Build a Website for Your Small Business
Your website is often the first place potential customers go to learn about your business. It needs to look professional, be easy to use and make it simple for people to contact you, request a quote, book a service or make a purchase.
For many New Zealand small businesses, a website builder provides a practical way to create and manage a professional website without needing to manage the technical side of website development.
What Does a Small Business Website Need?
The right website depends on your business, but most small businesses need a website that can:
- Explain what you offer
- Show customers why they should choose you
- Make it easy to contact you
- Work well on mobile devices
- Help people find you through Google
- Capture enquiries and leads
- Showcase your products, services or previous work
- Be updated as your business changes
A website doesn't need to be complicated to be effective. It needs to do the right things for your customers and your business.
Website Builders for NZ Small Businesses
A website builder gives you the tools to create and manage your website without having to build everything from scratch.
Depending on the website builder you choose, you may have access to:
- Drag-and-drop or visual editing
- Professional website templates
- Mobile-friendly designs
- SEO tools
- Contact and enquiry forms
- Image galleries
- Blogs and resources
- Ecommerce tools
- Domain and hosting services
- Website analytics
- Customer support
The important thing is to choose a website builder that provides the features your business actually needs.
Choose a Website Builder That Can Grow With Your Business
Your website needs may change as your business grows.
You might start with a simple website that introduces your business and generates enquiries. Later, you may want to add new services, publish useful content, sell products online or create additional pages targeting different locations.
When comparing website builders, look beyond the initial design. Consider whether the website can support your business as your needs change.
Website Design for Small Business
Your website should reflect your business and make a good first impression.
Good design isn't just about choosing attractive colours or finding the right template. Your website should have clear navigation, readable content, strong calls to action and layouts that work across different devices.
Your customers should be able to quickly understand:
What do you do?
Where do you operate?
Why should they choose you?
What should they do next?
A well-planned website makes these answers easy to find.
Help Customers Find Your Business on Google
A website builder should also support your search engine optimisation (SEO).
For a small business, this can be particularly important when potential customers are searching for your products or services in your local area.
Your website should make it possible to create useful, relevant pages with clear headings, page titles, descriptions and content that matches what your customers are searching for.
SEO isn't just about adding keywords. Your website needs useful information that genuinely helps visitors.
Capture More Enquiries
If generating leads is one of your main reasons for having a website, make it easy for people to get in touch.
Depending on your business, this could include:
- Contact forms
- Quote request forms
- Phone numbers
- Email links
- Booking forms
- Enquiry buttons
- Calls to action throughout your website
Don't make visitors search for your contact details. Give them an obvious next step when they're ready to talk to you.
eCommerce for Small Businesses
If you sell products, your website builder may also need eCommerce functionality.
An online store can allow customers to browse products, add items to a cart, make payments and receive order information online.
Before choosing an ecommerce website builder, consider the features you'll need, including product management, payments, shipping, inventory and order management.
How Much Does a Small Business Website Cost?
There isn't one standard price for a small business website.
The cost depends on factors such as the number of pages, design requirements, functionality, ecommerce needs and whether you create the website yourself or pay someone else to build it.
You should also consider ongoing costs such as your website builder subscription, domain name, hosting and any additional services.
Planning what your website actually needs before choosing a solution makes it easier to compare the true cost of different options.
What to Look for in a Small Business Website Builder
Before choosing a website builder, ask:
- Is it easy for me to update?
- Does it provide professional, mobile-friendly designs?
- Can I optimise my pages for Google?
- Can I add contact and enquiry forms?
- Can I sell products online if I need to?
- Are hosting and security included?
- What will it cost as my website grows?
- Is help available when I need it?
- Can I use my own domain name?
- Does it provide the features my business actually needs?
The cheapest option isn't necessarily the best choice, and the most complicated option isn't necessarily better either. Look for a solution that fits your business.
A Website Builder for Your Business
Your small business doesn't need a complicated website. It needs a website that represents your business professionally, helps customers find the information they're looking for and makes it easy for them to take the next step.
A good website builder gives you the tools to create that website and manage it as your business grows.
Ready to create your website? Explore Website Builder to see what to look for in a website builder, or return to our Create a Website guide to work through the process step by step.
