What a website has to do for a small business
A website for a small business has to explain within a few seconds what you offer, work on a phone and make an enquiry possible without detours.
What you will know afterwards
- You know the five jobs every website of a small business has to do.
- You know which content is legally required.
- You can judge whether a revision is enough or a rebuild is needed.
Most visitors come to your website with a single question: is this the right thing for me, and how do I get in touch? Everything else is secondary. A website for a smaller business is therefore not measured by how modern it looks, but by how quickly it answers that question.
This post describes the jobs such a website has to do and the points that are legally required.
Explain within a few seconds what it is about
At the top of the home page, one sentence should say what you offer and for whom. That includes where you do it. "Electrical work for period buildings in Vienna" answers more questions than any image gallery.
Avoid phrases that fit any business. Someone who reads "holistic solutions" knows no more afterwards than before. Instead, write down the services you actually sell, in the words your customers use on the phone.
Work on a phone
A large share of visits comes from mobile phones. The website therefore has to adapt to narrow screens without anyone having to zoom or scroll sideways. This behaviour is called responsive design.
Check it yourself, and do it on the move rather than on the office Wi-Fi. Three things count. Is the text readable without zooming, can the phone number be dialled with one tap, and does the page load within a few seconds? Every image delivered too large costs time here.
Make an enquiry possible without detours
Decide deliberately what the next step should be: call, write, fill in a form or book an appointment. That one step belongs on every page, not only on the contact page.
Keep the form short. Every additional required field costs enquiries. Name, message and a way to reply are enough in most cases. Just as important is what happens afterwards. An enquiry left unanswered for two days is usually lost.
Include the content that is required
Every website of a business in Austria needs a legal notice (Impressum) and a privacy policy. The legal notice follows the Media Act and the E-Commerce Act, the privacy policy the General Data Protection Regulation. Both belong in the very first version, not only once someone asks.
On top of that come two technical basics: a valid SSL certificate, so that the connection is encrypted, and a domain registered to your business. Where all of this lives is explained in Where your website actually lives when it is online.
Stay maintainable
Prices change, opening hours change, services are added. So decide before the build who changes the content. If you want to do it yourself, you need a content management system and a short training session. If not, content care belongs in ongoing maintenance.
A website nobody can change goes out of date faster than one that is technically older but maintained.
Revise or rebuild
| Finding | Usually enough | Usually needed |
|---|---|---|
| Content outdated, technology fine | revision of text and images | no rebuild |
| Unusable on a phone | revision of the layout | rebuild, if the foundation is very old |
| No updates for years | technical review | rebuild, if the software is no longer maintained |
| Goal has changed | new structure | rebuild, if the old structure works against it |
At bown a website starts from EUR 499 excl. VAT, with a written offer covering scope, price and schedule. It is usually live in under four weeks, depending on scope. Whether a revision is enough can usually be settled in a first conversation and a short look at the existing site.
Frequently asked questions
What does a website cost?
From €499 excl. VAT. You receive a written quote with scope, price and timeline.
How long does it take?
Your website is usually live in under four weeks, depending on scope. We agree the timeline in the quote.
Can I change the website myself later?
Yes. After a short introduction you maintain texts and images yourself. Alternatively, we take care of maintenance.
Do I need an online shop?
Only if you really want to sell online. A shop brings shipping, payment, returns and ongoing care with it. For appointment-based businesses, a good way to make an enquiry is usually enough.
Do you also take care of domain, hosting and email?
Yes. We set up domain, hosting and email. We look after the running website with hosting and maintenance: from €39 per month excl. VAT, including domain, email and storage.
Is a redesign of my existing website enough?
That can usually be settled in a first call and a quick look at the existing site. We tell you honestly whether a redesign or a rebuild makes more sense.