About us

Five by Five build results driven digital strategies that help businesses grow and scale. Known as the Gold Coast & Australia’s leading WordPress web design & SEO agency, we know our stuff when it comes to performance driven marketing solutions.

Nothing but results baby!

We deliver every project with SEO built in from the outset because it's the results you want, not just another pretty looking website! We are the only Gold Coast web developer to promise that we can double your website traffic and enquiries with a site you are very proud of. Our results speak for themselves.

Founded in 2006 by owner Jon Hollenberg, Five by Five was started in his spare bedroom at Burleigh Heads by building websites in his boardshorts (in between the occasional surf). Jon saw a tremendous opportunity in the marketplace to deliver beautiful web solutions that were geared around getting results for clients. Fast forward over 17 years, we are now a full service digital agency having delivered over 3,500 projects.

With a team of over 40, Five by Five has every facet of digital marketing covered! Our strategists will put together the ultimate digital solution for your business, project managers who will guide you through every step of the journey, designers who will make your vision come to life, developers who will build an epic, functional website, copywriters who will take your key messaging and turn it into content that converts and SEO gurus to skyrocket your website into digital outerspace.

After nearly two decades in the business, you are partnering with a digital team that has the experience, passion and proven track record to get you an amazing outcome.

Meet the crew!

Jon Hollenberg

Founder

With over 17 years of experience within the web industry, Jon is an expert in online marketing and online growth strategies. Over the last ten years, he has worked with over 500 Australian and international businesses, presented seminars and delivered hundreds of online projects. Jon’s design background coupled with his strong project management skills have made him successful in merging account management and leading a creative team. Jon has a Bachelor of Multimedia from Monash University and won Gold Coast's Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2021. Jon is a keen surfer, enjoys distance running and working out in the gym.

Carla Schesser

Head of Innovation

While small, Carla packs a BIG punch. It is rumoured she once designed, coded and launched a new website in under two hours, all while sipping on a cappuccino casually scrolling through Instagram. True story. Starting her Five by Five journey in 2017 as our Project Manager, Carla’s role in the business quickly blossomed. She now spends her time ensuring our business continues to innovate and scale to bring only the best results for our clients. When Carla isn’t thinking about our clients (very rarely), wrangling WordPress & solving problems, you can find her snuggling her Frenchie's, Tobi & Mila.

Gabrielle Armes

Head of Marketing

Gaby has always had a huge interest in the digital space. Growing up in the times of social media and digital marketing means her understanding of these tools are second to none. Completing a Bachelor of Communications (majoring in Advertising) at Bond University only expanded her passion for the digital world. During her time at Five by Five, she has worked with a range of clients and her love of creating a 5-star experience through personal communication has helped create long-lasting friendships with the clients she has worked with. Now undertaking the role of Head of Marketing & Client Experience, Gaby's mission is to make sure every one of our clients has a killer experience when working with Five by Five! When she isn’t hanging out in HQ, Gaby spends her time playing tennis with her soon to be hubby or you can also find her at home watering her 23 house plants.

Janelle Morton

Head of Operations

Janelle completed a business degree majoring in Human Resources Management and has previously worked in this industry for a couple of years before realising her passion for HR was not growing. She learned a lot of new skills which she now uses to enhance her position as the Executive Assistant supporting our superstar CEO, Carla, and team alike. She thoroughly enjoys helping others and is happy to volunteer a helping hand around the office.

Having recently moved to the Gold Coast, most of Janelle's spare time is spent exploring her new surroundings including beaches, restaurants and waterfalls. When she's not out and about she's in the kitchen baking a sweet treat to share with the team.

Sam Horn

Chief of Creative

Ten years with Five by Five and over 400+ custom designed websites has taught Sam a few things about user experience, interface design, website frameworks and design review processes. Sam heads up design at Five by Five, he is a passionate guy who cares deeply about the work he does. The perfect mix of creativity, communication and leadership equips Sam with the tools to deliver one of a kind products. When Sam’s not whipping up designs in Sketch App or syncing them to Invision you can find him grappling at the gym or travelling in Japan.

