Phil Kurth

Web Designer & Developer in Geelong

A real developer with an eye for design, and nobody in between.

Most websites pass through a designer, a developer and an account manager before they reach you. I'm all three. For nearly 20 years I've designed and built websites, custom web applications and practical AI tools for Australian businesses, and I'm the one you talk to from start to finish. Geelong based, Australia wide.

Phil Kurth - Web designer & developer in Geelong
  • 20 years building websites and web apps
  • 5.0 from 19 Google reviews
  • One person design, build, hosting and support
  • Australia wide based in Geelong, clients across Australia

Websites I've brought to life.

Kim Beach logo Bower Bird CPD logo Wine Decoded logo Advanced Custom Fields logo CyclingTips logo The National Grid logo Geelong City Yoga logo TA Pharma logo WHRIA logo Brave Therapy logo Words by Nuance logo Mill End Legal logo Kadeo logo Digital Thing logo Cora and Bodhi logo Dreamachine logo Upco logo Colossal Creatures logo Foto Moto Tours logo Kim Beach logo Bower Bird CPD logo Wine Decoded logo Advanced Custom Fields logo CyclingTips logo The National Grid logo Geelong City Yoga logo TA Pharma logo WHRIA logo Brave Therapy logo Words by Nuance logo Mill End Legal logo Kadeo logo Digital Thing logo Cora and Bodhi logo Dreamachine logo Upco logo Colossal Creatures logo Foto Moto Tours logo
Custom web apps & practical AI

When a website isn't enough

More than half of what I build now is more than just a website. Booking systems, client portals, internal tools and practical AI, built to plug into your website and the systems you already use, or to replace the ones that never quite fit how you work.

Custom web applications → Booking and quoting systems, client portals, dashboards and internal tools that replace spreadsheets. From $15,000.
Practical AI integration → Assistants trained on your content, automations that triage forms and email, document processing.

Why people keep
coming back

5.0 from 19 Google reviews See all reviews on Google
01
Easy to deal with, and quick to get back to you.

“Up front, super easy to work with, speedy and knowledgeable. I'd recommend Phil in a heartbeat (and already have!).”Faith Fuhrer, UPCO

02
The hard technical stuff is the part I'm good at.

“Phil is an absolute pro to work with and undertook a website migration for us that seemed near impossible.”Tim Kenington, WhichCar

03
I'm still here after launch. Usually for years.

“Phil has been looking after my website for many years now. He's always been a great resource, very professional, fast and creative.”Andrea Szasz, Brave Therapy

04
I work out what you actually need, not just what you asked for.

“It was very personal, talking to a human being who listened and understood the broad aims and the nuances.”Bruce Waldron, Sharn Waldron

Good web
design
is a process.

A thorough, strategic process eliminates guesswork and ensures your website is built with intent. No skipped steps or loose ends -- just a well-defined path to a strong web presence that drives results.

1

Strategy

Clearly defined goals, keywords & structure form the foundation of a solid website.

2

Design

A beautiful design that complements your brand fosters respect & trust from visitors.

3

Development

A system built with modern tools & conversion tracking provides agility & flexibility to pivot on demand.

4

Support

Continual maintenance, monitoring & support keep your website relevant, secure & running perfectly.

Frequently asked questions

The things people ask before they get in touch. If yours isn't here, ask me directly.

I offer WordPress website design and development, WooCommerce e-commerce builds, custom web applications built with Laravel and React, fast managed websites for small businesses through Rapid Sites, AI integration and automation, professional SEO and AI visibility audits, and ongoing hosting and support. The right approach depends on your business needs and budget.

Your site runs on a high-performance server in Sydney that I personally provision, secure, and monitor. This includes automated backups, proactive security layers, performance optimisation, SSL certificates, and incident response. Unlike shared hosting, your server environment is configured specifically for your site's needs, and you deal directly with me, not a support queue.

Every project starts with a strategy phase where I work with you to define goals, audience, and scope. From there I move into design, then development, then launch, with feedback loops at each stage. I don't disappear for weeks and come back with a surprise. You'll see progress regularly and have the opportunity to steer the direction throughout. After launch, I provide ongoing support and maintenance to keep everything running smoothly.

Absolutely. While I'm based in Geelong, I work with clients across Australia and internationally. Most of my collaboration happens remotely via video calls, email, and project management tools. I've been working this way for years and it works really well. The quality of communication matters more than physical proximity.

Yes. I help businesses identify where AI genuinely adds value, whether that's a custom chatbot trained on your content, automated workflows that process enquiries or documents, or intelligent features built into your existing systems. I focus on practical applications that solve real problems, not AI for the sake of it. Get in touch and we can talk through what might work for your situation.

It depends on what you need. A fast managed website for a small business starts from $1,500 setup plus $99 per month through Rapid Sites. A custom WordPress site typically runs $7,000 to $15,000 depending on complexity, with larger projects up to $40,000. Custom web applications start from $15,000. I'm upfront about pricing and will tell you if a simpler option makes more sense for your situation.

Usually both, and most people can't tell which one they're missing until partway through. A designer decides how the site looks and reads, a developer makes it work. I do both, so you don't have to work out where one job ends and the other starts, and nothing gets lost in a hand-off. There's a longer answer in web designer vs web developer.

AI tools can put a page together in minutes, and I use them myself to work faster. What they don't do is understand your business, decide what the site should say, or be around when something needs changing next year. Most of the businesses that come to me after trying an AI builder got a site quickly and then hit the point where it couldn't do what they needed.

Yes, and it's a common starting point. I rebuild sites that have outgrown Wix, Squarespace or an AI builder, and I pick up custom builds and web apps where the original developer has moved on and the code is still sitting there. First step is a look at what you have so you know what's salvageable and what isn't.

No. The apps and internal tools I build plug into the website and business systems you already use, or replace the ones that don't fit how you work. Plenty of clients come to me for a booking system or a client portal and keep the site they already have.

Need a website?
Let's talk.

From website design and SEO through to custom WordPress plugins and web applications. Nearly twenty years of building for the web, and every project still starts the same way: a conversation about what you actually need.

Phil Kurth, web designer and developer in Geelong