Finding the best web design in Whanganui starts with knowing what you need the site to do, whether that is a three page brochure site or a Shopify store carrying hundreds of products. Web design in Whanganui now spans Webflow, WordPress, Shopify and Squarespace builds, and most studios wrap branding, copywriting and search engine optimisation into the same job rather than selling design on its own. Inferno Design and Digital and Liquid Edge both work from studios in the central city.
1Inferno Design and Digital
Inferno Design and Digital is a Whanganui studio covering brand development, print design and website design and development from its base on Guyton Street. Every site is built in Webflow from the ground up rather than from a template, with the purpose of the site and how people will use it worked out before the build starts. The studio suits businesses and organisations that want branding, printed collateral and a website handled by the same team.
Services
- Website design and development in Webflow
- E-commerce builds
- CMS setup and client handover
- Website maintenance and updates
- Branding, logo design and brand guidelines
Highlights
- Founded by Jeff Croot, who set the studio up to cover both design and web development
- Websites built individually in Webflow, with no template used as a starting point
- Studio premises in central Whanganui rather than a remote office
- Website portfolio includes St George’s School, Keown Honda, Whakauae Research Services and Quick Build Homes
- Print side covers annual reports, packaging, signage and print management, so brand and web work can run together
Location & Contact
Name: Inferno Design and Digital
Address: 68 Guyton Street, Whanganui
Phone: 06 347 7163
Website: infernodesign.co.nz
2Liquid Edge
Liquid Edge Creative is a small digital agency on Rutland Street in central Whanganui, working across website development, graphic design, marketing strategy and content creation. The team builds mainly in WordPress, uses Squarespace for simpler sites, and writes custom functionality where a project needs it. It suits businesses that want the words, the design and the build handled in one place, including retailers moving into online selling.
Services
- Website development and custom functionality
- eCommerce stores
- Brand development and logo design
- Copywriting, blog posts, newsletters and advertising copy
- Google Ads management and social media advertising
Highlights
- WordPress is the preferred platform, with Squarespace used for simpler sites and hand coding in HTML, CSS, PHP and JavaScript where needed
- eCommerce experience ranging from a single product seller through to retailers with thousands of stock lines, including the Springvale Garden Centre store
- Four stage process covering strategy, content, design and action, so marketing is planned before anything is designed
- Free consultation offered before a project is scoped
Location & Contact
Name: Liquid Edge
Address: 7 Rutland Street, Central, Whanganui 4500
Phone: 06 345 7267
Website: liquidedge.co.nz
3Artura Studio
Artura Studio is a marketing studio on Market Place in central Whanganui, founded by Maddie Powers, working across strategy, brand, websites and ongoing marketing. Website projects are built on Squarespace or Shopify, with site structure, copywriting, search engine optimisation, design and development all handled in one process. It suits established service and product businesses that want the website planned around how customers actually decide.
Services
- Squarespace website design and build
- Shopify and eCommerce website builds
- Website copywriting for every page
- Foundational SEO with Google Analytics and Search Console setup
- Brand and marketing strategy
Highlights
- Website pricing published openly, starting from $3,600 plus GST for a three page Squarespace build and from $7,000 plus GST for an eight page build
- Copywriting included in every website project rather than quoted as an extra
- Sites set up in the client’s own Squarespace or Shopify account, with no compulsory hosting or maintenance fees afterwards
- One to one marketing coaching sessions offered at $320 for a 60 minute session
- Photography brief and launch training included, so the owner can update the site after handover
Location & Contact
Name: Artura Studio
Address: 11 Market Place, Whanganui
Website: arturastudio.co.nz
4Tizard Design
Tizard Design is a family business at Papaiti, just north of Whanganui, that builds and hosts websites for local and New Zealand clients. Sites are generally developed in the Joomla content management system, with WordPress and plain HTML sites maintained as well, and hosting runs under the studio’s own Whanganui Web Hosting brand. It suits owners who want the site, the domain, the email and the support to come from one place.
Services
- Joomla website development
- WordPress and HTML website maintenance
- Managed web hosting under the Whanganui Web Hosting brand
- Domain name selection, registration and email setup
- Search engine optimisation, offered whether or not they built the site
Highlights
- Over 20 years building websites
- Development charged at a published rate of $75 per hour, with quotes adhered to
- Hosting servers set up specifically for Joomla, with a local support person answering queries
- Joomla sites can be exported as a single file and moved to another host, so the client keeps the work
Location & Contact
Name: Tizard Design
Address: Papaiti, Whanganui
Phone: 021 121 9550
Website: tizarddesign.com
5Holiday Studio
Holiday Studio is an independent design studio on Drews Avenue run by Manda Clarke, working across brand strategy, brand identity, packaging and graphic design. Websites are one of its service lines, built as customised Shopify or Squarespace sites that carry an existing brand into a digital space. It suits small businesses and product brands that want the logo, the packaging and the site designed as one system.
