Why your business needs a website
Ok let’s be honest - maybe you’ve been getting on just fine without a website. Word of mouth is doing its thing and your Instagram’s ticking along, or maybe you’ve got a Facebook page with your phone number on it and great business cards. People are finding you, so why bother with a website?
Because right now, someone in your area is Googling what you do - looking for a small business with a website that looks legit and makes it easy to get in touch. And they’re not finding you. They’re finding the business that does have one. And before you say “but I’m on Instagram/Facebook/TikTok” - that’s great, but remember - not everyone uses social media. There’s a huge part of your audience that’s never seen a reel or a meme or refuses to succumb to the social scene.
Don’t underestimate the power of a good website - they work powerfully and quietly behind the scenes, without you lifting a finger. And it’s actually not as expensive, complicated or time-consuming as you think. I’ve built websites for small businesses across Northamptonshire and beyond, and I see the same pattern every time. A well-built website get more enquiries. Every time. Not because they’re better at what they do, but because they’re easier to find and easier to trust.
But I’ve got social media. Isn’t that enough?
Short answer? No - ‘fraid not!
Social media is brilliant for visibility. It’s where people discover you, get a feel for your personality and start to trust you. But it’s rented space. You don’t own it. The algorithm decides who sees your posts. Your content disappears quickly. And if the platform changes its rules (again), your reach can drop overnight. Don’t even get me started on what happens if your account gets hacked.
A website is yours. It sits there 24/7, working for you whether you’re posting or not. It’s your shopfront, your brochure, your best salesperson! And it never switches off.
Do I really need a website if I get clients through Instagram?
If Instagram’s already bringing in work, that’s a brilliant place to start. But it’s not a complete system.
People still Google before they enquire. Even if they found you on socials, they’ll often search your name or your service to check you’re legit. If they can’t find a proper website or your link in bio doesn’t work, it creates doubt. If they can, it builds confidence and makes it much easier for them to take the next step. It’s not either/or. Social media brings people in. Your website converts them.
What a business website actually does and why it matters
It makes you findable. When someone searches “wedding florist Northampton” or “dog walker near me”, a website with the right content shows up in search results.
It works while you sleep. Your website takes enquiries at 2am. It answers the questions you keep getting asked in your DMs. It shows people what you do, what you charge, and how to book, without you lifting a finger or figuring out how to actually work Manychat.
It keeps everything in one place. Your services, your prices, your testimonials, your contact details, your story. All in one spot. No more check another “link in my bio” or “I’ll DM you the details.”
It gives you control. You decide what it says, how it looks, and what people see first. No algorithm. No character limits. No competing with someone else’s dog video.
Ok, but how much does a small business website cost ?
This is where most people get stuck. They picture thousands of pounds and months of their life. But for small businesses, the reality is much more manageable than that. After the initial build investment, you’ll pay a monthly fee (or annually, which locks you in but also often means a discounted total price) for the platform alongside your domain costs + any transaction fees if you’re selling through the site. There’s loads of options, but the main ones for small businesses are:
SQUARESPACE: from £12/month (billed annually). A great all-rounder and very user friendly once you’re set up. My recommendation and what I build on - more on why below.
WIX: from £9/month. More design freedom, but can quickly get overwhelming and messy without a clear plan.
WORDPRESS: free to download, but you pay for hosting, a theme and some extra plugins so the cost can vary wildly. Much more in-depth and can get quite confusing if you aren’t used to this kind of build.
SHOPIFY: from £19/month. Great for product-based businesses as it’s built for online shops and integrates well with social media platforms.
If you don’t want to build it yourself (and honestly, most people don’t), you’ll need someone to do it for you. Prices vary massively depending on who you go to and what you need. A big agency will charge thousands. A freelancer like me? Less than you’d think! I build websites for small businesses starting from £500 for a one-page landing site - perfect if you just need to get online quickly and back up your socials with something clean and professional. For bigger builds, there’s my Website in a Week package - a simple, multi-page website, ready in a week, and still less than £1,000.
That’s not a monthly retainer or a locked-in contract. It’s a one-off investment in something that works for your business every single day.
Why Squarespace is best for small business websites
I’ve worked with Wix, WordPress, and Shopify. They all have their place. But for most small businesses, Squarespace hits the sweet spot and is what I recommend. Here’s why.
It’s all in one place. Hosting, design, SSL certificate, analytics, forms, blog, basic SEO tools. All included. No hunting for plugins, no paying for extras, no “why has my site broken after an update?” moments.
