create my own site
A practical, no-fluff playbook for small businesses — domain, design, SEO, and marketing in 2025
Want to create your own website that actually brings customers? This guide walks you through each step — what to do first, the best setup choices for small businesses, essential SEO tasks, design tips that convert, and low-cost marketing strategies to get leads fast.
1. Plan: define purpose, audience & outcomes
Start with clarity. A site built without a clear goal rarely converts. Answer these three questions before you touch a template:
- Primary goal: Lead capture, bookings, sales, or credibility?
- Target customer: Who are they, where are they searching, and what problem do you solve?
- Key action: Call, contact form, booking, or buy button — make it obvious.
Quick planning worksheet
- One-line pitch: Write a single sentence that explains what you do and who for.
- Top 3 services/pages: List the pages your customers need first (e.g., Plumbing, Emergency Repairs, Contact).
- Primary CTA: What do you want visitors to do? Phone, form, or book?
- Proof: 3 testimonials or 3 before/after photos.
2. Domain, hosting & the tradeoffs
Your domain is your online address. Choose something short, memorable, and relevant. Hosting decides speed and reliability — pick a provider that includes SSL and backups.
Choosing a domain
- Prefer yourbusiness.com.au or .com for trust.
- Keep it under 20 characters and easy to spell.
- Avoid hyphens and long phrases.
Hosting options
- Managed subscription — lowest fuss: hosting + domain + SSL + updates included (Congero offers a managed option from $49/mo).
- Shared hosting — cheap but may be slower.
- VPS/Cloud — fastest and most flexible, needs technical knowledge.
Pro tip: Choose an all-in-one subscription if you want fast results and predictable monthly costs. You keep your domain — cancel anytime.
3. Choose your platform: simplicity vs flexibility
Pick the platform that matches your skills and goals. Here are the common options with quick recommendations for small businesses.
WordPress
Flexible, powerful, lots of plugins. Best if you expect to scale or need custom features.
Squarespace / Wix
Great for DIY owners who want visual editing and templates. Faster to launch but less flexible long-term.
Managed subscription
Best for busy tradespeople: fast launch, unlimited updates via messages, built-in SEO and hosting (eg. Congero).
Recommendation: If you value time and want results fast, choose a managed subscription. If you enjoy DIY and want complete control, choose WordPress with a reliable host.
4. Design tips that actually convert
Good design reduces friction and increases trust. Use these practical rules to create pages that convert visitors into customers.
Mobile-first layout
Start your designs on a phone. Large buttons, readable fonts, and short paragraphs matter most.
Clear primary CTA
Every page should have one obvious next step — call button, quote request, or booking link.
Trust signals
Add logos, reviews, certifications, and before/after photos above the fold if possible.
High-quality imagery
Real photos of your work outperform stock images. Optimize images for speed (use WebP, compress).
Microcopy matters: Use concise headings, benefit-focused subheads, and friendly button copy like "Get a quote" instead of generic "Submit".
5. SEO basics: get found by customers
SEO isn't magic—it's a set of repeatable tasks. Do these well to improve rankings and local visibility.
Keyword research
Identify 1–3 primary search phrases per page (eg. "emergency plumber Sydney", "garage door repair Melbourne"). Use Google Autocomplete, People Also Ask, and free tools like Google Keyword Planner.
On-page tags
Each page needs a unique title tag (60–70 chars), meta description (120–160 chars), H1, and 1–2 H2s. Include the primary keyword naturally in title and H1.
Local SEO
Create and optimize your Google Business Profile, ensure NAP consistency (name, address, phone) across directories, and add location keywords to key pages.
Technical checks
- Mobile-friendly (Google Mobile-Friendly Test)
- Site speed (aim under 3s mobile)
- HTTPS, sitemap.xml, robots.txt
- Schema markup for LocalBusiness, Service, and FAQ where relevant
Practical sequence to optimise one page: keyword research → title & meta → H1 & subheads → descriptive URL → 300–700 words of helpful content → internal links → schema → publish & submit sitemap.
6. Content that converts: write for people, optimise for search
Great content answers a visitor's question quickly and persuades them to act. Use this structure for service pages and landing pages:
- Headline (H1): Problem + benefit (eg. "Local Electrician — Fast, Reliable, 24/7 Service")
- Intro (30–50 words): Summarise what you do and the main CTA.
- Service bullets: Key features, guarantee, and pricing ranges if appropriate.
- Proof: Testimonials, photos, case studies — social proof near CTA.
- FAQ: Answer common objections right on the page (good for SEO snippets).
SEO length guideline: Aim for 500–1,200 words on primary service pages, focused on usefulness rather than fluff. Use clear formatting (bullets, short paragraphs) for readability.
7. Images, speed & accessibility
Optimize images
- Resize to the display size (don't upload huge files)
- Use WebP where supported; fallback to compressed JPEG
- Add descriptive alt text (for SEO & accessibility)
Performance tips
- Use lazy-loading for offscreen images
- Minify CSS and JS, combine where practical
- Use a CDN for global speed
8. Analytics: measure what matters
Install analytics and set up simple tracking so you know whether your site is driving enquiries.
- Google Analytics 4: Track users, sessions, and conversion events (calls, form submits).
- UTM tracking: Tag ads and posts to see where leads come from.
- Call tracking: Use a tracking number for PPC to measure ROI.
Set one KPI (eg. leads per week) and measure it weekly. Small improvements compound over months.
9. Marketing strategies to grow online
Focus on channels that produce leads predictably and scale with budget.
PPC (Google Ads)
Target high-intent keywords (eg. "emergency electrician near me"). Start small, measure CPA, and scale what works.
Local Listings & Reviews
Claim your Google Business Profile, get 5+ recent reviews, and keep NAP consistent across directories.
Email & Retargeting
Collect emails at first contact. Use automated follow-ups and retargeting ads to convert warm prospects.
Organic Content & SEO
Write local-focused articles or how-to guides (eg. "How to stop a leak quickly") to capture search traffic and build trust. Share on local Facebook groups and link from community pages.
Budget tip: For most small businesses, a combined approach (small monthly ad budget + local SEO + review building) yields the best ROI within 4–12 weeks.
10. Launch checklist: final pre-flight
- Test on multiple phones and browsers
- Test contact forms and phone links
- Install analytics and confirm events
- Submit sitemap to Google Search Console
- Publish a small announcement on social and Google Business Profile
Ready to go live?
If you'd prefer not to handle the technical bits, Congero can build and launch a mobile-optimised, SEO-ready site in under 24 hours. No technical skills required — updates via text, domain and hosting included.
See a Demo — Live in 60 seconds11. Ongoing maintenance & growth
A website is never finished. Plan monthly tasks to keep performance and SEO healthy.
- Weekly: Check forms, review analytics, respond to reviews
- Monthly: Update content, check for broken links, run PageSpeed tests
- Quarterly: Refresh keywords and refresh top-performing pages
If you don't want to manage these tasks yourself, a managed subscription bundles them into a predictable monthly fee — freeing you to run your business.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to create a simple site?
How much should I budget?
Can I switch platforms later?
Do I need to know SEO?
Ready to create your own site — without the headaches?
Follow this guide and you'll have a fast, mobile-first site that attracts local customers. If you'd rather hand it over, Congero builds and manages sites for small businesses — fast, affordable, and with unlimited updates via text.
No lock-in contracts — cancel anytime. Domain, hosting, SSL and local SEO included on managed plans.
