build easy website
A simple, step-by-step plan to launch a fast, SEO-friendly website—designed for busy small business owners.
You don't need to be a designer or developer. This guide shows the exact steps, tools and copy templates to create a website that ranks, converts and looks great on phones.
1. Plan your easy website (30–60 minutes)
Before you open any builder, decide what your site must do. Small business sites succeed when they focus on one primary goal—usually leads, bookings, or sales.
Choose one primary goal
- Get quote requests (phone or form)
- Book appointments
- Sell a small catalogue
Define your customer
Write a one-sentence description of your ideal customer and what problem you solve. This makes writing content and choosing images fast and consistent.
Sitemap — keep it tiny
For most small businesses a compact sitemap is best:
- Home — hero, services, CTA
- Services — short pages for each service (3–6)
- About — trust signals, team, experience
- Contact — phone, contact options, map
- Testimonials/Gallery — proof of work
2. Domain, hosting and a smart starter option
Choose a domain that’s short, descriptive and local where appropriate (e.g., yournameplumbing.com.au). Hosting should be fast, secure and include SSL.
If you're short on time, a managed subscription service (like Congero) gives you a professional site fast, includes domain & hosting, local SEO and unlimited updates for a single monthly fee—no technical setup required.
3. Quick 8-step build plan (do this in order)
- Pick your domain & hosting — register a simple domain and choose a managed host or subscription service.
- Install analytics & tracking — create a Google Analytics 4 property and add basic tracking before launch.
- Create core pages — Home, Services (one page per service), About, Contact, Testimonials.
- Write headline-first copy — craft one clear headline per page that tells visitors what you do and who for.
- Add clear CTAs — phone number, request a quote button, or book now. Make CTAs prominent and repeat them.
- On-page SEO — title tag, meta description, H1, short URL, 300–600 words on service pages with local keywords.
- Speed & images — compress images (WebP), lazy-load below-the-fold images, serve scaled images for mobile.
- Test & launch — check mobile, run PageSpeed Insights, submit sitemap to Google Search Console.
4. SEO basics that actually work
Focus on the fundamentals—Google rewards relevancy, speed and trust. Here’s a compact checklist that drives results for local businesses.
Keyword & page structure
- One main keyword per page: e.g., "Melbourne electrician" (service + location).
- Use that phrase in: URL, H1, first paragraph, title tag and meta description.
- Keep URLs short: /services/electrician-melbourne
Title tags & meta
- Title tag: 50–60 chars, include keyword and location.
- Meta description: 110–155 chars, clear benefit + CTA (e.g., Call now for a free quote).
- H1: One H1 per page that matches intent (not stuffed).
Images & alt text
- Use real photos of your work when possible.
- Compress images and use descriptive alt text with keywords naturally.
- Name files simply: plumber-sink-repair-melbourne.webp
Local SEO essentials
- Claim and optimise Google Business Profile (GBP): hours, services, photos.
- Embed a Google map on Contact page and include consistent NAP (name, address, phone).
- Encourage reviews—respond to them promptly.
5. User-friendly design — make it obvious what to do
Good UX is simple: make it easy for visitors to become customers. Here are actionable rules you can implement today.
Clear hero
Headline + one-line explanation + primary CTA (call or book). No scrolling required to take action.
Clickable phone number
Use tel: links, keep phone visible in header and footer.
Fast, accessible buttons
Buttons should be large enough for thumbs and use contrast for visibility.
Design checklist
- One CTA above the fold
- Readable fonts (16px+ base) and sufficient line-height
- Good contrast for accessibility (WCAG AA)
- Short paragraphs and bullet lists for scanning
- Trust signals: reviews, badges, years of experience
6. Copy templates — headlines & service page structure
Homepage hero template
Subhead: "Fast response, fixed-price quotes, licensed and insured. Call now for a same-day booking."
CTA: "Get a free quote" or clickable phone number.
Service page structure (recommended)
- H1: Service + Location
- Intro: 2–3 lines explaining problem & benefit
- Scope: What you do (3–6 bullet points)
- Why choose us: trust bullets
- CTA: phone & contact
- FAQ / examples: quick answers & images
Short testimonial template
— Customer name, suburb
7. Speed & technical basics (fast wins)
Performance helps SEO and conversions. Here's how to improve speed without being a developer:
- Compress images (WebP or JPEG 80%).
- Use lazy-loading for below-fold images and videos.
- Limit heavy scripts (remove unused plugins/widgets).
- Enable caching & CDN via your host.
- Measure with PageSpeed Insights and fix the top 3 issues first.
8. Launch checklist (do these before promoting)
- GA4 installed & test event for contact form clicks
- Title tags & meta descriptions added for every page
- Sitemap.xml submitted to Google Search Console
- Mobile & desktop PageSpeed check
- Test contact forms and phone links
- Publish 3–5 social posts linking to the site
Ongoing: updates, content and measuring growth
A website grows when you measure and iterate. Keep it simple and regular:
Monthly
Check analytics, fix top pages, publish one local post or tip.
Quarterly
Review keywords and top-performing pages, ask for new customer reviews.
Annually
Update images, test site speed, renew domain & hosting details.
Measure what matters
- Phone calls and click-to-call
- Form submissions / bookings
- Top traffic pages and keywords
- Conversion rate (visitors → leads)
Congero provides easy monthly analytics dashboards so you can see what’s driving leads without digging through complex reports.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Too many CTAs—confuses users.
- Ignoring mobile layout and speed.
- Not tracking calls or form submissions.
- Forgetting local SEO (GBP & reviews).
- Hiding contact details—make them visible on every page.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to build a simple website?
How many words should a service page have for SEO?
Do I need a blog to rank locally?
Want the fastest, easiest way to launch?
If you'd rather skip setup and still get a site that ranks and converts, Congero builds professional, mobile-first websites quickly and manages SEO, hosting and updates for one predictable monthly price.
No lock-in contracts. Domain, hosting & unlimited updates included on managed plans.
