set up a website for small business
A clear, step-by-step guide covering SEO basics, user-friendly design and online marketing to get customers finding and contacting you.
This guide walks through the practical steps every small business needs in 2025: pick a domain, structure pages for search, write content that converts, and use simple marketing tactics to drive leads.
1. Plan your site — purpose & pages
Start with goals. What action do you want visitors to take? Common primary goals: request a quote, call, book an appointment, or buy a product. Your site structure should support that goal with clear navigation and focused pages.
Essential pages
- Home — clear headline, primary CTA
- Services/Products — one page per core service
- About — quick proof and team info
- Contact — phone, email, map
- Testimonials / Case studies
Structure tips
- Keep nav simple: 5–7 items max
- Use descriptive URLs: /plumbing-repairs not /service?id=12
- Each page should target a single topic or service
2. Choose a domain & hosting
Your domain is your online address. Keep it short, local (if you serve a city), and easy to spell. Hosting affects site speed and uptime — choose a provider that includes SSL, fast servers, and reliable backups.
Domain checklist
- Prefer .com.au or .com (or local TLD)
- Avoid hyphens and long names
- Use keywords only if natural (e.g., sydneyplumber.com.au)
Hosting essentials
- SSL included (HTTPS)
- Uptime > 99.9% and fast TTFB
- Automatic backups and updates
3. SEO basics — practical steps that work
SEO doesn't require technical mastery to be effective. Focus on fundamentals you can implement today that help Google understand and rank your site.
Keyword basics
- Identify 3–5 target phrases per page (e.g., "melbourne electrician emergency").
- Use long-tail phrases: they have lower competition and higher intent.
- Place primary phrase in page title, first paragraph, H2, and meta description naturally.
On-page SEO checklist
- Unique title tag (50–60 chars) containing the main keyword
- Compelling meta description (120–155 chars)
- Use H1 for page title and H2/H3 for sections
- Descriptive image alt text (include keywords when relevant)
- Internal links to related pages and a clear breadcrumb
Local SEO (for trades & local services)
If you serve customers in a city or region, local SEO is critical. Follow these steps:
- Claim & optimise your Google Business Profile (GMB) — consistent NAP (name, address, phone)
- Collect reviews and respond publicly
- Include a clear service-area page if you travel to customers
Technical SEO quick wins
- Enable gzip/Brotli compression
- Ensure mobile-first responsive layout
- Generate and submit sitemap.xml and robots.txt
- Use HTTPS and fix mixed-content warnings
Schema & rich snippets
Add simple structured data to help Google show rich results:
- LocalBusiness schema for contact details
- Review schema for testimonials
- Service schema for specific offerings
4. User-friendly design — convert visitors to customers
Good design is usability. A clean, fast site with clear CTAs converts far better than a fancy-looking but confusing site.
Clear CTA
One primary action per page — phone call, quote request, or booking.
Clickable contact info
Phone numbers should be tap-to-call on mobile and visible in header/footer.
Trust & proof
Show real reviews, licences, trade association logos and before/after photos.
Accessibility & readability
- Use high contrast text and large font sizes for readability
- Make sure navigation works with keyboard and screen readers
- Keep content scannable: short paragraphs, bullet lists, clear headings
Speed best practices
- Compress images (WebP) and lazy-load below-the-fold images
- Minify CSS/JS and avoid heavy page builders
- Use a CDN for static assets to speed up geographically
5. Content that converts — clear & useful
Write for customers first, search engines second. Helpful, local and specific content converts better.
Home page formula (proven)
- Hero header: what you do + location + primary CTA (e.g., "Emergency Plumber in Melbourne — Call Now")
- Brief services: 3–5 core offerings with links to service pages
- Social proof: 2–3 testimonials and trust badges
- How it works: quick 3-step process to hire you
- Footer: contact details, opening hours, links to main pages
Service page tips
- Write unique copy per service (avoid duplicated text)
- Include common FAQs per service to target voice search
- Add photos of real work and short case studies
Call-to-action examples
- Call now for urgent help
- Book an inspection
- Ask for a free quote
6. Simple online marketing strategies that get leads
You don't need complex funnels to start getting enquiries. Focus on three things first: local visibility, easy contact, and measuring results.
Local SEO
Optimise Google Business Profile, add local keywords, and collect reviews.
Paid ads (starter)
Run a small Google Search campaign targeting 3–5 high-intent keywords. Measure cost per lead and scale winners.
Email & follow-ups
Capture leads and follow up. Even simple SMS or email sequences raise conversion significantly.
Tracking & optimisation
- Install Google Analytics or similar and set goals (phone clicks, form submissions)
- Use UTM tags on paid ads to measure channel performance
- Test different CTAs and headlines — change one thing at a time
7. Launch checklist — final tests before you go live
- Title tags and meta descriptions are unique and include keywords
- Mobile view is clean and tap targets are large
- Contact forms and phone links work — test them now
- Page speed under 3s on mobile (use PageSpeed Insights)
- Sitemap submitted to Google Search Console
- Analytics and goal tracking are configured
- Backups scheduled and SSL active
Prefer hands-off setup? Professional services can launch your site quickly and include ongoing updates and local SEO.
8. Ongoing: optimise, update, measure
A website is never finished. Schedule simple recurring tasks to keep performance and visibility rising.
Weekly
- Check contact forms & call tracking
- Review ad spend and top keywords
Monthly
- Review analytics — top pages, traffic sources
- Publish one helpful blog post or update a service page
Quarterly
- Run PageSpeed tests and fix slow pages
- Ask for fresh customer reviews
Why a subscription works well
Subscription-based managed websites (like many modern services) bundle hosting, updates, security and local SEO into one monthly fee. That means you can focus on customers while professionals keep your site optimised and compliant with search changes.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to set up a basic small business website?
How long until my site starts ranking?
Do I need to blog to rank?
What if I don’t have time to manage the site?
Ready to set up your small business website?
Follow the steps above, or try a managed service to launch fast and keep optimising for leads. Either way — make sure your site is easy to find, fast to use, and clear about how customers contact you.
2025 tip: prioritize mobile-first design and local SEO — those two moves alone will drive the most enquiries for local small businesses.
