In short: Choosing a website for your business starts with your goals, not the design. Decide what the site must do (bring enquiries, take bookings or sell online), who it is for, which platform suits that, who will update it, what content you have, your budget for building and running it, and who will look after it afterwards. Get those right and the rest follows.
Most people start choosing a website by looking at other websites and saying “I want one like that”. That is a fine place to get ideas, but it is the wrong place to start making decisions. A site that looks lovely can still fail to bring in a single phone call.
When I sit down with a new client, the first chat is almost never about colours or fonts. It is about what the business needs the website to do. Below are the ten decisions I ask people to think through first. Make these, and choosing a designer, platform and layout becomes much easier.
Decisions about purpose and audience
1. What is the website actually for?
This is the big one. Write down, in one sentence, the main job of the site. For most small businesses it is one of these:
- Get enquiries — phone calls, quote requests or contact form messages
- Take bookings — appointments, consultations or classes
- Sell products online — a proper shop with a basket and checkout
- Build trust — somewhere customers check you out after hearing about you elsewhere
A site can do more than one, but one should come first. A window fitter wants quote requests. A café might mostly want people to see the menu and opening hours. That main goal decides which pages matter most and what goes at the top of the homepage.
2. Who are your customers, and what do they need to see?
Picture the person landing on your site. Are they a homeowner on their phone at 9pm comparing three local tradespeople? A business buyer on a laptop checking your credentials? Each needs different things.
Make a short list of the questions your customers ask you most often. Prices, areas covered, how long things take, guarantees, examples of past work. Those questions are your website content plan. If the site answers them clearly, you will get better-quality enquiries.
3. Which type of website do you need?
Broadly, websites fall into three types: simple brochure-style sites, sites that are updated regularly (like ones with a blog or news), and online shops. I have explained the differences properly in Static, Dynamic or E-commerce? The 3 Main Types of Website, so I won’t repeat it here.
The practical point is this: be honest about whether you need to sell online. An online shop is a bigger project, with product pages, payments, delivery options and stock to manage. If you only need people to get in touch, you don’t need a shop, and paying for one is wasted money.
Decisions about how it is built
4. Which platform should it be built on?
The platform is the software your website runs on. The two I build on are:
| Platform | Best for | Things to know |
|---|---|---|
| WordPress | Service businesses, trades, local firms, sites with a blog | Very flexible, you own your site, needs regular updates |
| Shopify | Online shops of any size | Built for selling, handles payments and stock, monthly platform fee |
| DIY builders (Wix, Squarespace) | Very simple sites on a tight budget | Quick to start, but harder to move away from and less flexible |
For most service businesses, I recommend WordPress. For anyone selling products, I use Shopify through my e-commerce service.
5. Who will update the site?
A website that never changes starts to look neglected. So decide now: who will add new photos, change prices, post news or update opening hours?
If it is you, the site needs to be easy to edit without breaking anything. That is one reason I avoid heavy page-builder plugins, which can make simple edits fiddly and slow the site down. Every site I build comes with a one-hour training session so you can make your own changes confidently. If you would rather not touch it at all, factor in someone else doing updates for you.
6. What content do you already have?
Content means the words, photos and videos on your site. It is the part people most often underestimate, and it is the most common reason website projects stall.
Ask yourself:
- Do you have good photos of your work, your premises or your team?
- Who will write the text for each page?
- Do you have customer reviews you can use?
- Is your logo available in a decent quality file?
Real photos of your own work beat stock images every time, especially for trades. If writing isn’t your thing, I can write the page text for you from your notes.
Decisions about visibility and budget
7. How will people find it?
A website on its own won’t bring visitors. You need a plan for how people will arrive. For local businesses, that usually means:
- Search engines — showing up when people search for your service and area
- Google Business Profile — the free listing that shows on Google Maps
- Word of mouth and social media — sending people to the site to check you out
Good search engine optimisation (SEO) starts with how the site is built: clear page titles, sensible structure, fast loading and proper descriptions. I build those basics into every site, but SEO is ongoing work, and nobody can honestly promise you a particular ranking. My SEO service page explains what is involved.
8. What is your budget, for building and for running it?
There are two budgets to think about: the cost of building the site, and the cost of keeping it running. Running costs include your domain name, hosting, updates and any platform fees.
It is better to be upfront about budget early. A good designer can then suggest what is realistic and what can wait until later. I have written a full guide on how much a website costs in the UK, and my current packages are on my pricing page.
Decisions about aftercare and who builds it
9. Who will look after it once it is live?
Websites need looking after. WordPress and its plugins get regular security updates, backups need running, and things occasionally go wrong. Decide who is responsible.
Options include doing it yourself, paying your web designer for a care plan, or using a separate support company. I offer an optional monthly hosting and care plan covering hosting, security updates, backups and support, which starts when the site goes live.
10. Who will build it?
Only now should you pick who builds it. Your choices are usually a DIY builder, a freelance web designer or an agency. Each suits different situations. A DIY builder can be fine for a very simple site if you have the time. A larger agency makes sense for big, complex projects with lots of people involved.
For most small businesses, a freelancer is a good middle ground. I’ve compared the options honestly in Freelance Web Designer vs Agency. Whoever you choose, ask to see examples of their work. You can see the kind of sites I build, including several for window and door businesses, on my portfolio page.
Frequently asked questions
What should I look for when choosing a website for my business?
Look for a site that clearly does one main job, such as getting enquiries or selling products. It should load quickly, work well on mobile, be easy for you to update and have the SEO basics built in. Design matters, but only once those are in place.
Is WordPress or Shopify better for a small business website?
WordPress usually suits service businesses and trades, especially if you want a blog. Shopify is built for selling products online and handles payments and stock well. If you are not selling online, you probably don’t need Shopify.
Should I use a website builder like Wix or hire a web designer?
A website builder can work if your needs are very simple and you have time to do it yourself. A web designer is worth it if you want a site built around your business goals, with proper SEO foundations and someone to ask when you get stuck.
How many pages does a small business website need?
There is no fixed number. Most small business sites need a homepage, a page for each main service, an about page, a contact page and somewhere to show your work or reviews. It is better to have fewer, useful pages than lots of thin ones.
Do I need to write the content for my website myself?
Not necessarily. You know your business best, so your input is important, but a designer or copywriter can turn your notes into clear page text. Either way, plan the content early, because it is often what holds projects up.
Ready to talk through your website?
If you have worked through these decisions, or got stuck on a few, I am happy to help. A first chat is free and there is no obligation. Have a look at how I work to see the process, or get in touch and tell me about your business.