Oliver Baker

Head of SEO & PPC

Oliver has a passion for marketing which he discovered through completing a Bachelor of Business with a double major in Marketing and HR at SCU. It wasn’t until his last year of uni that he discovered his love of the digital space within marketing, and this is where he started to hone his SEO and SEM skills. Oliver finds great satisfaction in seeing our clients websites climb through the ranks of Google and watch their traffic excel! He gets his biggest kicks from our SEO clients’ conversions increasing as well and helping their businesses scale. Oliver spends most weekends at the beach surfing, snorkelling and doing anything else that’s outdoors. Everyone at Five By Five is impressed with Oliver’s glorious long hair and knows that when he ties it up… he means business!

Lael Batoon

Digital Strategist

Lael originally started as our Support Client Manager but is now one of our Digital Strategists here at Five by Five, he is your go to guy when first starting your journey with us! But really Lael’s main role is to make sure everyone is happy and trust us, he is so good at it. We experience it firsthand in the office around the lunch table. This is Lael’s first ‘grown up’ job in the digital industry so he continues to learn something new everyday which keeps him on his toes! But he brings a wealth of experience from his previous sales and client generation roles as these roles have helped him be super comfortable with meeting and being himself around new people! Lael was also a (wannabe) full-time photographer so he has a keen eye for detail and design. He likes to spend his time outside of work at the gym, light gaming, taking photos, and hanging out with people he loves. We call him our resident pop culture expert as he teaches us all the latest lingo, dance moves, and creates custom emojis for us to use!

Anja Shelley

Accounts Officer

Born in Switzerland, Anja moved to Australia at the age of 4 (many many moons ago) Anja has an interesting and diverse background from retail sales with David Jones, PA to a prominent Property Developer in Sydney, Sales & Marketing Coordinator for a 5 star hotel and a resort in Cairns, to Finance Manager for a Tourism Marketing Company. Anja is now our resident “Ca$h Money”. She prides herself on 5 star customer service and loves building a rapport with our clients. Anja is friendly, approachable and has a great sense of humour. She is definitely not your usual accounts officer. On the weekends you will find her anywhere near water, she absolutely loves the ocean (it’s her happy place) and with her family and friends as she loves to entertain. Based in Brisbane she travels to the Gold Coast every Monday for our team huddles, meetings and catching up with the gang whom she adores. “SHOW ME THE MONEY” - Anja

Eddie O'Hara-Close

Senior UI Designer

Edwin has been interested in Graphic Design, Web Design and Web Development since his high school days. He completed a Diploma in Multimedia at GCIT while in high school which sparked his interest and ambition. After graduating high school he attended Griffith University and began his Bachelor of Digital Media, majoring in Graphic Design. Since working at Five by Five, Edwin continues to advance his User Interface/Experience design skills and is also known as the icon master around the office. When he's not creating unique designs he enjoys producing music, going to the gym, as well as playing basketball.

Wayde Gustavson

Lead Project Manager

Siobhan O'Reagan

Project & Content Assistant

Siobhan graduated from the University of Auckland, specialising in communications and doing some
journalism on the side. She moved from Auckland to Melbourne and began working in marketing
where she found my passion for content writing. Siobhan has since relocated to the Gold Coast and has
begun her journey with Five by Five working on all things content! Outside of work, Siobhan loves being
active and out and about in nature! She also enjoy hunting for the best coffee in the area!

Matt Forrester

Senior SEO Strategist

Matt kickstarted his career as a copywriter but quickly moved to the SEO wing. Since then, he’s been balancing creativity and search engine data to deliver steady traffic and leads for clients. Growing up on the Southern end of the Gold Coast, Matt spends most of his spare time outdoors, either in his garden or out and about with his pet greyhound. And when he’s not standing around admiring his lawn, he’s usually whipping up a new recipe or re-seasoning his collection of cast-iron pots and pans.

