Website design advice, without the jargon.

This is the big question, isn't it? It’s a bit like asking what a van costs. You can get a cheap old runner that might let you down, or you can get a brand new one with all the kit. Websites are the same. We try to be upfront about it, because no one likes a surprise bill.

For us, a simple but professional 'brochure' website starts at around £499. This is your digital business card. It tells people who you are, what you do, and how to contact you. It looks smart and works perfectly on a mobile phone. It's a solid starting point for any tradesman or small business just getting going.

Our most popular option is the £999 package. This is the real workhorse. You get more pages, which means we can target more of your services specifically – a page for MOTs, a page for servicing, a page for diagnostics, for example. This is crucial for getting found on Google. We also put more time into the structure and content to give you a better chance of ranking.

For £1499 and up, you're getting into more complex territory. This could be for things like e-commerce (selling things directly), custom booking systems, or sites with lots of specific features. Everything else, like app development or business systems, is quoted separately because every one of those jobs is unique.

You absolutely can, and for some people, it's the right choice. If you're running a hobby business or just want a simple online presence for a local club, they can be a good, cheap way to start. It’s like having a basic toolkit at home; it’s fine for putting up a shelf.

The problems start when your business needs to grow. These platforms can be quite restrictive. They make it easy to get a site live, but they can make it very difficult to do proper, in-depth search engine optimisation (SEO). Their code can be bloated and slow, which Google doesn't like. You're also often stuck with their templates, so your site can end up looking like a hundred others.

Worst of all, you're building on rented land. If you ever want to move your website to a proper host, it can be a nightmare to get your data and content out. We've seen people have to start all over again. A professionally built website is an asset you own completely, like your own workshop rather than a rented lock-up. It's a tool built for one job: winning you more work.

We see this debate all the time. Some people want a website with all the bells and whistles: animations, videos that play automatically, and fancy, artistic layouts. And some of those sites do look amazing. The problem is, a website that’s designed to win art awards is rarely one that wins you customers.

Think of it this way: a beautiful website that nobody can find is just an expensive secret. The first job of a business website is to be found by people looking for what you offer. That's SEO. Many of the things that make a design 'flashy' – like huge image files, complex code, and text hidden inside graphics – are things that make Google's job harder. And if you make Google's job harder, it will simply rank someone else higher.

We build websites for businesses. Our approach is to start with a clean, fast, and SEO-friendly foundation. The design needs to be professional, easy to navigate, and build trust. But performance comes first. A simple, clear website that loads in a second and ranks on the first page of Google will beat a slow, flashy, 'award-winning' design every single day of the week when it comes to bringing in phone calls and emails.

Please, stop using those cheesy stock photos. You know the ones – the unnaturally happy people in a brand-new office, pointing at a blank screen. Your customers can spot them a mile off. They don't build trust; they make you look generic.

The best photos are real photos. Your customers want to see you, your team, your van, your workshop, and your actual work. It shows you're a real, legitimate business. You don't need a professional photographer with thousands of pounds of kit, either. The camera on a modern smartphone is more than good enough.

Just follow a few simple rules. Take photos during the day, using natural light where possible. Tidy up the background – get rid of that pile of old newspapers or stray bits of rubbish. Take photos of your team smiling. Take photos of your equipment, your premises, and examples of your finished work. For a company like Caledonian Tourers, that means showing their campervans in the beautiful Scottish scenery. For Bob's Mechanical Repairs, it means a clean workshop and mechanics at work. Real photos show you're proud of what you do, and that's exactly what a potential customer wants to see.

Staring at a blank page is the worst part of making a website for many people. Don't worry about it. You don't need to be a novelist. You just need to be helpful. Your customers aren't looking for poetry; they're looking for answers.

Here's the simplest way to start. Get a piece of paper and write down the top ten questions you get asked on the phone every week. 'How much does it cost?', 'Are you open on Saturdays?', 'Do you cover my area?'. Answer each of those questions, clearly and simply. That's your first batch of website content right there.

Don't try to sound 'professional' or 'corporate'. Just write like you talk. Use short sentences. Use bullet points. Our founder has dyslexia and ADHD, and he gets through it by using modern tools and focusing on being clear, not clever. If you're really stuck, record yourself explaining a service on your phone's voice recorder, then just type it up. Simple, direct information is what helps a customer choose you. That's all that matters.