Services
- Customised Shopify and Squarespace website design
- Brand identity and logo design systems
- Brand strategy and positioning
- Packaging design for FMCG, boutique retail and online brands
- Ongoing graphic design across print and digital
Highlights
- Designer owned and operated, with the same designer on the project from concept through to final artwork
- More than 12 years of agency experience behind the studio
- Packaging work includes prepress setup and digital mock ups for production
- Brand and website delivered together on projects such as the Misfit Garden produce box
Location & Contact
Name: Holiday Studio
Address: 20 Drews Avenue, Whanganui 4500
Phone: 021 403 533
Website: holidaystudio.co.nz
Web Design in Whanganui at a Glance
| Business | Highlight |
|---|---|
| Inferno Design and Digital | Founded by Jeff Croot, who set the studio up to cover both design and... |
| Liquid Edge | WordPress is the preferred platform, with Squarespace used for simple... |
| Artura Studio | Website pricing published openly, starting from $3 |
| Tizard Design | Over 20 years building websites |
| Holiday Studio | Designer owned and operated, with the same designer on the project fr... |
How to Choose the Right Web Designer in Whanganui
- Decide what the site has to do before you compare quotes. A three page site that establishes credibility and an online store that processes orders are different jobs with very different budgets.
- Check which platform the studio builds on and whether you can maintain it yourself. Webflow, WordPress, Shopify, Squarespace and Joomla all behave differently once the designer hands it over.
- Ask whether copywriting is included. Being handed a blank page and asked to supply the words is the most common reason a website project stalls.
- Confirm who will own the domain, the hosting account and the site files, and what happens if you later move to someone else.
- Look at the studio’s own portfolio for work in a comparable industry, and ask whether branding, print and photography can be handled at the same time if you need them.
Frequently Asked Questions About Whanganui Web Design
How much does web design in Whanganui cost?
It depends almost entirely on scope. Studios in the region publish figures such as $3,600 plus GST for a focused three page Squarespace build and $7,000 plus GST for an eight page site, while hourly development work is quoted around $75 per hour. A basic brochure site sits at the lower end and an online store with a large product catalogue at the upper end, so it pays to get a written scope rather than compare headline prices.
Which platform should my website be built on?
Local studios build on Webflow, WordPress, Shopify, Squarespace and Joomla, and each has a purpose. Squarespace and Webflow suit smaller service businesses that want a polished site they can update themselves, WordPress and Joomla suit sites that need custom functionality or a lot of content, and Shopify is the usual choice for selling products online. Ask the designer to explain why they are recommending a platform for your situation, not just which one they prefer.
Do I own the website and the domain name once it is built?
You should. Reputable studios set the site up in an account in your name and register the domain to you, and some can export the whole site as a single file if you ever move host. Check the domain is registered in your own name rather than the designer’s, and read the .nz rules on registrant details at the Domain Name Commission before you sign anything.
How long does a new website take?
A small site is commonly quoted at two to four weeks, and a larger multi page build at four to eight weeks. The timeline usually hinges on how quickly you supply content, photos and feedback rather than on the design work itself, so ask what the studio needs from you and when.
Do Whanganui web designers write the content as well?
Some do and some do not, and it makes a real difference to the final price and the launch date. Several studios in the city include copywriting for every page as standard, while others expect you to supply the words or bring in a separate copywriter. Confirm it in writing before the project starts.
Where in Whanganui are web design studios based?
Most of the city’s design studios sit in the central business area, around Guyton Street, Rutland Street, Market Place and Drews Avenue, which puts them within walking distance of each other and of most central city businesses. A few work from just outside the town belt, at Papaiti and through the surrounding rural area. If being able to sit down at the same table matters to you, ask whether the studio takes meetings in person or works mainly online.
What does my website need to say about privacy?
If your site collects customer details through a contact form, a booking or an online order, you are handling personal information and the Privacy Act applies. A short, plain privacy statement covering what you collect, why, and how someone can ask for their information is the usual minimum. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner publishes free guidance and a privacy statement generator for small businesses.
Can a Whanganui studio build a site for a business outside the city?
Yes. Studios based here regularly work with clients across Manawatū, Rangitīkei, South Taranaki and the rest of New Zealand, and the process runs perfectly well over video calls and email. Working with a nearby studio mainly helps when you want photography on site or face to face workshops during the strategy stage.
How We Chose the Best Web Design in Whanganui
Every business in this guide was found by searching for web design in Whanganui, then checked against what the business publishes itself: its own website, or where it has none, its official social or booking page. Names, addresses and phone numbers come from those pages rather than a directory feed, so what you see here is what the business says about itself. We also check that each one is still trading and is actually based in or genuinely serving Whanganui, rather than a national operator running a local landing page. A business we can’t confirm from its own pages is not listed.