Speed is a feature
Every extra second of loading costs you visitors. We treat performance as part of the design, not an afterthought.
about
A Tauranga web studio with big standards.
Ripstart Designs is a web and software studio in Tauranga. We build websites and web apps for New Zealand businesses that want to be found, trusted and chosen, and we build them properly.
Kia ora, I’m Tom.
I started Ripstart because I kept seeing good local businesses held back by websites that were slow, generic and hard to change, often built on templates they did not own and could not easily leave.
I build differently. Every site is designed for the business it belongs to and hand-coded, so it loads fast, ranks well and is simple to look after. When a business needs more than a website, such as a quote calculator, a 3D configurator or an AI assistant, I build that too.
Your first point of contact is my lovely associate Bianca, who organises our projects and books your appointments. From the first chat to launch day and beyond, you deal with Bianca or me directly. No middlemen and no outsourcing, just clear advice and work I am proud to put my name to.
how we work
Six principles behind every project.
Honest pricing
Published prices, fixed quotes and no surprise invoices. If something changes, you hear about it before it costs you.
You own it
Your code, your domain, your content. We would rather keep you because you are happy, not because you are stuck.
Accessible by default
Websites should work for everyone, including people using screen readers, keyboards or an old phone on a bad connection.
Local and personal
We are part of the Tauranga business community, and you will always deal directly with the people doing the work.
Measure what matters
Enquiries, bookings and sales, not vanity metrics. We show you what is working and what we will improve next.
the toolkit
Modern tools, chosen for the job.
No page builders and no bloated themes. We use proven web standards and pick extra tools only when they earn their place.
- HTML & CSS
- JavaScript
- Three.js
- Node.js
- Tailwind CSS
- AI model APIs
- Netlify
- Schema.org
- Google Search Console
- Lighthouse
We build in plain, well-documented code, so another developer could pick up your project tomorrow. That is what “no lock-in” means in practice.
where we work
Based in Tauranga, working across Aotearoa.
We work with businesses across Tauranga, Mount Maunganui, Pāpāmoa, Bethlehem, Ōtūmoetai, Te Puke, Ōmokoroa, Katikati, Rotorua and Whakatāne, and with clients right around New Zealand over video call.
Let's see how far we can go.
Tell us what you want to build. You will get a clear plan and a fixed quote, usually within two working days, with no obligation and no hard sell.