How to make a website for your small business without a designer

What to put on it

• What you do and where, in one sentence at the top.
• Your main services, each with a short description and a starting price if you can.
• Proof you are real: photos of your work, qualifications, insurance, genuine reviews.
• Opening hours or availability.
• One clear way to get in touch: phone, email or a short form.
• A privacy notice if your form collects personal details.

Your options

• A site builder: you fill in your details, it handles hosting. Quickest, with a monthly fee.
• A ready-made template: pay once, edit the HTML, host it free on a static host. Cheapest over time, but you edit files yourself.
• A designer or developer: best when you need something unusual, and the most expensive.

Domains

A domain like yourbusiness.co.uk looks more established than a subdomain. Pick something short and easy to say out loud, and set up an email address on it.

After it is live

• Add the site to your Google Business Profile.
• Link to it from your social profiles and email signature.
• Check it on your own phone, then ask a friend to find your prices and contact details without help.

With CraftMyPage

CraftMyPage does the site builder route: choose a layout for your kind of business, fill in your details and preview it free, then subscribe when you are ready to publish. You can connect your own domain. If you would rather own the files, every template can also be bought as HTML.

Questions

How many pages does a small business website need?

For most local businesses, one well-organised page is enough. Add pages when you have enough content for them, such as a separate page per service.

Do I need to know how to code?

Not with a site builder. With an HTML template you will edit text in files, which is closer to editing a document than programming.