2.1 Planning Your Website Structure
Prerequisites
Before you start, make sure you have:
- Your business name, services, and contact details ready
- Any existing content: brochures, flyers, social media bios
- Photos of your work, team, or premises (phone photos are fine)
Step-by-Step
Map your essential pages
Every small business website needs at minimum: Home (your shopfront), About (your story, team, credentials), Services (what you offer with descriptions), Contact (phone, email, form, map). Most businesses also benefit from a FAQ page and a Testimonials or Portfolio page.
Write your hero headline
The first thing visitors see. It should answer: what do you do, who for, and why should they care? Keep it under 10 words. Examples: ‘Reliable Plumbing for Perth Homes and Businesses’ or ‘Strength Training That Fits Your Life.’
Outline your services
For each service, write: a one-sentence definition, who it’s for, what’s included, and the outcome/benefit. If you’re comfortable sharing pricing, include it — businesses that show pricing get more qualified leads.
Gather your assets
Collect: Logo, Photos (minimum 5-10 real photos), Testimonials (text messages, emails, or Google Reviews from happy customers), Credentials (licences, certifications, awards).
Create a sitemap sketch
Draw a simple tree diagram. Home at the top, main pages branching off. Keep your main navigation to 5-7 items maximum.
Simple sitemap structure — keep your main navigation to 5-7 items. Each service can have its own page for better SEO.
- Trying to say everything on one page — Each page should have one primary purpose.
- No clear call-to-action — Every page needs to tell the visitor what to do next: ‘Book a Free Consultation,’ ‘Call Us Today,’ ‘Get a Quote.’
- Skipping this step entirely — Jumping straight into building without a plan is why most DIY websites take months instead of days.
Look at 3-5 competitors’ websites before you start. Note what works, what annoys you, and what’s missing. You don’t need to copy them — you need to be better than them.
You're Done When
- You have a list of all pages your website will have
- You’ve written a draft hero headline
- Each service has a short description written
- You’ve gathered photos, testimonials, and credentials
- You have a sitemap sketch showing page hierarchy