A professional website is essential for small businesses looking to grow their presence online.
Whether you're building from scratch or updating an existing site, this guide walks you through the essentials to create a website that attracts customers and drives growth.
Step 1: Setting up your website basics
Choose your domain (website address)
Your domain is your website's address (eg www.yourbusinessname.co.uk). It's important to choose a memorable, professional domain that represents your business.
- Tip: Including your location in the domain can help for hyper-local targeting. For example, www.fulhamtextilestudio.com clearly reflects both the location and business type.
- Action: Check domain availability on Namecheap or 123-Reg, and opt for a .co.uk or .com extension for professionalism.
Pro Tip from Theo: A simple, memorable domain is more likely to be shared and remembered by your customers. Avoid numbers or special characters.
Select your hosting (website engine)
Your website needs reliable hosting to ensure it stays online and performs well. Hosting is the engine that powers your site.
- Tip: For local businesses, UK-based hosting options like SiteGround offer strong performance and data security. Customer support and reliability is essential. A slow website can deter visitors and hurt your Google ranking.
- Action: Choose a hosting plan that includes SSL (secure connection), which is essential for trust and SEO.
Step 2: Creating content for your website
Essential pages
- Home page: Briefly explain your services and what sets you apart.
- About page: Share your business story, introduce your team, and add a photo for a personal touch.
- Contact page: Provide your business address, contact details, and a form to make it easy for customers to reach you.
Action: Write a draft for each page in clear, simple language that speaks directly to your audience.
Additional pages
- Services/products page: Detail your offerings with descriptions and key benefits.
- Blog: Post articles that showcase your expertise and help improve your search rankings.
- FAQ page: Address frequently asked questions, like "Do you offer delivery?" or "What are your hours?"
Tip: Share tips local insights in industry trends. For example, a restaurant could share recipes or dining tips, while a furniture store could write about decorating tips for small spaces.
Step 3: Designing your website
Use Elementor (website builder)
Elementor is a drag-and-drop builder for WordPress that makes designing your site easy, even without coding knowledge.
- Tip: Choose a clean, professional template, and customise it with your brand colours and fonts.
- Action: Install Elementor and experiment with different design layouts. Keep your design simple and user-friendly.
Pro Tip from Theo: Think about your brand's style when choosing colours and fonts. Creative businesses can use vibrant colours, while more traditional businesses may opt for muted, professional tones.
Use high-quality images
Images play a significant role in making your website look professional. Consider using your own photos or quality stock images.
- Tip: Try Canva for DIY graphics and logos, and explore Adobe Stock or Unsplash for free, professional images.
- Action: Compress your images with TinyPNG to reduce load times.
Display certifications and memberships
Showcase any certifications or memberships on your website to build trust with visitors.
Tip: Local awards or industry memberships add credibility. For example, displaying your membership with the West London Chamber of Commerce can reassure customers that you're trusted, local business.
Step 4: Optimising your website for local SEO
Create a Google Business Profile
Google Business profiles are essential for small businesses, especially for local search and voice search.
- Tip: Set up your profile with accurate business details, contact information, and operating hours to appear in local search results.
- Action: Visit Google Business to create your profile and ask satisfied customers to leave positive reviews.
Use location-based keywords
Target local keywords that align with your services, such as "eco-friendly furniture in Fulham" or "Hammersmith restaurant."
- Tip: Backlinks from local sites, like the Ealing Business Network can boost your website's SEO and Credibility
- Action: Install the Rank Math SEO plugin and use it to optimise pages for your target keywords.
Step 5: Launching and maintaining your website
Test your website
Before you launch, double-check that all links, contact forms, and images work correctly.
Action: Get a friend or colleague to review the site and test it on multiple devices.
Regular maintenance
A well-maintained website stays relevant and keeps attracting visitors. Set aside time each month to update content, check security, and add new blog posts.
Tip: Schedule a monthly maintenance check. This can help you to catch any potential issues early and keep your website performing optimally. Get in touch for a free website audit!
Additional resources for small businesses
For more detailed guidance, explore my Bitesize Marketing guides on topics like SEO, content creation, and local marketing. Access them at Theo Ruby Marketing Guides to overcome specific challenges and grow your online presence.
Creating a professional website doesn't have to be overwhelming. I'm working with H&F to support local businesses, helping you to thrive.
If you are a H&F business or working on starting up a business, contact Theo Ruby directly by emailing theo@theoruby.com or visiting www.theoruby.com to book a free 60 minute consultation to grow your business!
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and unless specifically stated are not necessarily those of Hammersmith & Fulham Council.
