Digital marketing for Gold Coast small businesses
Get found. Get jobs. Know why.
Websites, SEO and Google Ads, with every enquiry traced back to where it came from.
You talk to the person doing the work.
Each call and form saved with where it came from.
By email, from me, not a ticket system.
Tools I build with
WordPress
Webflow
Google Analytics
Google Tag Manager
Google Ads
Data Studio
Meta
Semrush
Power BI
Campaign Monitor
Cloudflare- Sevalla
Supabase
React Hook Form
Xero Developer
Claude
Zapier
What I do for small businesses
Take the one you need. Every service comes with tracking. SEO and Google Ads add a Data Studio dashboard, and both work on sites I didn't build.
- 01
Websites
Get jobs. A custom-built site made for phones first, quick to load and built around the one thing a visitor should do next. Hosted by me, tracked from the day it goes live.
- 02
SEO
Get found. Found on Google for the jobs you want, in the places you work. Service pages, your Google Business Profile, links from trusted sites, and pages AI tools like ChatGPT can read.
- 03
Google Ads
Get found today. Search ads set up and run in your own Google Ads account, with every enquiry traced back to the ad that got it. If your budget is too small to be worth it, I'll tell you.
Made for small businesses where people ring or fill in a form to ask for a quote, like tradies, contractors, sole traders and start-ups. I'm based on the Gold Coast and take on clients anywhere in Australia, and in New Zealand too.
Know why
Every enquiry arrives with where it came from
When someone taps your phone number or sends your form, it's logged with the search, ad or listing that sent them. Every service saves it to your lead Sheet, and SEO and Google Ads add a Data Studio dashboard you can check any time.
- Phone taps and form enquiries
Tracked in your own Google Analytics, each one with the search, ad or listing that sent it.
- Your lead Sheet
Each enquiry saved to a Google Sheet with its source beside it, so nothing is lost in an inbox.
- Where your visitors come from
How many people visited, how long they stayed, and where they came from: Google search, ads, social, direct or your Business Profile.
- Where you rank on Google
Where you show up for the searches that matter to your business, and how that's moved since last month. Rankings take time, so you see the trend, not just one number.
- What your ads cost per enquiry
What you spent on Google Ads, what it brought in and what each enquiry cost. If a campaign costs more than the jobs it wins are worth, you'll see it and I'll say what to change.
- Your dashboard
One Data Studio dashboard with your Analytics, Search Console, Business Profile and Google Ads numbers, ready whenever you want to look.
Work I've done on both sides of the Tasman
Each job starts with one question: which enquiries do you want more of? From there I build the site and set up the tracking around the answer.
Mobi-Vac has cleaned Christchurch gutters and roofs since 1985. I moved them off Wix to a custom-built 12-page site that scores 95 for speed on a phone, with every call, email and quote form tracked in GA4. Their Business Profile, Bing and Facebook listings now match the site, and SEO runs month to month.
Elavo has cleaned Christchurch carpets since 2003, on a Wix site last touched in 2022. I ran a technical SEO audit, rewrote all seven service pages and the About page with the owners, added a commercial page, and set up their Business Profile for the map results, with a keyword plan for the jobs they want more of.
Escea makes gas fireplaces in Dunedin and sells them well beyond New Zealand. I helped launch their new Webflow site, then ran a technical audit and set the schema markup and meta information for all seven country sites. I also ran Google Ads for several of their brands across New Zealand and Australia.
Built to be noticed and remembered
Websites that hold up on a laptop, a tablet and a phone, because that is where your customers find you.
Me vs a typical agency
Agencies do good work. This is what's different when it's one person.
- 9+Years in digital marketingWebsites, SEO and Google Ads, in-house and for clients.
- 1Person on your accountThe one doing the work answers your emails.
| Topic | Typical agency | Obie Digital |
|---|---|---|
| Who you talk to | An account manager | The person doing the work |
| Contract | 12 months | Month to month after 3 |
| Your accounts | Often in their name | Always in yours |
| Reporting | A PDF each month | A live dashboard |
| Changes | A ticket, then a wait | An email to me |
| Your code | Locked to their platform | Yours once it's paid for |
"Every enquiry should have a source you can point to. If you can't see what's working, you're guessing."
"Stephen moved us off Wix onto a site that's quick and looks the part, and we can finally see which calls and quote requests come from Google. He explains it all in plain English and answers our emails himself."
Johno, Mobi-Vac"Our old site had the wrong details all through it. Stephen went through every service page with us until it was right, and set our Business Profile up properly. Thorough and easy to deal with."
Ilona, Elavo
About
I'm Stephen. I do the work myself.
One person, not a digital marketing agency. I do every part of the work, from the plan to the build to your emails. There's no office or sales team to pay for, which keeps my costs low, and I only take on a few clients at a time.
I'm a Kiwi living on the Gold Coast. I grew up in Invercargill, studied Marketing Management at the University of Otago and lived in Dunedin for more than a decade, and I've run Google Ads for brands in both Australia and New Zealand. I've been in digital marketing for 9+ years.
- No account managers, no juniors and no bundled extras
- Your domain, Google accounts and code stay in your name
- Open about using AI: it speeds up research, drafts and code checks, so you're not paying for busywork
- I check everything myself, and nothing goes live without your sign-off
Tell me which enquiries you want more of
Send me a few lines about your business. Here's what happens next.
- A reply within 2 business days
From me, with a few questions and a look at your current site if you have one.
- A written quote
What I'll do and when, on one page. Nothing starts until you say yes.
- Built and tracked
Set up in your own Google accounts, with every enquiry in your dashboard.
Questions people ask
The ones that come up on the first call.
How much does digital marketing cost?
It depends on what you take. A website is a one-off price, half up front and the rest when it goes live. Hosting comes with a monthly care plan. SEO has a 3 month minimum, then runs month to month, like Google Ads management. I'll quote in writing once we've talked about what you need. For typical Australian figures, see how much a website costs in Australia.
Is it really just you?
Yes. I plan the work, do the work and answer your emails, with no account manager in between. There's no office or sales team to pay for, which is why I keep the price down, and I take on a few clients at a time.
Do you only work with Gold Coast businesses?
No, anywhere in Australia. I live on the Gold Coast, so I can meet you in person there, and I work with businesses elsewhere by email and Zoom. I'm a Kiwi too, so I also work with New Zealand businesses, including ones selling into Australia.
Am I locked into a contract?
No long lock-in. The care plan and Google Ads management run month to month with one month's notice. SEO has a 3 month minimum, because it takes that long to show results, then runs month to month.
Who owns my website and accounts?
You do. Your domain and your Google accounts (Analytics, Ads and Business Profile) stay in your name, and the website code is yours once the build is paid for. If you leave, I hand the files over.
Do I need to give you access to my Google accounts?
Yes, at least Google Analytics, because that's how the tracking and dashboard work. If you don't have a Google Analytics account yet, I'll set one up in your name.
Can I edit the website myself?
Yes, if you want to. I can build your site on WordPress, where you log in and change the words, photos, prices and blog posts yourself. The layout is locked, so an edit can't break the design. Most businesses choose a custom-built site and email me their changes, and the care plan includes an hour of changes a month.