Your website can be your 24 by 7 salesperson. It could continuosly build your business’s credibility, and often it is what makes the first impression for many potential customers. These are all very important reasons to have a business website. Here is exactly what you need to go about and practically launch a professional business website without getting inundated and overwhelmed by a seemingless endless options and decisions to make about getting started.
First, Choose Your Website Platform Wisely
Here, for most solo entrepreneurs, there are three platforms dominate:
WordPress.org (self-hosted): Maximum flexibility and control, thousands of themes and plugins. Best for content-heavy sites or those planning significant growth. Requires more technical knowledge but offers unlimited customization.
Squarespace or Wix: User-friendly drag-and-drop builders with professional templates. Perfect for service businesses and portfolios. Monthly fees ($15-$40) include hosting, but you sacrifice some flexibility for convenience.
Shopify: If selling physical products is your primary focus, start here. Built-in payment processing, inventory management, and shipping integrations justify the higher cost ($30-$80/month).
The Five Essential Pages Every Business Website Should Have
1) A Home Page: Hello. This is your Home Page. It should have a clear headline stating what you do and for whom. Include one strong call-to-action (it’s called a CTA) above the fold. That means that I don’t have to scroll down or click again to read it when I am on a PC. What is a good CTA? How about, “Book a Consultation Now” or “Shop Now?”
2) The About Page: The About or About Us Page is where you can share your story and your expertise. This includes the why. You include a professional photo and explain why you’re uniquely qualified to solve your customers’ problems. People will usually buy from people they trust. Here’s your chance to build some trust with people.
3) Your Services or Products Page: On this page, your probably want to describe as clearly as possible what you offer. This includes the benefits, not just the physical features, but we are talking about what is beneficial from your product or service to the final customer. If possible, you can discuss your pricing and how they may purchase or how someone can get started with your product or service.
4) The Contact Page: With this page, you should try to make it effortless for someone to reach you. Don’t put up too many hurdles. You might want to include multiple contact methods: your email, a business phone number, a contact form that a website visitor could fill out and put some extra information into, and also your business hours that you are open. Add your physical address only if it is relevant for your local Google SEO ranking.
5) And Your Privacy Policy and Terms Page: Legally this is required in many jurisdictions. But, also, please to use online free generators like TermsFeed or Shopify’s policy generator because this will be better than nothing while starting out and I’m not giving you legal advice.
Your Business Website Pre-Launch Checklist:
– [ ] Test all forms and CTAs. Send yourself a test inquiry
– [ ] Check mobile responsiveness (over 50% of traffic is mobile)
– [ ] Set up Google Analytics for tracking visitors
– [ ] Install an SSL certificate (most hosts will include a free one)
– [ ] Create a custom 404 error page
– [ ] Submit your sitemap to the Google Search Console
– [ ] Test your page load speed (under 3 seconds should be ideal)
– [ ] Proofread all of your content for typos
– [ ] Set up your automated backup system
– [ ] Connect to social media profiles
Now: Go ahead. Launch Smart, Iterate Later.
Your first website won’t be perfect. And, that’s okay. You should launch with your essentials in place. Then, you might want to improve incrementally based on your real visitor behavior and feedback from your customers. A simple and clear website that exists will beat a perfect website that remains forever “under development.”
Remember: Done is better than perfect. Get online. Start helping some customers. And, you can refine as you grow.
Our team has experience with all 3 Website platforms listed above. If you feel that you need help and guidance or you just need help because you are a busy entrepreneur, then feel free to reach out to our team at NewBusiness.net.