Tom McNabb

SEO Strategist

Tom started his digital career as a copywriter for a start-up back in London, but after getting sick of the big-city grind in November of 2018, he decided to travel around South-East Asia for four months with his partner. While visiting her family in Casino (Northern NSW) over Christmas for a quick break in between travels, they visited the Gold Coast and fell in love, and have lived here since March of 2019. Whilst on the Gold Coast he rekindled his passion for hospitality, working at some of the best cafes on the coast. After a few years of living the hospo life and surfing as much as he possibly could (although he is still a kook) he decided it was time to get back into the digital space and resume his career. Thus, the stars aligned, and after a brief courtship, he was offered the whole enchilada (as Carla termed it) and joined the SEO team in March of 2022. He hasn’t looked back. Tom also has a keen passion for music, reading fantasy books, surfing, Muay Thai, and anything to do with food (although he is one of those vegans…).

Taylor Simmons

SEO Strategist

Taylor graduated from university with a Bachelor of Environmental Studies. But being young and with a strong urge to travel, she pursued a career as a Flight Attendant. After exploring the world for a few years, her brain yearned for more so she headed back to school to get a Graduate Diploma in Digital Marketing. Since then she’s worked in various digital marketing positions from Social Media Marketing to Paid Ads before settling in as an SEO Strategist here at Five by Five. Originally from the east coast of Canada, Taylor now calls the Gold Coast home. When she isn’t at her desk or in the skies, she can be found exploring the coast with her partner and furbaby Reggie.

Brooke Waldron

SEO & PPC Strategist

Brooke found her passion for marketing with a Bachelor of Business, where she majored in Marketing. Originally born in England, she moved to Australia with her family at a young age and now calls the Gold Coast home. Starting her career in Google Ads, Brooke has since transitioned into the realm of SEO, driven by a desire to understand the synergy between paid and organic marketing. Her days now involve a balance between creativity and analytical expertise as she endeavours to drive steady traffic and leads for clients. Brooke spends her time keeping active with beach walks with her long-haired Chihuahua and exploring different hiking trails.

Jack Coburn

SEO Strategist

Jack, a graduate from Griffith University with a Bachelor of Business in Marketing, discovered his passion for SEO in his first digital marketing role.He quickly saw the impact SEO had on the number of leads or sales a business could acquire when its website ranked at the top of search engines.Jack quickly started learning as much as he could about how to leverage SEO to help his clients improve their keyword rankings and to this day, still spends a lot of time outside of work furthering his knowledge.In his spare time, Jack enjoys surfing, spending time at the beach, camping, and as of recently has been infected by the golf bug.

Jordan Fisher

SEO Strategist

Jordan, a marketing enthusiast, discovered her passion during her time at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand, where she completed her Bachelor of Commerce with a major in Marketing and Management. With prior experience as an in house Marketing Coordinator, Jordan has transitioned into the world of SEO since moving to Australia last August. Originally from Invercargill, New Zealand, the move was driven by a quest for better lifestyle and career opportunities, which have not disappointed. Beyond the digital marketing landscape, Jordan finds joy in outdoor activities, water-side relaxation, and quality time with friends.

Kei Kitamura

Junior SEO Strategist

Kei is driven by a passion for marketing, which he discovered through completing a Bachelor of Business with a major in Marketing at QUT. His journey into the dynamic realm of digital marketing started in his final year of university, where he developed a fondness for SEO and SEM. He adeptly honed his skills in Google Ads, social media marketing, and various paid advertising channels. He is enthusiastic about embarking on a career in digital marketing, with a goal to enhance and refine his organic and paid marketing skills, aiming to make a lasting impact for his clients. When the weekend arrives, you can find him at the beach, soaking up the sun and surf.

Chris Wu

PPC Strategist

Chris forged his path in digital marketing with a focus on PPC, blending analytical prowess and a keen understanding of consumer psychology into successful digital campaigns. Chris's journey into digital marketing was sparked not by traditional academia, but through a personal introduction by his mother, igniting a passion that would define his career. With a self-taught expertise and a deep-seated curiosity, Chris quickly gravitated towards the digital space, specialising in Google and Meta Ads, and demonstrating a natural aptitude for crafting strategies that not only attract but convert. Away from the digital arena, Chris enjoys action-packed movies, quality time with his wife Melody, and the simple joy of swimming. His interests also extend to the kitchen, where he enjoys cooking, exploring new recipes, and sharing meals with loved ones. Known for mixing seriousness with a light touch of humour, he brings a unique blend of dedication and approachability to the team, making complex strategies accessible and fostering client success with a personal touch.

