How to Create a Business Website: From Brief to Launch

If you had one afternoon to launch a business website, what would a customer need to see before calling you? Start there. A mobile bicycle mechanic, for example, needs a service area, a description of repairs, and a way to book. A large gallery can wait.

Write the brief before choosing a template

Complete this sentence: “We help [customer] do [task] in [area], and the next step is [action].” Use it to decide what gets its own page. If homeowners and property managers need different estimates, give each a clear route from the homepage. Write the phone number, service hours, fees, and proof of past work once, then decide where each belongs.

Build one journey from start to finish

Choose a builder by trying it. Create a service page, link to it from the menu, add a photo with a useful description, and submit a test inquiry. Ask a colleague to change the price and publish the edit. That exercise tells you more about everyday usability than counting templates. For an older platform under consideration, read whether AMP is still worthwhile.

Make the page useful on a real phone

Hold the phone in one hand. Can you identify the service, check the area, and reach the booking form without zooming? Use a short visible label for every field, leave enough room to tap, and make errors specific. Check the final confirmation and the message that reaches the person responsible. See our responsive website guide.

Give launch day a clear finish line

Confirm that the business controls its domain, the production URLs work, and the form delivers. Give every important page its own descriptive title and a link from another relevant page. Record the first month’s qualified inquiries as a baseline. Once the basics work, use the SEO strategy guide to decide which page to improve next.