How to Make a Small Business Website – Step by Step (2024)

Many small business owners think making a website is hard or expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. Rather than relying on just social media, a professional site gives a much better impression to your customers.

We’ve helped many small business owners build their own sites through our WordPress guides. In fact, we have run our own business websites for over a decade. It’s actually much easier and more rewarding than most people think.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to make a small business website, step by step. Whether you run a local shop, work as a freelancer, or have a new startup, you’ll learn how to build a website that helps you find new customers.

Which Is The Best Platform to Make a Small Business Website?

The biggest mistake most beginners make is choosing the wrong platform to make a business website. Thankfully, you are here, so you would not make that mistake.

WordPress is the most popular and best website builder in the world. It powers over 43% of all websites on the internet, including millions of small business websites all over the world.

WordPress is not just a blogging platform but a complete content management system (CMS).

The best thing about WordPress is that it gives you access to thousands of pre-made website templates, extensions, and add-ons. You can make almost any kind of website imaginable without any technical know-how.

What to Prepare Before Making a Small Business Website

You will need the following three items to make a small business website.

• A domain name – This will be your website’s name, such as wpbeginner.com
• Website hosting plan – This will be your website’s home and where all your files will be stored
• 60 minutes of your time

Ready? Let’s begin. Below are the steps we will cover in this tutorial:

Step 1. Get a Domain Name and WordPress Hosting Provider

There are two types of WordPress available. WordPress.com, which is a hosted solution, and then you have WordPress.org, also known as self-hosted WordPress. See our full comparison of WordPress.com vs WordPress.org to understand the difference.

We will be using self-hosted WordPress.org because it will give you instant access to all WordPress features out of the box.

Next, you will need a domain name and WordPress hosting to make a website.

We recommend using Bluehost to set up your website. It is one of the biggest hosting companies in the world and an officially recommended WordPress hosting provider.

The good news is that Bluehost has agreed to offer our users a free domain name, a free SSL certificate, and a massive discount on website hosting. Basically, you can get started for as little as $1.99 per month.

Let’s go ahead and purchase a domain name and hosting.

First, you need to visit the Bluehost website in a new browser window and click on the green ‘Get Started Now’ button.

On the next page, you will be asked to select a pricing plan.

Basic and Choice Plus plans are the most popular choices among small business owners.

Click on the ‘Select’ button to choose a plan and move on to the next step.

Now, you will be asked to choose a domain name for your website.

Tips on Finding a Domain Name for Your Business Website

Domain names are crucial to the success of your website. You need to spend some time choosing the perfect domain name for your business, but don’t overthink it.

1. Stick to the .com version because users find it easier to remember (see .com vs .net – which is better).
2. Your domain name should be related to your business (for example, stargardening.com).
3. If your preferred domain name is not available, then try adding a geographical location next to it. This increases your domain’s visibility in local search results (for example, stargardeninghouston.com).
4. Keep it simple, short, and easy to pronounce.

Need more help? See our guide on how to choose the best domain name for your business website.

Step 2. Install WordPress on Your Web Hosting

After choosing your domain name, you will be asked to enter your account information, such as name, address, business email, etc.

Below that, you will see some extra hosting options that you can purchase. We don’t recommend purchasing these extras right away, so go ahead and uncheck them. You can always add them later if needed.

Next, you will need to add your payment information to finish the purchase.

After completing your purchase, you’ll receive an email with details on how to log in to your web hosting control panel.

Bluehost will automatically install WordPress for you, and you will be able to log in to your WordPress site directly from the hosting dashboard.

However, if you somehow skip this step, then you can just log in to the dashboard and go to the ‘Websites’ tab. Then, click ‘Add Site.’

Now, you will follow the WordPress installation wizard.

First, select ‘Install WordPress’ and click ‘Continue.’

Next, insert your WordPress site title.

It can be anything you want, and you can change it later on if you are not happy with it. Click ‘Continue’ again.

At this stage, you will have to connect your website to your new domain name.

Alternatively, you can use a temporary subdomain if you are not planning to publish your site soon or put it under maintenance. Go ahead and click ‘Continue.’

You should now return to the ‘Websites’ tab in the Bluehost dashboard.

If the installation is successful, then you will see your new WordPress site there. Simply click ‘Edit Site’ to log in.

Once logged in, you will see the WordPress admin area.

This is where you will manage your website, change settings, and add new content.

Step 3. Create Content Layout for a Small Business Website

Now that you have WordPress installed, you need to create an outline of your website content. Good small business websites are simple and follow a standard website layout.

Simply go to the Pages » Add New page to create a new page in WordPress.

Don’t worry about the content, text, and images at the moment. Just adding a simple title, some text, and a couple of images would be fine. You can always edit these pages and add more content if needed.

Here are some of the must-have web pages for a small business website:

• Homepage – This is the welcome page of your website. Add your business name with a call to action to your services/products or contact page. Provide a brief description of why your customers should choose you.
• About Us – Your customers want to know more about the people behind a business before they can make a decision. Create an About Us page to tell users who you are, what are your business values, and what relevant experience you have in your industry.
• Services / Products – Create a page to list details about the services or products you are offering. Add a heading for each service/product and provide a brief description. You can also add pricing or ask users to contact you for a quote.
• Contact Us – This is the page your users will need to contact you. You will need to add a contact form so that users can contact you directly. Additionally, you can add your business’s physical address or phone number. Looking for a business phone service? We use Nextiva for our online business.

