The questions we actually get asked.

Topic

About Upgraded.

• Who runs Upgraded?

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  Nathan Graham, founder. Self-taught developer since the age of 15, with nearly two decades of commercial experience on the other side of the desk (sales, executive leadership, scaling startup businesses into companies turning over tens of millions a year). Upgraded combines the builder side and the operator side in one studio.

• Where is Upgraded based?

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  Palm Beach on the Gold Coast, Queensland. Most clients are within a three-hour drive of the studio (Brisbane down through the Northern Rivers), with the rest scattered across Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, and regional centres we build dedicated pages for. We run full projects remotely without issue.

• Do you only work with Gold Coast businesses?

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  No. We work with Australian businesses nationally, and a handful of international clients on case-by-case. Regional pages (Byron Bay, Newcastle, Sydney, etc.) exist for SEO reasons, not to limit where we'll take work.

• What industries does Upgraded work with?

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  Four we do our sharpest work with: trades and service businesses, advisors and professional services (financial planners, accountants, lawyers, consultants), consumer and lifestyle brands, and founders/scale-ups. Outside those, we'll take a project if the fit is right; send us a note and we'll tell you honestly on the first call.

• Should I start with an AI tool or a website?

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  Depends on what's costing you the most. If you're losing leads to missed calls, drowning in document workflows, or paying staff to do repetitive admin, an AI tool will likely pay back faster. If your current site is the bottleneck (slow, broken, embarrassing, or just not there), start with the website. Most clients eventually do both. Tell us where the pain is on the discovery call and we'll point at the right one.

Topic

Website pricing and tiers.

• How much does a website with Upgraded cost?

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  Depends on the tier. Essentials starts at $2,500 upfront (or $229/month on a 12-month plan). Studio from $6,000 ($549/month). Partnership from $8,500 + $450/month ongoing, or $1,299/month bundled. Full detail at /web-design.

• What's the difference between Essentials, Studio, and Partnership?

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  Essentials is a clean starter site on our proven framework, for sole traders and new businesses who need to look professional fast. Studio is a fully custom design and build for established businesses replacing an underperforming site. Partnership bundles the Studio build with ongoing monthly optimisation from day one, for businesses treating the site as core infrastructure.

• How much does a website for a tradie cost in Australia?

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  Most tradie websites we build land in the Essentials tier ($2,500 upfront or $229/month), which covers up to 6 pages on our proven framework, SEO foundations, mobile responsiveness, and contact forms. A fully custom Studio build for a larger trade business runs from $6,000. Both include hosting, SSL, and ongoing editability.

• Can I pay monthly instead of a big upfront bill?

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  Yes, on every tier. Twelve-month term, includes hosting and SSL, includes monthly content updates. 50% buyout clause if you need to cancel mid-term; you keep your domain, no lock-out. Most leased website providers charge 100% of remaining months and hold your domain; we chose not to do that.

• What if I only need a few pages?

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  Essentials covers up to 6 pages. If that's enough, you're sorted. Extra pages are $200 each on Essentials, or step up to Studio where page count is unlimited.

• Do you do ecommerce websites?

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  Yes, on the Studio and Partnership tiers. Shopify, Wix Studio ecommerce, or custom builds on Stripe depending on scale and complexity. Essentials is too lean to do ecommerce properly.

• Do you do logos, photography, or copywriting?

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  Copywriting we occasionally help with on smaller jobs. For logos, photography, and brand illustration, we work with a short list of trusted specialist collaborators we can introduce or coordinate. We stay focused on strategy, design, build, and ongoing optimisation.

• What happens if my budget is under $2,500?

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  Essentials is the lowest tier we do properly, at $2,500. Below that the quality curve falls off a cliff and you're better off with a DIY template builder (Squarespace or Wix) or waiting until your budget grows. We'll tell you honestly on the discovery call if that's where you're at.

Topic

Process and timeline.

• How long does it take to build a website with Upgraded?

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  Essentials: 2 to 3 weeks from sign-off. Studio: 6 to 8 weeks. Partnership: 8 to 10 weeks. Full process with week-by-week breakdown lives on /web-design and the home page.

• How quickly can you start a new project?

