Keep it simple, keep it useful

When you're a sole trader, your website has one job: help people find you and contact you. Here are the five features that genuinely make a difference.

1. A clear way to contact you

Email and WhatsApp beat a phone call for most customers today. Make your contact details obvious on every page.

2. Online booking

If you take appointments, a booking system saves hours of back-and-forth and lets customers book at 2am if they want to.

3. Online payments

Accepting deposits or full payments online means you get paid faster and customers can commit instantly.

4. A gallery of your work

People buy with their eyes. A few real photos of your work builds trust faster than any paragraph of text.

5. Social links

Your website should connect to your social pages so visitors can see you're active and real.

What you probably don't need

• Complicated animations
• A blog (unless you'll actually write)
• Endless pages nobody will read

Focus on the essentials and your site will work harder for you. Want help building it? Start with a £1 draft.