A website is one piece of your marketing. Its job is to give the right visitor a clear picture of who you are and a simple way to get in touch. It works best when it agrees with the rest of your presence.
We do not build websites or run search optimisation, so this guide is general information. If you want help deciding where a website fits among your other channels, our private marketing consultation gives you three to five written priorities.
1. A clear first impression
Visitors decide quickly whether to stay. The first screen should answer three questions: who is this, who is it for and what do I do next.
- Use a strong first photo that matches your positioning.
- Put your name or brand and one clear line beneath it.
- Make the main action visible without scrolling.
- Use a secure connection (HTTPS) and a domain that is yours.
2. Mobile use
Many visitors will arrive on a phone, so design for that first.
- Text that is readable without zooming.
- Buttons large enough to tap with a thumb.
- Photos that load quickly on mobile data.
- A contact action that works in one tap.
Test on a real phone, and on a slow connection as well as a fast one.
3. Privacy and discretion
Visitors and professionals both care about privacy.
- Explain in plain words what happens to enquiry details.
- Ask only for what you need on forms.
- Keep a short privacy notice that you can stand behind.
- Remove metadata from photos before upload.
- Avoid exposing your location beyond what is needed.
- Use a work email and number, not personal ones.
Where the law requires a notice, such as a cookie notice or data policy, include it. See advertising within the law for the general picture.
4. Photos and wording
Photos and wording carry most of the message.
- Use recent, consistent photos that you have the right to use.
- Give each photo a sensible file name and a short description.
- Write your own text. Copying text from other profiles weakens your presence and may breach someone’s rights.
- Describe the experience rather than listing explicit acts.
- Keep each page in one language. If you offer more than one language, have each version checked by a native reader.
5. One clear call to action
Give visitors a single main action, such as enquire or contact. Repeat it at logical points, for example near the top and after the photos. Keep the form short. State your response approach honestly, and do not promise times you cannot meet.
6. Consistent facts
Details should match everywhere: name, rates structure, languages, location, availability. Contradictions between your site, your listings and your social accounts reduce trust. Keep a master document and update from it. See your channel mix.
Checklist
- The first screen shows who, for whom and what next.
- The site uses HTTPS and loads quickly on a phone.
- Buttons are easy to tap.
- There is a short privacy notice and the form asks only what it needs.
- Photos are recent, described and cleaned of metadata.
- The text is original and checked by a native reader.
- There is one main call to action, repeated sensibly.
- Facts match every other place you appear.
- Old pages and dead links have been removed.
Accessibility and basics that help everyone
Good basics help every visitor and cost little.
- Sufficient contrast between text and background.
- Headings that follow a logical order.
- Short descriptions for images.
- Links with clear wording rather than “click here”.
- Forms with visible labels.
- No content that flashes or moves in a distracting way.
These are not extras. They also make the page easier to read on a small screen in poor light, which is how many visitors will see it.
What a site cannot do
A good website does not guarantee enquiries. It depends on how people find it, and on all the other parts of your presence. Treat the site as part of a plan, and judge it by the enquiries it supports, using a simple log.
Where to go from here
If you want a view of your whole marketing picture, book a private consultation. Related reading: turning visitors into enquiries and search mistakes that hold agency sites back.
