Founded by Jo.
Kept flying by Alan.
Joanna Hobbins started Web Bird Digital in 2012 to help businesses grow online with creative, well-built websites. When we lost Jo in 2016, her husband Alan stepped in to keep her business, her clients and her standards going. Today a small Sydney team carries that legacy on.
Family-owned · Sutherland Shire, Sydney · Since 2012
Since 2012
4.9★
500+
100%
Our story
A family business with a founder’s heart
Web Bird Digital was Jo’s business long before it was ours. This is how it started, and how Alan made sure it kept flying.
Joanna Hobbins
Founder
Jo was our top bird. She set Web Bird Digital into flight in 2012 with compelling creativity, website development expertise and more than eight years in digital media behind her.
She loved new technology and the digital platforms that help businesses work better, but she built the business on people. Her great attitude towards customer relations won clients who stayed, and some of her very first clients are still with us today.
Alan
Owner and Director
Jo was diagnosed with liver cancer in late 2015 and sadly lost her battle in early 2016. Her husband, Alan, made the decision to keep Web Bird Digital going.
Alan brought an extensive background in management, human resources and business. Rather than reinvent what Jo had built, he set out to protect it: the clients she cared about, the standards she set and her knack for finding compelling, unique ways to help businesses grow online.
Today Alan leads a small in-house team in the Sutherland Shire, and he’s still the first person most new clients meet.
What Jo started, we still promise
- Real people who answer the phone, with same-day support
- Plain-English advice, without the jargon
- A website you can update yourself, with training included
- Honest quotes, fixed proposals and no surprises
- A team that’s still here long after launch
Because we design, build, host and market everything in-house, you deal with one team that knows your website inside out, from the first sketch to years after launch.
The flock
Meet the team
The people carrying Jo’s legacy forward, and the people you’ll be talking to.
Alan
Owner and Director
Alan leads the flock, our Senior Bird. With a background in management, human resources and business, he’s the face of Web Bird and the person you’ll meet first. His love of the web is matched only by his love of bad jokes and puns.
Peter
Lead Developer
Peter has always loved computers, programming and fixing things. He looks after our more complex projects, our servers and the tricky technical questions. He also loves cars, bikes and the outdoors.
Franziska
Developer
Fran specialises in front-end development and responsive design, turning designs into fast, polished WordPress websites that look great on every device.
Leah
Lead Digital Marketer
Leah runs strategy, social content and paid ads for our marketing clients. When she’s not growing someone’s audience, she’s entertaining an audience as a marriage celebrant and MC.
Our clients
Some of the businesses we look after
Clubs, health practices, trades, retailers, not-for-profits and professional services, plus the design studios we collaborate with.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a website cost?
It depends on your goals and the features you need. The Runway starts from $3,495 plus GST, Altitude from $5,995 plus GST, and custom websites from $12,000 plus GST. Most of the websites we build cost between $3,495 and $50,000.
The cost reflects the time that goes into design, structure, content, features, testing and launch. Talk to us and we’ll recommend the best option for your budget.
What are the ongoing costs of a website?
There are two main ongoing costs:
- Domain names. We recommend registering both the .com.au and .com if they’re available. As a domain reseller, we can register and manage them for you. At the time of writing, .com.au domains cost $70 for two years and .com domains $50 a year.
- Hosting and maintenance. Your website needs a fast, secure home and regular updates to stay healthy. Our hosting and maintenance plans start from $44 a month plus GST.
What are my hosting options?
WordPress can run on most hosting, but speed, reliability and location matter. Look for an Australian provider, because overseas servers are slower to reach from Australia and often run maintenance in the middle of our workday. To keep it simple, we run our own Sydney-based hosting, purpose-built for fast, reliable WordPress websites.
What is a content management system, and why WordPress?
A content management system (CMS) lets you update your own text, images, documents and video without calling a developer or knowing any code. We build on WordPress and its block editor because it’s flexible, easy to use, actively developed, free and open source. Unlike platforms such as Wix or Squarespace, you’re never locked in.
I want to sell online. Where do I start?
Start with your idea and your brand: what you’ll sell, who your competitors are and how you want to look. Then choose your platform:
- Hosted platforms such as Shopify or BigCommerce give you templates, but less control, and you don’t own the website.
- A WordPress store that we design and build to your specifications, with orders, shipping, discount codes and payments built in.
You’ll also need a payment gateway, such as Stripe, PayPal or your bank’s merchant facility, plus SSL security, which comes standard with our hosting. Send us your ideas and we’ll put together a proposal.
Will my website work on mobile?
Yes. Most website traffic now comes from phones, so every website we build is responsive and tested on desktops, laptops, tablets and phones.
Do I own my website?
A custom-built website is yours once the project is paid in full. With The Runway and Altitude, you get a licence to use your website, including its software and content, for the life of the site once it’s paid in full. Web Bird Digital keeps the copyright in the design and code. So while you won’t own the source code, the website is yours to use and update for as long as it runs.
Do you work with designers and agencies?
Yes. We partner with graphic design studios and agencies to bring their designs to life with clean, responsive builds and clear communication.
Do I need to be in Sydney to work with you?
No. We’re based in the Sutherland Shire, but we work with businesses throughout Australia and New Zealand by phone, email and video call.
Ready for take-off?
Find out what your website should be doing for you
Book a free website review and we’ll look at your site, your Google presence and your socials, then tell you plainly where the opportunities are. No obligation and no hard sell.
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