Traxio
Status Start free

Launch a small business website

Plan and build a small business website with WordPress: the pages you need, what to write on them, a contact form that works, and the checks to do before launch.

TutorialBeginner90 min to completeLast updated
On this page
  1. Step 1: Plan your pages on paper
  2. Step 2: Install WordPress
  3. Step 3: Choose a simple, professional theme
  4. Step 4: Build the pages
  5. Step 5: Add a contact form that actually delivers
  6. Step 6: Speed and security basics
  7. Step 7: Pre-launch checks
  8. Step 8: Tell the world
  9. If something’s wrong
  10. Where to go next
Level
Beginner
Time
About 90 min
Steps
8
You’ll finish with
A launched business website with the essential pages, a working contact form and email on your domain

Before you start

  • A Traxio account with your domain connected
  • A mailbox on your domain (create your email address)
  • Your logo (if you have one), a few good photos, and your opening hours, area and contact details

8 steps

A small business website has one job: help the right people decide to get in touch. It doesn’t need dozens of pages or clever effects. It needs to say clearly what you do, where you do it and how to reach you, on a site that loads quickly and looks trustworthy. This tutorial builds exactly that with WordPress.

Plan your pages on paper

Before touching WordPress, write down what each page will say. Most small businesses need five:

Page Its job Include
Home Say what you do and for whom, in one sentence Your main service, your area, one clear “get in touch” button
Services Explain what you offer A short section per service, with typical prices or “from” prices if you can
About Build trust Who you are, how long you’ve done this, qualifications, a photo of a real person
Contact Make it easy Phone, email, a form, opening hours, a map or service area
Privacy Stay on the right side of the law What the contact form collects and why

Reviews from real customers are powerful, but only use genuine ones, with permission. Never invent testimonials.

Install WordPress

Open Softaculous in DirectAdmin and install WordPress on https:// and your domain, leaving the directory empty. Use a non-obvious admin username and a strong password. Install WordPress shows each screen.

Then log in at yourdomain/wp-admin, delete the sample post, page and comment, and set Settings › Permalinks to Post name.

Choose a simple, professional theme

Under Appearance › Themes › Add New Theme, look for a lightweight, recently updated theme with a business or “corporate” layout you like. Avoid themes that need a dozen extra plugins to look like their demo. Upload your logo and set your colours in Appearance › Editor (or Customise in older themes).

Build the pages

Create each page from step 1 under Pages › Add New Page. Writing tips that make a real difference:

  • Lead with the customer’s problem, not your history: “Emergency plumbing in north Leeds, usually within two hours” beats “Welcome to our website”.
  • Use the words your customers search for, like “wedding photographer in Cardiff”, naturally in headings and text.
  • Keep paragraphs short: most visitors are on a phone.
  • Add alt text to every image, describing what it shows.
  • Put your phone number and email in the footer so they’re on every page.

Set your Home page under Settings › Reading › Your homepage displays › A static page.

Add a contact form that actually delivers

Install a well-maintained contact form plugin from Plugins › Add New Plugin, create a form with name, email and message fields, and put it on your Contact page.

Then make sure the messages arrive. WordPress’s default mail is often treated as spam, so send through your own mailbox using SMTP. Follow Make WordPress emails arrive, then send yourself a test message.

Don’t skip this

A contact form that silently fails is worse than no form: customers think they’ve reached you and you never hear from them. Test it after every plugin or settings change.

Speed and security basics

  1. Install LiteSpeed Cache for faster pages. How.
  2. Resize photos before uploading, to around 1600 pixels wide.
  3. Remove plugins and themes you aren’t using.
  4. Turn on automatic updates for plugins you trust, and log in at least monthly to apply the rest.

Secure a new website and hosting account covers the rest.

Pre-launch checks

Go through the site on your phone and on a computer, as if you were a customer.

Before you tell anyone about it

Tell the world

  • Add your website to your Google Business Profile and any directories you’re listed in
  • Put the address on invoices, vans, cards and social profiles
  • Use your new email address for all business mail
  • Set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC so your emails are trusted

If something’s wrong

  • Contact form messages don’t arrive. Check spam first, then your SMTP settings. Why doesn’t WordPress send email?
  • The site looks different on phones. Check the theme’s mobile preview in the editor and avoid fixed widths.
  • Your new site isn’t in Google yet. New sites can take days or weeks to appear. Make sure search engines aren’t discouraged in Settings › Reading.

Where to go next

Work through the rest of the Start a small business website path, especially email authentication and security.

Spotted something out of date or unclear? Tell us and we’ll fix it.

Keep going

Next: Set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC