How do you build a website for a small business?

What should a small business website do?

It should help a stranger decide to contact you. That means saying what you do, where you do it and how to get in touch, within a few seconds of arriving. Everything else on the site supports that one job. Decide your main action first, such as call, book or request a quote.

Imagine a visitor on a bus, on their phone, comparing you with two rivals. They will not read every page. They want to know if you do the job, whether you cover their area and how quickly they can reach you.

What are the steps to build a small business website?

There are seven practical steps, and most of them are decisions rather than technical work. Take them in order and you avoid the common trap of designing before you know what to say.

1. Set the goal. Pick the one action you want visitors to take.
2. Get a domain name. Choose a short name close to your business name, and register it in your own name.
3. Choose how to build it. Do it yourself on a builder, or have it built for you. See the comparison below.
4. Plan the pages. Home, one page per main service, about, reviews and contact is enough for most businesses.
5. Write the words. Answer the questions customers ask you on the phone, in plain language.
6. Cover the legal basics. Company details, a privacy notice and cookie consent where needed.
7. Test and launch. Try every button and form on your phone, then tell Google the site exists.

Should you build it yourself or pay someone?

Build it yourself if you have time, enjoy it and need a simple site. Pay someone if your time is better spent on paying work, or you need booking, payments or a site that wins search traffic. Many owners start on a builder and switch later, so pick an option you can leave easily.

• Upfront cost: low if you build it yourself, as you pay a monthly builder fee. Higher if it is built for you, unless you choose a monthly plan.
• Your time: high if you do the design, words and set-up. Low if you only answer questions and approve pages.
• Search and speed: on a builder this depends on your skill. With a designer it depends on them, so ask for examples.
• Changes later: on a builder you make them yourself. With a designer they are included or charged, so check before you sign.

Our guide to pay monthly websites compares these routes in more detail, and our guide to running costs explains what hosting and upkeep add. Our guide to the best website builder for a small business in the UK compares the options, and Wix vs WordPress sets the two best known side by side.

What should you write on each page?

Write the answers customers want before they call you. Say what the service is, who it is for, where you cover, roughly what it costs and what happens next. Use the words your customers use, not industry terms.

Google's search engine optimisation (SEO) starter guide says creating content people find compelling and useful will likely influence your presence in search more than any of its other suggestions. So a clear, honest service page does more for you than any technical trick.

• Home: what you do, where, and one clear button to get in touch.
• Service pages: one per main service, with prices or a price guide where you can.
• About: who you are, how long you have traded and any qualifications.
• Reviews: real customer words, with their permission.
• Contact: phone, a working form, opening hours and the areas you cover.

Rather have it done for you? We build your website free, it goes live in days, and you pay nothing for the first 14 days. No card needed. See how the free 14-day trial works.

What legal basics does a UK business website need?

Most UK business websites need your business details, a privacy notice if you collect personal data, and a way to handle cookies. Limited companies have extra rules about what they must show. This is a summary, not legal advice.

If you are a limited company, the government says your website must show your registered number and registered office address, plus where the company is registered. If your site sets cookies that are not essential, such as for advertising or analytics, the ICO (the Information Commissioner's Office) says you must explain them and get the user's consent.

What should you check before launch?

Check the site the way a customer will use it: on a phone, in a hurry, on mobile data. Every button and form must work, and your phone number must be one tap away. Then tell Google about the site so it can start to find your pages.

• Send a test enquiry through every form and confirm it arrives.
• Tap every phone number and email link on a mobile.
• Check each page has its own title and a clear heading.
• Make sure the site loads with the padlock (a secure connection).
• Add the site to Google Search Console and to your Google Business Profile.

Our guide to how long a website takes to build covers timings, and the free website checklist helps you judge any offer.

What does this look like for a real small business?

Here is a made-up example. A family bakery wants more custom cake orders. Its goal is simple: get cake enquiries with a date and a budget. It registers its name as a domain and chooses to have the site built for it, because the owners are busy baking.

The site has a home page, a page each for celebration cakes, wedding cakes and bread, an about page and a contact page with an order form. The order form asks for the date, the number of guests and a budget. Within a month, enquiries arrive with the details the bakery needs to quote, instead of a vague message on social media.

How can Buzzozo help?

Buzzozo builds websites for UK small businesses. You do not need to start with a blank page: we write the first draft with you and build the site, and you can start your free 14-day trial. No card needed.

Our web design service covers the build. If you would rather not deal with hosting and updates, a managed website keeps it running for you. When you are ready to compare, our plans page sets out the prices.

Common questions