Custom theme build
Built against your design without a page builder, with proper template overrides. Typically a fraction of the page weight of a marketplace theme, and no licence tied to a vendor.
Website & eCommerce · Australia-wide
WooCommerce stores that stay fast once the catalogue and the plugins grow
Built on a custom theme with the plugin count cut, Australian GST and freight configured properly, and your accounting connected. You own everything, including the hosting.
No per-order platform fee
You own the whole stack
Hosting sized to your order volume
Every engagement includes
- GST on goods and freight
- Carrier rates by destination
- Xero or MYOB connected
- Object caching configured
- Update rehearsal before release
Why this goes wrong
What we usually find, and what we do instead
<p>Webcotec builds WooCommerce stores for Australian businesses that want flexible ecommerce control inside WordPress. We plan product structure, checkout flow, payment setup, performance, SEO foundations and admin usability so your online store is easier to manage and ready for growth.</p>
What we usually find
- Slow once the catalogue grows — because WooCommerce queries badly at scale without object caching and index work.
- Twenty plugins to run one store — each with a licence, an update cycle and a way to break checkout.
- Cart and checkout pages cached by mistake — so customers see someone else's basket, or their own from last week.
- Flat shipping across Australia — which loses money on WA and NT or prices you out in Sydney.
- Updates applied straight to production — on a store that takes orders, which is how a sale day goes wrong.
What we do instead
- Tune the database, not just the cache — object caching, index review and query optimisation on the tables Woo actually hits.
- Fold plugins into the theme — one build removes the licences and the script weight together.
- Exclude the dynamic pages properly — cart, checkout and account never cached, with cache rules tested rather than assumed.
- Zone-based freight from carrier data — Australia Post or Sendle rates by destination, so margin survives the delivery.
- Patch on staging with a rehearsal — so an update to a store taking orders is something you have already done once.
What's included
What we actually work on
Not a checklist of 200 "optimisations". These are the things that move the result.
Performance at catalogue scale
Object caching with Redis, index review on the Woo tables, query optimisation and correct cache exclusions for cart and checkout. Measured on a real mobile connection.
Australian tax and freight
GST configured correctly including shipping tax, AUD pricing, and live or zone-based rates from Australia Post or Sendle rather than one flat guess.
Payments and BNPL
Stripe, PayPal, Afterpay and Zip configured against your margin, with 3D Secure handled and failed-payment recovery set up rather than left on defaults.
Accounting and stock integration
Two-way sync with Xero or MYOB, plus 3PL or POS where you have one, so stock and invoices reconcile without anyone retyping them.
Hosting, security and updates
Hosting sized to your traffic, staging that matches it, security hardening and a patching routine with tested restores.
How we work
A sequence, not a black box
You see the plan before we touch anything, and you approve what gets done.
01
Review
Current store, plugin load, hosting and margins assessed, with the fix list and fixed price written before anything starts.
02
Design
Templates designed mobile-first against your real catalogue, not a demo with placeholder products.
03
Build
Custom theme on staging with your products loaded, so you review your store rather than a mock-up.
04
Test
Checkout tested end to end with real payment methods and the freight edge cases, on real devices.
05
Launch
Deployed outside trading hours with redirects live, analytics verified and a tested rollback ready.
Pricing
How much does WooCommerce cost in Australia?
Most agencies make you ask before they will quote a starting point. Here it is.
Store setup and launch
$5,000 – $11,000fixed scope, AUD ex GST
- Quality theme configured to your brand
- Product and category setup
- GST, AUD and zone-based freight
- Payment gateways and BNPL
- Performance and caching setup
- Two weeks post-launch support
Custom WooCommerce build
$18,000 – $45,000fixed scope, AUD ex GST
- Custom theme, no page builder
- Plugin audit and consolidation
- Database and caching optimisation
- One accounting or 3PL integration
- Migration and 301 redirect map
- Hosting sized and configured
- 30 days post-launch support
Care and maintenance
$500 – $2,000per month, AUD ex GST
- Patching on staging first
- Offsite backups, restore-tested
- Uptime and checkout monitoring
- Included change hours
- Performance review each quarter
- No lock-in contract
All amounts are in Australian dollars and exclude GST. These are indicative starting points and assume a scope agreed in writing before work begins. Anything outside that scope is quoted separately and approved by you first. We invoice against milestones, not hours worked.
Who this is for
Australian businesses we do WooCommerce for
Industries where we understand the buying cycle, the compliance constraints and how customers actually search.
Fashion & apparel
Food & beverage
Homewares & furniture
Trade supply & B2B
Health & supplements
Sporting & outdoor
FAQ
Questions Australian businesses ask about WooCommerce
WooCommerce or Shopify?
Shopify for most retailers: hosting, security and PCI compliance are handled and it stays fast with less work. WooCommerce wins when you need full control of the data and the stack, have complex or unusual product logic, or want to avoid a per-order platform fee at high volume. We will tell you which one fits your numbers.
How much does a WooCommerce store cost in Australia?
A configured store on a quality theme generally starts in the low five figures. A custom theme with integrations runs higher. Ongoing costs are hosting and maintenance rather than a platform fee, which is the main financial difference from Shopify.
Why is our WooCommerce store slow?
Usually the database rather than the theme. Woo writes a lot to the options and postmeta tables, and without object caching and index work it degrades as the catalogue and order history grow. We measure before recommending anything.
Can you migrate us from Shopify?
Yes. Products, variants, customers and order history migrate, with a full 301 redirect map built before launch so the rankings you have already earned survive the move.
What hosting do we need?
Not shared hosting, once you are taking real orders. WooCommerce needs PHP workers, object caching and a database that is not shared with a hundred other sites. We size it to your traffic and keep it in your name.
How do you handle GST?
Configured correctly including tax on shipping, with prices displayed inclusive as Australian consumers expect, and the tax report lining up with what your accountant needs.
Can it connect to Xero?
Yes, two-way for invoices, payments and stock depending on volume. We scope it against your actual order count rather than defaulting to the expensive connector.
Who owns everything?
You do. Theme in your repository, hosting in your name, database under your control, and no licence tied to us.
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Need a WooCommerce store that is easy to manage?
Send us your site. We will tell you what is actually wrong.
Talk to Webcotec about your ecommerce goals, products and checkout requirements.
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