It’s really user-friendly. You can actually manage it yourself once your site’s been built. You can update it without knowing any code. Change a photo, add a blog post, update your prices. It’s drag and drop.
It looks professional from the start. Squarespace’s templates are genuinely beautiful. You’re not starting from an ugly blank page and trying to make it look decent. You’re starting from something that already looks polished and making it yours.
It’s secure and reliable. Squarespace handles all the security updates, backups, and hosting for you. No need to worry about plugins being out of date or your site going down because your hosting provider had a bad day.
It scales with you. You can start with a simple one-pager and add more pages when you’re ready. Bolt on a blog. Add a shop later. You’re not locked into what you start with.
The pricing is straightforward. Most small businesses need the Core plan at £17/month (billed annually). That gives you everything: custom code access, marketing tools like pop-ups and announcement bars, and the ability to sell products if you want to. No surprise fees, no hidden extras.
Now having said all that - it’s worth noting that what you gain in all of the above, you lose a little in customisability - particularly in customising layouts between mobile/tablet/desktop view. However, I find this trade-off is completely worth it when you look at what you gain in its usability and being able to manage it yourself.
Being fair: where other platforms might suit you better
With that in mind, I’m not going to pretend Squarespace is perfect for everyone - it’s not. Here’s where the others have an edge:
WordPress is more powerful if you need something highly custom or you’ve got a developer on hand. It’s the most flexible option, but that flexibility comes with complexity. If you’re not technical, it can become a headache fast.
Wix gives you more drag-and-drop freedom with layout. Squarespace is more structured, which is actually a good thing for most people (it stops you accidentally making a mess), but if you want total creative control over every pixel, Wix offers that.
Shopify is built for selling. If your main business is an online shop with inventory, shipping, and lots of products, Shopify’s tools are purpose-built for that. Squarespace can handle a shop, but Shopify lives and breathes ecommerce.
For most service-based businesses, makers, freelancers, and local businesses though? Squarespace keeps things simple without limiting your growth.
“But I’m not techy”
Neither are most of my clients. That’s the whole point of getting someone like me to build it for you first. You tell me about your business, what you need, and who your people are. I’ll handle the rest. You don’t need to understand how websites work any more than you need to understand how your car engine works to drive it.
And once it’s built, updating it is simple. If you can write an email and attach a photo, you can manage a Squarespace website. I promise.
But if you still really don’t want to touch it after that? That’s fine too! I offer website management where I keep it updated and ticking over for you. Some people want the keys. Some people want a driver. Both are completely valid.
“I’ll do it myself eventually”
You might. And Squarespace does make it easier than most. But here’s what I see all the time: “Eventually” turns into six months. Then a year. Then two years of “I really need to sort my website out.” Meanwhile, every day without one is a day someone searched for what you do and found someone else instead.
A one-page landing site takes me less than a week. If you’re savvy and do your homework beforehand, I’d even say we could do it in 24hrs. From just £500. That’s your business online, looking professional, showing up in Google, and taking enquiries while you get on with actually running the thing. Sounds tempting, no?
What getting a website with me actually looks like:
1. You tell me about your business.
What you do, who you do it for, what makes you different. I’ll ask questions. Probably too many. But no detail is too small and we want to bring that unique part of your business that makes it what it is - you! You’ll also need to send me all your brand bits - logos, colours, fonts and images.
2. I build it.
On Squarespace, using your brand, your words, your photos. If you don’t have those yet, don’t worry - I can help with that too.
3. You review it.
I’ll walk you through it, you tell me what you love and what you want changed. Two rounds of revisions are included.
4. We go live.
Quietly at first - we’ll check everything on different devices to make sure it’s perfect before you shout about it. I’ll hand it over with a guide or a walkthrough call so you can manage it yourself, plus a few weeks of email support in case you get stuck.
5. Your website gets to work.
Taking enquiries, building trust, and supporting your business every day. That’s the whole idea.
Ready to stop putting it off?
If your website’s been on your to-do list for months (or let’s be honest, years), this is your nudge. It doesn’t have to be complicated. It doesn’t have to cost thousands. It just has to exist and actually represent your business properly.
Send me an email and tell me about your business. Or if you’re not quite ready for that, grab one of my free guides and have a nosy at what your website might need.
Already underway with your website? Need someone to check it over before you go live? Send me your URL and I'll take a look! Sometimes a second pair of eyes spots the thing you've stopped being able to see.