Whether you’re creating your first website or updating an old one, the process is pretty similar. Let’s work together to make sure your site looks great and gets found easily by the people who need your services.
The first thing I do when working on your website is keyword research. This is important because the keywords you choose will impact how your site performs on search engines like Google. If you already have a website, we can use Google’s Keyword Tool to see which keywords are bringing visitors to your site and find new ones to target.
If you don’t yet have a website, I can help you find keywords that match your business. For example, if you run a luxury apartment business in York. I would start with keywords like "Luxury Apartments York" and then find related terms that people might search for.
If you already have a site but want to improve its search ranking, I can review your content to see if it's using the right keywords. Sometimes, websites aren’t optimised at all, or they target the wrong terms. It’s important to align your content with what people are actually searching for.
When building a website, it’s important to think about how potential customers might find you online. What keywords or phrases would they use in Google? Some terms are very competitive, so it's often better to target more specific, longer keywords (called “long-tail keywords”). For example, "affordable web design in York" is easier to rank for than just "web design."
I specialize in local SEO, which helps small businesses show up in search results for their local area. If you run a business in a specific location—like a cupcake shop in York—you’ll want to make sure your website is easy to find by local customers. I'll research local search terms like "cupcakes delivered in York" or "wedding cupcakes York" to ensure your site shows up for the right people.
Long-tail keywords (like "affordable web design in York") are longer and more specific. They’re generally easier to rank for than short keywords like "websites" or "cupcakes," and they help you attract more qualified visitors.
A little planning upfront can save you a lot of time later. By deciding which keywords each page will target, we can create content that matches those terms. Whether you’re using a content management system (CMS) or coding your site directly, this kind of planning is essential for good SEO.
Together, we’ll map out which pages you need and what keywords to target on each one. If you offer different services, we might need separate pages for each, each with its own relevant content and keywords.
A blog is a great way to keep your website fresh with new content. We can categorize blog posts by service type so that relevant posts show up on the right pages.
If your business is small or has just one main service, you may only need a single core page—like the Home page—and a blog to keep things up to date
Now that we know the structure and keywords for your site, it’s time to focus on your content. The text on your site should speak directly to your visitors and address their needs. Avoid writing for yourself—your content should focus on solving the problems your customers have.
Here’s how we’ll make your content work:
Identify Your Audience: Understand who your visitors are and why they’re on your site. Are they looking to solve a problem or meet a need? Your content should help answer their questions.
Highlight the Problem and Solution: Make it clear that you understand your visitors' problems. Then explain how your services can solve them.
Use Simple, Clear Language: Avoid using jargon or complicated language. Your visitors should easily understand your message.
Help Visitors Make a Decision: Provide all the information your visitors need to make an informed choice. Whether it’s your location, hours of operation, or how to contact you, your content should make it easy for them to take the next step.
A well-designed website creates a positive first impression. Your site should not only look great, but also reflect your brand and appeal to your target audience. Whether you prefer bold, colorful images or a clean, minimalist design, we’ll make sure your site looks as good as it functions.
We’ll also choose a color palette that matches your brand, and if you use photos, we’ll make sure they fit with your design. You can even explore the latest design trends to see if they suit your business.
If you’re new to websites, you’ll need to buy a domain name (your website’s address) and a hosting plan (where your website files are stored). If you're redesigning an existing site, we’ll plan how to transition from the old site to the new one.
It’s important to choose the right hosting provider. Not all hosting companies are the same, so I recommend discussing your options with me before making a decision.
Once we have all your content and images ready, I can typically build your website in a week or two. But launching the site is just the beginning. You’ll need to plan how to promote it and attract visitors.
Think about setting up social media accounts. Claim your business on Google Maps, and add your business to local directories. These actions will help improve your visibility and build your online presence.
To keep your site relevant, it’s important to add new content often. A blog is a great way to do this. Google loves fresh, high-quality content. By posting regularly, you’ll keep your site active and appealing to both visitors and search engines.
If you ever struggle with ideas for content, you can write about recent projects or share customer testimonials. These small updates not only keep your site fresh but also help build trust with potential customers.
At some point I will discuss with you the text for the Home page and ask you to draft some initial thoughts about what you want to say on the Home page and how you would like to say it. Before writing any website text content it is a good idea to review a few things:
Step 1 - Identify who the website is for
A common misconception is that a website is for the business owner who commissions the website and often I sometimes get given sample text content that is designed to enhance the reputation of the owner, rather than to appeal to an audience of prospective customers. The text reads more like a CV. It's not often that this text is suitable for a website. A website is for the people who have reached your site and you need to understand why they are there and what they are looking for. What has brought them to your site and what problem are they trying to address or what need are they trying to fulfil?
