Module 01 of 08
Your business website
A website isn't optional anymore — it's how customers verify you're real before they call, visit, or buy. This module covers what your site actually needs to do, how to choose the right builder, and what pages matter most.
How sales tax works for a physical retailer
Most small business websites have one job: answer the question "can I trust this place?" A customer who found you on Google or Instagram will check your site before doing anything else. Your site doesn't need to be beautiful or complex — it needs to be credible, current, and easy to contact.
The four things every small business site must do: show what you sell (clearly, with photos), show where and how to find you, make it obvious how to get in touch, and look like someone actually maintains it. A site with a 2019 copyright, no phone number, and pixelated photos does more harm than no site at all.
The five pages every small business site needs
Home (what you do and who you serve) · About (your story and why it matters) · Products or services (what you offer and what it costs) · Contact (address, hours, phone, email) · Gallery or portfolio (photos of your work, space, or products). Everything else is optional until these are right.
In this Module
What your site needs to do
Choosing a website builder
Domain and hosting basics
Website vs. social media
Real-world example
Related Modules
Selling online
Marketing: Google Business Profile
Marketing: Local SEO basics
Choosing a website builder
Select a builder to see details.
Domain, hosting, and the basics
Your domain (yourshopname.com) is separate from your website builder. Most builders let you buy a domain through them, which is fine for simplicity — but you can also buy through Namecheap or Google Domains and connect it. Either approach works; just make sure you own the domain registration, not just the site.
Hosting is included with all the builders above — you don't need to manage it separately. When builders talk about hosting, they mean the servers that display your site; it's bundled into the monthly fee.
Common mistake
Building your site on a free subdomain (yourshop.squarespace.com or yourshop.wixsite.com) instead of buying your own domain. These look unprofessional and are hard to change later. A domain costs ~$15/year — always buy it.
When your website matters more than social media
Social media is rented space. Instagram can change its algorithm, reduce your reach, or suspend your account without notice. Your website is yours. Email collected from your website belongs to you permanently; followers on social do not.
Specific scenarios where having a website matters more than social: when customers are searching Google for what you sell (search traffic goes to websites, not Instagram), when you need to show detailed product catalogs or service menus, when you take appointments or orders online, and when business customers need to evaluate you formally before purchasing.
The right order
Set up your Google Business Profile first (free, immediate local search impact). Build your website second (your permanent online home). Then build social presence on whichever platform your customers actually use. Don't do these in reverse.
Real-world examples
Carmen — candle and home goods shop
Retail storefront, opened 2022
Carmen built her site on Squarespace in a weekend before opening. She spent most of her time on product photos — shot on her phone with natural light — and says that's the most important thing she did. "People buy with their eyes. My site gets hundreds of visits a month, and the people who come in almost always say they looked it up first."
Marcus — landscaping and outdoor services
Service and trades, solo operator
Marcus ran his business on word of mouth for two years before building a website. The catalyst was losing a larger commercial job to a competitor who had a professional site and his did not. He built on Wix, focused on a portfolio page with before/after photos, and added a simple contact form. Within 60 days he was getting 3–4 inbound inquiries per week from Google searches — more than word of mouth was generating.
Roshani — specialty spice market vendor
Farmers markets and pop-ups, part-time
Roshani didn't build a full website until her third year. She used a simple Squarespace page with her market schedule, a product list with photos, and an email signup for her market newsletter. The newsletter list turned out to be more valuable than the site itself — she emails it when she has a new product or a special market event and sees a direct uptick in booth sales.