Website questions, answered

Yes, for most businesses. Customers search online before they call, and a website shows you’re a real, established business. It’s also the one place online you fully own, unlike social media or lead sites.

Social media helps, but it isn’t enough on its own. Posts get buried, not everyone uses those apps, and you don’t control the platform. A website gives customers one permanent place for your services, prices and contact details, and it’s what Google shows when people search your name.

Use a done-for-you service. You send your logo, photos and business details, and the provider builds, hosts and updates the site for you. You never need to log in or learn any software.

Most small businesses need five: Home, Services, About, Reviews or Gallery, and Contact. Add a page per service or per area you cover if you want to show up for more local searches.

A simple small business site can be live in about a week once the business details and photos are ready. DIY sites often take longer because owners build them in spare time. Custom designer projects can take several weeks.

It can work if you enjoy tech and have time to write, design and maintain it. Many busy owners start and never finish. If you’d rather spend that time on paid work, a done-for-you service usually works out better.

It loads fast on phones, says clearly what you do and where, makes it easy to call or ask for a quote, and shows proof you’re trustworthy, like reviews, licences and real photos.

Yes. Even referred customers search your name before calling. A professional website reassures them you’re legitimate, and without one, some will choose a competitor who has one.

Lead sites can bring work, but you’re competing on the same page as other tradies and often paying per lead. Your own website brings enquiries with no lead fees and is the place you control.

A tap-to-call button, your services, the suburbs you cover, your licence and insurance details, photos of real jobs (before-and-after shots work well), reviews, and a quote or callback form.

Yes. Showing your licence and insurance builds trust, and in some states and trades displaying your licence number in advertising is a legal requirement. Check the rules with your state’s licensing body.

Put a tap-to-call button on every page, list the suburbs you work in, show reviews and job photos, and set up your Google Business Profile so you appear on Google Maps.

Yes, and you should. Before-and-after photos are one of the most convincing things on a trade website because customers can see the quality of your work. Just make sure customers are happy for their property to be shown.

With a done-for-you service, you text or email the change, like a new job photo or price, and it’s done for you.

AI assistants recommend businesses they can find clear, consistent information about. Have a website that states plainly what you do, where and at what price, keep your business name, address and phone identical everywhere online, and build reviews and mentions on other trusted sites.

AI assistants with web search pull from search engines and websites they can read, and some draw on Bing. Being properly listed on both Google and Bing, with a clear website, gives you the best chance of appearing.

Clear headings, short direct answers to common questions (like this page), up-to-date facts such as prices and service areas, FAQ structured data, and a fast site that’s easy to read.

More people now ask AI tools for recommendations, but Google is still where most local searches happen. The good news is that the same basics help with both: a clear website, a Google Business Profile, reviews and consistent details.

AI tools can help write text or suggest layouts, but you still need to set up hosting, a domain, security and updates. If you don’t want to manage those, a done-for-you service is simpler.

Hosting is the service that stores your website and keeps it online so people can visit it. Every website needs it, and it’s usually paid monthly or yearly.

Yes. Software needs regular updates, security needs monitoring, and backups need to run. A neglected website can break or get hacked, so it’s worth having someone look after it.

SSL is the security that puts the padlock and “https” in the browser address bar. Every business website needs it: without it, browsers can warn visitors the site is “not secure”.

Check it every few months and update prices, photos, services and opening hours whenever they change. Out-of-date information makes customers doubt the business is still running.

Yes. Most people find local businesses on their phone, and Google favours mobile-friendly sites. Test yours by opening it on your own phone.

If your site collects personal information, such as through a contact or quote form, it’s good practice to have one, and some businesses are legally required to under the Privacy Act. Check with the OAIC guidance or a legal adviser.