. Video calls that kept getting dodged. When he pushed for a phone conversation, suddenly there were “technical issues.” One designer who claimed to be in Sydney had a portfolio full of American businesses with US phone numbers.
He wasn’t hiring Australian web designers. He was hiring overseas operators using Australian-sounding business names.
Obviously, there are talented designers all over the world. That’s not the point. The point is transparency. If someone’s pretending to be local when they’re not, that’s a red flag the size of Uluru.
And here’s the bigger issue: if something goes wrong – and with web projects, things definitely can go wrong – what’s your recourse? You can’t exactly rock up to their office. The ACCC isn’t going to chase down a developer in another country over a $3,000 website. And Tracy Grimshaw definitely can’t doorstop someone in Delhi.
You’re basically on your own.
The race to the bottom
The other problem with these platforms is structural. They’re designed for price competition. You post a job, you get fifteen quotes, and the natural instinct is to compare numbers.
Which means designers learn pretty quickly: if you want to win work on Bark, you need to be cheap.
So who’s quoting on these platforms? Generally not experienced designers with full books of work. More often it’s newcomers trying to build a portfolio, overseas operators with lower costs of living, or agencies farming work out to whoever’s available.
Some are fine. Some are genuinely good people starting out. But some are just playing the numbers game – quote low, win the job, figure out how to deliver later.
And web design isn’t a commodity. It’s not like buying printer paper where the cheapest option does the same job. A website that doesn’t work properly, doesn’t rank on Google, or looks like it was built in 2012 isn’t a bargain. It’s a liability.
What to look for instead
I’m not saying never use these platforms. But if you’re going to, go in with your eyes open. And whether you find someone on Bark, through Google, or via a mate’s recommendation, here’s what actually matters:
Local and verifiable. Can you find their actual address? Their ABN? Can you call them on an Australian mobile number during business hours and have a real conversation? If a designer can’t or won’t do a video call, ask yourself why.
A portfolio with context. Not just pretty screenshots – actual links to live websites. And ideally, work for businesses similar to yours. Anyone can mock up a nice design in Figma. Shipping a real website that works is different.
They ask questions before quoting. If someone gives you a price without understanding what you actually need, they’re guessing. A proper quote comes after a conversation about your business, your goals, and what’s actually involved. “How much for a website?” is like asking “how much for a house?” The answer is always “depends.”
Direct communication. You want to talk to the person who’ll actually be doing the work. Not an account manager. Not a sales rep. Not a chatbot. If you can’t get direct access before you’ve paid, you definitely won’t get it after.
A contract and clear terms. What’s included? What’s not? What happens if the project runs over? What do you actually own at the end? Anyone legitimate will have this in writing before money changes hands.
The bottom line
Your website isn’t a throwaway purchase. For most small businesses, it’s the first impression you make – and often the deciding factor between someone getting in touch or clicking away to a competitor.
Going with the cheapest quote from an anonymous platform might save a few hundred bucks upfront. But if you end up with something that doesn’t work, doesn’t represent your business properly, or leaves you stranded when things go wrong – that’s not savings. That’s an expensive lesson.
There are plenty of good web designers in Australia. Local people who’ll actually pick up the phone, who understand the market, who’ll still be around in twelve months if you need changes made.
Find one of those.
And if you’re on the Sunshine Coast or anywhere in Queensland, I’m happy to have a chat – even if it’s just to help you figure out what questions to ask before you hire anyone.
Contact me here if you’d like to talk about the kind of web design your business needs.