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  We take on 1 to 2 new projects a month. If a tier is urgent, ask on the discovery call and we'll tell you the next available start date. Urgent starts are sometimes possible at a premium; we'll be transparent about the trade-offs.

• What do I need to have ready before we start?

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  Very little. A brief on your business (what you sell, who your customers are, what's not working today) is enough to start the discovery call. Copy, photos, and brand assets can be gathered during the strategy week. If you don't have those, we'll scope them in or recommend a collaborator.

• How much of my time will the project take?

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  Essentials: about 4 hours across the project (briefing, feedback, launch sign-off). Studio: 8 to 12 hours. Partnership: 15 to 20 hours across the build, plus an hour a month ongoing. We keep feedback rounds tight on purpose.

• Can I see the work in progress?

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  Yes. You get a staging link from week 4 on Studio and Partnership builds. Essentials compresses that window, but you still see design before build begins. The first time you see the site is never launch day.

Topic

SEO and organic performance.

• Does Upgraded do SEO?

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  Yes, baked into every website build. Technical foundations (site speed, Core Web Vitals, metadata, schema markup, internal linking, sitemap, robots config) are all handled before launch. Ongoing SEO refinement is included on the Ongoing Partnership and Partnership tier. For one-off SEO work on an existing site, Website Optimisation & SEO Foundations starts at $2,500.

• When should I rebuild my website versus optimise the existing one?

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  Rule of thumb: optimise if the site is structurally sound (modern platform, reasonable performance, editable CMS, good-enough design) but underperforming in search or conversion. Rebuild if the platform is locked, the site loads slowly despite fixes, or the design actively works against the business. Website Optimisation & SEO Foundations reveals which camp you're in; if rebuild is the right call, the audit fee credits toward it.

• How long does SEO take to show results?

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  SEO foundations laid at launch usually start improving rankings within 30 to 60 days for a new site, and within 90 days for an existing site that's been restructured. Mature sites with long-standing content compound faster. Anyone promising top-3 rankings in 30 days is overselling.

• What's included in SEO foundations?

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  Unique metadata (title, description, Open Graph) on every page, Organization + LocalBusiness schema sitewide, Service / Product / FAQPage schema where relevant, clean heading hierarchy, WebP/AVIF image pipeline with alt text, internal linking strategy, sitemap.xml, robots.txt, Search Console integration, and Core Web Vitals in the green. All checked and baseline-captured at launch.

• Do you do local SEO for trades?

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  Yes. Local SEO is the foundation of trade business lead generation, and we build regional pages for every city we work in (Gold Coast, Newcastle, Byron, Wollongong, Brisbane suburbs, etc.). LocalBusiness schema with city-specific area served, Google Business Profile setup, and location-specific content strategy are all part of the Studio and Partnership tiers.

• Can you help me rank on Google Maps?

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  Partly. We handle the on-site SEO and structured data that feeds Google Maps rankings, but Google Business Profile optimisation (reviews, posts, photos, Q&A) is an ongoing marketing activity that the Ongoing Partnership covers. For a one-off GBP audit and setup, that falls under Strategy & Digital Advice.

Topic

AI tools and TradeGuard.

• What are Upgraded's AI tools?

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  Software tools we build once and run for many Australian businesses, priced as a monthly subscription. Currently: TradeGuard (an AI receptionist for tradies) and Imprint (a branded ebook pipeline for content businesses). Custom AI builds are available through the studio when an off-the-shelf option does not fit. More in the pipeline. Each one solves a specific operational problem that's costing businesses hours or revenue.

• How is an AI tool different from an AI-built website?

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  Both are AI software shipped by Upgraded. The difference is the deliverable. An AI-built website is a public-facing front door, custom-built for your brand, designed to convert visitors and rank in search. An AI tool runs behind the scenes (answering calls, generating content, automating workflow) on a monthly subscription. Same studio, same AI-accelerated approach, different outcomes. Most clients eventually have both.

• What is TradeGuard?

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  A done-for-you AI receptionist for Australian tradies. Answers every call 24/7, qualifies the job, books it into your calendar, and texts you a summary. From $199/month, no lock-in. Full detail at /ai-tools/tradeguard.