Holly Coulston

Support and Relationship Manager

Holly has worked in Customer Experience for over 3 years, and she has over 10 years of experience in various customer service roles. Holly loves interacting with people and building strong relationships. She's always up for a laugh and an amazing conversation. Holly grew up in country Victoria, but has also lived in the city and now by the beach. Some would say this makes her very adaptable and versatile. When Holly is not at work, you will find her at the beach, gym or in the kitchen. She loves the outdoors, the sun and cooking. She is a massive foodie and always open to new experiences.

Tammy Tanner

Resource Manager

Tammy enjoys working with clients to solve problems and to achieve an outcome that adds value to their business. It is completely normal to find Tammy sitting on the floor of her office, surrounded by paper as she maps out and tackles a very complicated website form or WooCommerce query. Tammy has a varied background including Television Production, where she spent 6 years honing her skills and working as a Production Manager. She also spent 13 years working in a Primary School as a Jack of All Trades, concentrating mainly on School Marketing and PR, Photography, and Multimedia. Did we mention she is also the tea enthusiast of the office? If you are sitting at the kitchen table as Tammy finishes her lunch, you are guaranteed to have a hot tea of your choice made for you! Tammy spends her weekends as a Hockey Mom - but loves to take any opportunity to spend in the ocean, or behind a blow torch as a lampwork glass artist. She’s not like a regular Mum, she’s a cool Mum.

Natalie Allen

Executive Assistant to Jon Hollenberg

Nat started her career in London as a Personal Assistant working for a construction company and then moving into the music industry. She made the move to Australia in 2015 and settled in Sydney, where she worked across multiple different industries. After eight and a half years in Sydney, she decided to start a new chapter and moved to the Gold Coast and landed here at Five by Five in September 2023. She is the queen of organisation and has a keen eye for detail, so working as Jon's EA was a no brainer!Nat loves food and in her spare time can be found exploring new restaurants on the Gold Coast or checking out all the beaches here. You'll also find her galavanting on private yachts down at Main Beach.

Maddy Edwards

Marketing Coordinator

Maddy grew up with a keen interest in all things business, entrepreneurship, psychology, and travel. Completing a Bachelor's degree in Business Management/Arts at the University of Queensland, and spending a semester abroad to study in England, she chose majors in marketing, entrepreneurship and psychology to enhance her understanding of effective business and brand building. After uni, Maddy traded textbooks for palm trees, spending two blissful years teaching yoga on Hamilton Island in the Whitsundays. Her passion for continued growth then led her to the Gold Coast, where she has spent the last four years honing her marketing skills across health, wellness, and tourism brands. With two years of business ownership and a successful exit under her belt, Maddy deeply understands the challenges our clients face, and is excited to be able to use those insights to help other business owners succeed. Beyond the office, you'll find Maddy lost in a good book, finding her zen at a yoga class, or enjoying an afternoon beach walk while tuning into business and mindset podcasts.

Siobhan McFadden

Talent Acquisition & Wellbeing

Siobhan, our seasoned recruiter extraordinaire, brings a diverse experience from her sales management days to the dynamic world of agency recruitment. Siobhan knows people, and has a knack for discovering top talent, with a love for matching individuals to their perfect job! She is also very passionate about the perfect work/life balance, so she ensures our team are the happiest, healthiest and most productive they can be! Her infectious enthusiasm for connecting with others reaches beyond our Burleigh HQ, as she enjoys soaking up the Gold Coast sunshine with her soon-to-be hubby or indulging in the latest page-turner with her beloved fur-baby, Florence, by her side.

Plum

Head of Happiness

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How we do it

Case Studies

Don't believe the results we can get? Check them out for yourself!

A rock solid team that you can rely upon

In existence for nearly two decades, we have had some time to get our act together. When you work with us, you are getting the combined power of a team with no single breakpoint. Skills such as SEO strategy, project management, design, development, copywriting, photography and video are all part of the mix. This gives you the leverage of a skilled team that does what it says it is going to
do on time, every time.

About us

How we do it

We communicate in plain English

We’re results driven

We’re in it for the long haul

Our clients are stoked

Case Studies

Don't believe the results we can get? Check them out for yourself!

A rock solid team that you can rely upon

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