Melbourne · how to build a website
How to build
a website.
The short answer
To build a small-business website you need five things: a domain name, hosting, a set of pages, the copy that goes on them, and a clear way for a visitor to contact you. Doing it yourself with a website builder costs roughly $200 to $600 a year and takes most owners two to four weekends. Having it built costs $3,000 to $5,000 once, plus hosting, and takes two to four weeks.
5 to 8 pages
What most small businesses actually need
Konquer recommendation
$200 to $600/yr
DIY builder plus domain
Typical Australian DIY platform pricing
$3,000 to $5,000
Professionally built, one-off
Konquer published pricing
How it works
Register the domain
Buy it in your own name, not your builder's. It is the one asset you cannot rebuild later.
Decide the pages
Home, one page per service, about, contact. Most small businesses need five to eight pages, not thirty.
Write the copy first
Design around real words. Every page answers what you do, who for, what it costs and what happens next.
Build the enquiry path
Phone number in the header, a short form, and something that answers after hours. This is where the calls come from.
Wire up search
Titles and descriptions per page, a Google Business Profile, and a sitemap. Without these you exist but cannot be found.
Questions
Can I build a website myself?
Yes. Modern builders make the mechanics easy. The hard parts are the copy, the structure and the enquiry path, those are what decide whether the site produces calls, and they are the same work whether you build it or pay someone.
How long does it take to build a website?
Two to four weekends doing it yourself. Two to four weeks having it built, and almost all of that is waiting on content rather than build time.
What do I need before I start?
A domain in your name, a list of your services, your prices or price ranges, photos of real work, and your Google Business Profile login.
Do I need a blog?
Only if you will keep it going. An abandoned blog dated two years ago reads worse than no blog. Five strong service pages beat fifty thin posts.
