'My New Website' Checklists for Small Business Owners

Every business needs a website, and 'My New Website' Checklists for Small Business Owners provides a direction for small business owners who are ready to go for it. Running a business without a website is like dancing naked in a party. You may prosper without one at first, but the negative ripple effects on the long run can be devastating.

More importantly, a small business website isn’t just about looking good—it’s about functionality, user experience, and conversions. By focusing on the right components, you’ll create a site that attracts customers, builds credibility, and helps grow your business.

Here’s what you need to focus on when you plan to calling in a web designer to help you create your website:

Checklist 1: Develop Your Website Architecture

The first thing to do is to develop your site's architecture. A cluttered, confusing website will turn visitors away faster than you can say “back button.” Organizing your site properly is crucial. Here are the key pages every small business website should have:

• Home Page – The first impression. Keep it clean, engaging, and clear about what you do. See our home page at Red Color Crayon.

• About Page – A deeper dive into your business, mission, and team. Checkout our about page here.

• Products/Services Page – Explain what you sell or do in detail. See Red Color Crayon's website design service page here as an example.

• Contact Page – Make it easy for people to reach you. Include your email, phone number, social links, and even a contact form, just like our. See our contact page here.

• Blog or News Page (optional but recommended) – Sharing helpful content on your website can help your business build authority and boost SEO. You are reading this article on our blog!

Checklist 2: Gather Your Content

Next, you need to develop your brand story (content). These usual would com in texts, images and, sometimes, videos. Consider having your content ready before you even commission your website project. Your content checklists include:

• Your business story (Content for your About Page and Contact Page): People love connecting with brands that have a story. Share why you started your business and what makes it special. Include your mission, vision, and purpose. Then also include your contact information, social media links.

• Product or service details (Content for your Service Page): Clearly describe what you offer, how it benefits customers, why the customer should choose you, and any pricing information (if applicable).

• Customer testimonials – Social proof goes a long way in establishing trust. Request from your satisfied customers to put down a few lines about their good experience doing business with you

• FAQs – Answer common questions upfront to save both you and your customers time.

If your web designer offers content development services, you might want him to help out with your content. If you like to develop it yourself, Chatgpt can be of good help.

Checklist 3: You Need Brand Identity

Your website should reflect your brand’s personality. This means:

• A consistent color scheme – Pick colors that align with your branding and be ready to commit to using them consistently.

• A professional logo – Your logo should be clear and recognizable. It's also likely you already have one.

• High-quality images – Avoid grainy, stock-looking photos. Use real images of your business, team, or products.

• Tone of voice – Whether you’re fun and quirky or professional and polished, your writing style should match your brand’s personality.

Your web designer could design your logo at an extra cost. You may also try your hands on it with canva. I'd recommend you talk to your web designer, or appoint a graphic designer.

Checklist 4: Your Website MUST be Mobile-friendly

Most visitors will check your site on their phones, so it must be mobile-friendly. Ensure your web designer conforms to these standards:

• The site must be mobile-friendly

• Loads quickly (under three seconds is ideal).

• Text is readable without zooming.

• Buttons and links are easy to tap.

• Images resize properly.

  
  

Checklist 5. Integrate Social Media with Your Site To Help Expand Your Reach

Your website and social media should work together. Social Media has the potential to help you drive traffic to your site and you don't want to leave them out of the plan. If you already have your small business' social media platforms active and running, your web designer should:

• Add to your website the social media icons linking to your profiles.

• Embed your social media feed or latest tweets.

• And also, include share buttons on your blog posts (if you have a blog on your site).

  
  

Checklist 6. Set Up SEO Basics To Get Found Online

Even the best website won’t help if no one can find it. Here, basic SEO (Search Engine Optimization) can help. SEO is technical and kind of complex, but a good web designer should know how to put up with the basics your site needs to be found by visitors online. Ask your web designer about:

• Using relevant keywords in your content.

• Optimizing meta descriptions and titles.

• Adding alt text to your website images.

• Keeping your URLs simple and clear.

• Regularly updating your content to keep it fresh.

  
  

Checklist 7. Guide Visitors to Act By Adding 'Calls to Action' (CTAs)

What do you want your website visitors to do? Buy a product? Book an appointment? Learn more about your business? Call you for enquiries? Or subscribe to your newsletter? Ensure your web designer understands your goal and make that goal clear and easy to attain with strong CTAs like:

• “Book a Free Consultation”

• “Shop Now”

• “Sign Up for Our Newsletter”

• “Get a Quote”

  
  

Checklist 8. Keep Your Website Safe and Fast

A slow or insecure site can scare visitors away. To keep things running smoothly, you might want to be sure your web designer:

• Uses SSL (that is your URL should start with https:// and not http://).

• Chooses a reliable web host.

• Regularly update your website's plugins and software.

• Use caching and image compression to speed up load times.

  
  

Checklist 9. Measure Your Site's Success With Analytics and Tracking

Once your website is live, you need to track how it’s performing and delivering on its purpose. To measure your website's performance, ensure your web designer use Google Analytics (or similar tools) to monitor:

• Traffic sources (where visitors come from).

• Popular pages.

• Bounce rate (how quickly people leave).

• Conversion rates. This data helps you tweak and improve your site over time.

  
  

Final Thoughts

Always keep these checklists in mind. Your website is your business’s online home. Make sure it’s welcoming, professional, and built to succeed!