Step 2 - Recognise what problem the person browsing your site is trying to solve
Your site visitor will probably have some reason to be there and they have not arrived at your site by chance. They are almost certainly looking for something to buy to satisfy a need, or a service that they need to solve a problem they have.
Lets say you have a site as a therapist. Your clients will have problems that they are trying to find solutions for so make sure that they can see the problem as they might see it for instance anxiety, depression, anger, relationship difficulties etc. Keep the text jargon free so that the average teenager can easily understand it.
Step 3 - Create content that addresses the context of the person browsing the site.
Having found that the site potentially addresses the problem that the visitor to your site is searching to resolve, make sure that there is enough well written text that tells your visitor that: a) You understand their problem b) You can help address the problem
Step 4 - Provide the information the person browsing the site is looking for to be able to make a decision
Cover all the basics of taking the decision to proceed. If its not an instant on-line purchase this may involve the location, parking arrangements, hours of working, environment, at what stage does someone have to commit to spending money?
Having pages of text with little or no graphic imagery is only appropriate for a few websites, for example academic websites. For most of us we like to see imagery that is attractive to the enhance the feel of a site and possibly create a certain mood.
It is also useful to decide early on what colour palette you want to use and this should ideally tie in with the colours shown in a photo if you decide to use photos. Website colour palettes have trends and some designers make a thing of using the latest trends so you may want to research on the web what the latest trends are and see if any of them suit you.
Do some searches of competitor sites and see and they are doing and what design elements you like. As far as layouts go there is not a lot that I cannot replicate for you so if you like a particular website (related or not to your business) then tell me and I will have go at building a prototype that is similar but with your photos and text content.
Many website pages have cards like the ones shown above so see if they make any sense of you to be able to divide up your content into various topics.
If this is a new website to you then you will need to purchase both a domain name, also know as a URL and a hosting package where your website files will be hosted and served to the web. The hosting is also often called a 'server'.
If there is any opportunity at all to include a main keyword into your domain name then I would encourage you to do so as there is a small SEO benefit to be had. It is much easier to get ranked for 'wedding videography' if your domain name contains these keywords.
If you are rebuilding an existing website then we will need to plan how and when is the ideal time to cutover from the old website to the new one.
In either case it's better that we have a phone conversation before you sign up to purchase a domain name or a hosting package. As a customer you may think that all hosting companies are just as good as each other and all you need to do is to find the cheapest but that is sadly very much not the case so please talk to me first.
Assuming that have a good idea of the pages you want, and some text and images ready, I can usually build your new website in a week or two. This also depends on my current work schedule.
But building the site is just the beginning. You should also start thinking about how you'll promote it to potential customers.
Imagine opening a new shop on the high street. You wouldn’t just set up a great window display and hope people walk in—you’d think about how to let people know you’re there. A website works the same way. In fact, it’s even more important online. When your site is brand new, not many people will find it by chance—especially before it starts showing up in search results.
To get your website noticed, I recommend the following:
These steps help search engines see you as an authentic, trusted business.
Another key to long-term success is keeping your site up to date. That’s why I often include a blog section. Posting now and then—maybe once a month—keeps your site looking active and tells Google you’re still in business.
Fresh content doesn’t have to be fancy. It just needs to be relevant and easy to understand—something the average high school student could read and follow. Avoid jargon, and check for spelling and grammar (there are plenty of tools to help with that).
If you're not sure what to write about, try using your blog like a simple work diary. Share recent projects you’ve done for customers. Take a few photos (with permission, of course), and write a short summary of the work—maybe even include a customer testimonial. This is an easy, low-effort way to keep your content fresh.
Finally, I always tell clients: if you can offer a bit of helpful advice related to your work, it builds trust. People appreciate useful information, and it makes them more likely to come back to your site—and get in touch when they need what you offer.
All these activities build links and establish that you are a bona fide business in the eyes of search engines.
You should also plan to keep your site updated periodically which is why I usually provide a blog on the site. Adding the occasional article to the blog will keep the site fresh. Google loves fresh content as long as it is relevant and well written. By well written I mean easily understandable by your average high school student. You should avoid jargon wherever possible. Check for grammar and spelling ideally but you can use tools to help with that.
If you are struggling to think about what to write about you can always use the blog to diarise the jobs that you have done for customers. Take photos on your phone if you can do so without invading your customer’s privacy of course. A small account of the work you’ve done with maybe a testimonial from the customer would suffice. This route is open to many businesses who might struggle to come up with interesting informative articles about a topic relevant to their business.
I always say to clients of mine that if they can give away a little advice about something relevant to their business then it may build trust from their customers who will then be more likely to return to their website and eventually get in touch for more specific problems.