Additionally, you can create more pages if needed. For example, you can create a separate blog page, individual pages for each service or product, an FAQ page, a customer support page, and more.

Step 4. Set Up Your WordPress Theme

By default, WordPress comes with a basic template that you can use. If you don’t like the default theme, then there are thousands of free and paid WordPress themes that you can choose from.

You can take a look at our selection of the best WordPress themes for business websites. If you need more help, then see our tips on choosing the perfect WordPress theme for your website.

We recommend looking for a simple web design that looks great and has all the right elements.

Normally, a business website has a navigation menu on top. The homepage usually has a welcome message with a call to action button, which is followed by other content.

Once you have chosen a theme, you can install it. For detailed instructions, see our beginner’s guide on how to install a WordPress theme.

Each WordPress theme comes with different customization settings to change its appearance. Many of these options are located under the Appearance » Editor page in the WordPress admin area.

If you are using a WordPress theme that does not use the site editor, then you can customize it using the Theme Customizer.

Go to the Appearance » Customize page to launch the Theme Customizer.

From here, you can add navigation menus, change colors, add or remove different sections, and more.

Once you are satisfied with the design, don’t forget to click the Publish button on top to save your changes.

If you cannot find the theme that fits your needs, then you can use one of the popular drag-and-drop page builders for WordPress to create a custom design for your needs.

We recommend using either SeedProd, Beaver Builder, or Divi theme.

The advantage of SeedProd is that it lets you create custom WordPress themes and landing pages without any code (drag-and-drop interface). This means you can customize your website design to match your exact business needs within minutes.

SeedProd has tons of professionally designed templates, ready-made blocks to boost conversions, multiple color palettes and font combinations, mobile device previews, and more.

For more details, check out this tutorial on how to easily create a custom WordPress theme with SeedProd.

Want to experiment with multiple themes? If you use Bluehost, you can use their staging site tool to test out new features before actually using them on your live website.

Step 5. Install WordPress Plugins to Add More Features

WordPress plugins are like apps for your WordPress site. You can install them to add new features and functionality to your WordPress website, like contact forms, Google Analytics, testimonials, social media feeds, and more.

More than 60,000 free plugins are available in the WordPress plugin directory alone. This means that no matter what feature you want to add, there is a good chance you will be able to find a plugin for that.

You could even use an eCommerce plugin like WooCommerce to turn your website into an online store.

Below are the plugins that we install on every website:

• WPForms Lite – Add contact forms to your WordPress site so that potential customers can contact your business easily.
• All in One SEO (AIOSEO) – Improve your WordPress SEO (search engine optimization) and get more traffic from Google.
• MonsterInsights (Free) – View user-friendly reports of your website activity and visitor stats using Google Analytics.
• WP Super Cache – Speed up your website and improve the user experience by adding cache to your site.
• Duplicator – Free WordPress backup plugin that will prevent you from losing your site in case anything goes wrong.
• Sucuri – Free website malware scanner to improve WordPress security.

Need some more cool plugins for your business site? See our expert pick of the essential WordPress plugins for business websites.

For detailed instructions, see our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Step 6. Continue Your WordPress Journey

Now that you have a WordPress site, you may want to step up your game and learn more tips to improve your website.

WPBeginner is the largest free WordPress resource site in the world. Following are the handy WordPress resources you will find on WPBeginner, and all of them are completely free.

• WPBeginner Blog – This is where we publish our WordPress tutorials, how-tos, and step-by-step guides.
• WPBeginner Videos – These step-by-step videos will help you learn WordPress FAST.
• WPBeginner on YouTube – Need more video instructions? Subscribe to our YouTube channel with more than 288,000 subscribers and 48 Million+ views.
• WPBeginner Dictionary – The best place for beginners to start and familiarize themselves with the WordPress lingo.
• WPBeginner Solution Center – Quickly find the best WordPress tools. Curated by WPBeginner WordPress experts.
• WPBeginner Deals – Exclusive discounts on WordPress products and services for WPBeginner users.

You can also use Google to find answers on WPBeginner by simply adding ‘wpbeginner’ at the end of your search term.

If you are unable to find an answer, then feel free to reach out to us using our contact form. We will try our best to answer your question or point you in the right direction.

Industry-Specific WordPress Guides for Your Small Business

Different businesses have unique needs. Here are some specialized tutorials to help you create a WordPress site that’s perfect for your industry:

• How to Easily Create a Restaurant Website with WordPress – Showcase your menu, handle reservations, and display your restaurant’s ambiance online.
• How to Make a Gym Website in WordPress (Step by Step) – Build a site featuring your facilities, class schedules, and membership options.
• How to Make a Travel Business Site in WordPress – Create a website highlighting destinations, tour packages, and booking capabilities.
• How to Make a Transportation and Logistics Website in WordPress – Develop a site emphasizing your services, tracking features, and reliability.
• How to Create an Online Marketplace using WordPress – Set up a multi-vendor platform for e-commerce entrepreneurs.
• How to Create a BuzzFeed-Like Website Using WordPress – Design a dynamic, content-rich site with viral potential for content creators.
• How to Build an Amazon Affiliate Store Using WordPress – Make money from Amazon by creating your own website that features products you promote as an affiliate.
• How To Teach Online Yoga Classes with WordPress – Establish a platform for virtual fitness classes and workshops.
• How to Easily Create a Job Board in WordPress – Build a functional job listing site for people looking for work.

We hope this article helped you learn how to make a small business website. You may also want to see our complete cost breakdown to build a WordPress website and our expert picks of the best plugins to convert your WordPress site into an app.

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