Website Starter Checklist for Small Business

Before you build a website, it’s important to understand what you’re building — and why.

Many small business owners know they need an online presence, but feel unsure where to start. It’s common to jump straight into choosing platforms, themes or tools, only to feel overwhelmed or uncertain if you’re making the right decisions. This short course is designed to help you pause, step back and gain clarity before taking action.

This beginner-friendly course focuses on planning, not building. It helps you understand what your business actually needs online so you can move forward with confidence rather than guesswork.

You’ll be guided through a practical website starter checklist that covers the key decisions to think about before creating or improving a website. By the end of the course, you’ll have a clearer understanding of:

• The purpose of your website and what it needs to achieve

• The basic structure and pages most small business websites require

• The type of content and information you should prepare in advance

You’ll also gain clarity around early decisions such as choosing a website platform, understanding simple layout principles, and identifying essential branding elements like your logo, colours and fonts — without getting overwhelmed by technical details.

This course includes visual examples, simple explanations and actionable checklists to help you think things through in a calm, structured way. We’ll also address common concerns such as “What if I mess it up?” or “I’m not creative enough,” and replace them with clarity and direction.

This course does not involve building a website. Instead, it helps you approach your website intentionally, so you don’t waste time, energy or money.

It’s the ideal starting point if you’re considering creating or improving your small business website and want to feel prepared for the next step.