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Website basics ยท 2 min read

What every small business website should include before it goes live

The checklist a small business website needs before launch: accounts you own, a page you can edit, a form that delivers, and a baseline for speed and search.

Website basics
By Catalyst Online Solutions

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These are the foundations we expect on every site, whether it has five pages or fifty.

It works well on a phone

Many visitors arrive on a phone. A phone number you can tap, a form that is easy to complete and text you can read without zooming are basics.

It is accessible and quick to load

Clear contrast, labelled form fields, keyboard access and pages that load fast help everyone, including customers using older devices or a weak signal.

You own it

The domain, hosting and database should sit in accounts you control. A studio like ours should hold delivery access only, and you should be able to remove it.

You can change it

Prices, offers, opening hours and photos change often. An editing page lets you do it yourself without waiting for a developer.

It is findable

Each page needs its own title and description, a sitemap, and the right local details so search engines understand where you work.

It can be undone

Every change should be saved so a mistake can be rolled back to the last working version in minutes.

You approve it

Nothing should go live until the owner has seen it on a phone and a computer and approved it in writing.

The problem this post is about

Most sites go live without the basics that make them findable, fast and yours.

Where we fix it

Websites that bring in enquiries.

One baseline for every client: your accounts, an editing page, a form that delivers.