• How much does an AI receptionist cost in Australia?

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  TradeGuard ranges from $199 to $649/month depending on call volume, plus a one-off $490 setup fee that's waived on six-month Pro or Scale commitments. That's roughly 10 to 20 times cheaper than hiring a full-time receptionist, and covers 24/7 including weekends and public holidays.

• Will TradeGuard work with my booking software?

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  Pro plans include Google Calendar integration. Scale adds ServiceM8, Jobber, AroFlo, and Tradify. If you use something else (Simpro, Fergus, i-Man, or a custom setup), tell us on the call and we'll scope it.

• Can I build a custom AI tool for my specific business?

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  Yes. Custom AI software builds are available through the studio, scoped like a website project. We design and ship full AI products for the manual processes you keep paying staff to run. For integrations into your existing stack, see Integrations & Smart Features (from $1,200 per integration). For a bespoke product build, book a Strategy call first so we can scope it properly.

Topic

After launch.

• Can I edit my website myself after launch?

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  Yes. Every build ships with a CMS configured for non-technical editing, plus a recorded walkthrough showing you exactly how to change copy, swap images, add blog posts, and update service pages. If you'd rather not edit yourself, the Ongoing Partnership covers content updates as part of the monthly retainer.

• What happens if something breaks on my website?

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  Ongoing Partnership clients get priority support with a 24-hour response window. Non-retainer clients can still reach us; we charge hourly for out-of-retainer work at studio rates. Security issues get triaged regardless of retainer status.

• Do you offer ongoing SEO services?

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  Yes, two ways. The Ongoing Partnership includes monthly SEO refinement, content updates, and technical maintenance as part of the retainer ($450/month). For a deeper one-off engagement, Website Optimisation & SEO Foundations is a fixed-scope service starting at $2,500.

• What platforms do you build on?

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  Astro or Next.js for custom builds (fastest, most flexible). Wix Studio or WordPress when the client prefers a platform they can self-manage more heavily. We pick the platform on the discovery call based on who's editing the site and what it needs to do.

• Do you host the sites you build?

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  Yes. Most builds deploy to Netlify, Vercel, or Cloudflare. Hosting and SSL are included in the Ongoing Partnership and in the first 12 months of every monthly build plan. Outside those, hosting is $25/month flat.

• What happens if I want to move to another provider later?

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  You own the code, the domain, the CMS content, and the analytics. We'll export everything and help you migrate. No platform lock-in, no proprietary builders you can't leave, no domain hostage situations.

• Do you provide website training for my team?

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  Yes. Every handover includes a recorded CMS walkthrough and a written site map showing what lives where. Longer training sessions for a team are available on request and covered inside the Ongoing Partnership.

Topic

Working with Upgraded.

• Do you offer fixed-price quotes?

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  Yes, for almost everything we do. The scope gets written up before any build begins, and the price on that document is the price paid. If you want to change scope mid-project, we rewrite the doc first and agree the new price before any work continues. No hourly drip, no scope-creep invoices.

• Do you offer refunds?

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  Upfront builds are non-refundable once strategy and design work has begun, because the first two weeks are deliverables that go to you. Monthly plans carry the 50% buyout clause for cancelling mid-term. TradeGuard and other AI tools are month-to-month and cancel any time with 30 days notice.

• How do I start a project with Upgraded?

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  Book a 30-minute discovery call via the contact page, fill in the project estimate form for a written quote in 48 hours, or email hello@upgraded.au directly. All three reach the same inbox; pick whichever fits how you work.

• Is there a contract or paperwork?

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  Yes, a short written agreement for every engagement. For website builds, a one-page Statement of Work plus a standard Terms & Conditions. For AI tools, a monthly subscription agreement. For Ongoing Partnership, a lightweight retainer agreement. None of them lock you in permanently.

• How do I know if Upgraded is right for my business?

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  If you're an Australian SMB who's tired of agency theatre and wants a website or a digital tool that earns its keep over years, probably yes. If you need the cheapest possible site, a 50-page corporate build, or anything enterprise-grade with compliance certifications, probably not. We'll tell you which one you are on the discovery call.