Sole traders, the self-employed and new businesses
A website for a sole trader or a new business.
You've just started, or you're about to. A first website doesn't need to be big. One page that says what you do, where, what it costs and how to reach you is enough to start, with a logo so the business has a face.
One page, £29, paid once, with two logo designs included. Hosting is free for the first month, then £15 a month. No contract.
Do you need a website when you've just started?
Not always, and it's better to say so. If your work comes from one client, or entirely from people who already know you, a free Google Business Profile may be enough for now.
A website starts to pay for itself when:
- people hear your name and look you up before they ring;
- you want to show your prices, your area or photos of your work without explaining them on every call;
- you want an email address at your own domain, not a free one;
- you're competing with firms whose sites answer questions yours can't.
What should a first website say?
Five things, and they fit on one page. Most new businesses can launch with exactly this and add pages as the work grows.
What you do, in your customers’ words
Not “bespoke solutions”. “Dog walking in Hove, groups of four, picked up from your door.” Say the work you want more of first.
Where you work
The towns or postcodes you cover, and anywhere you don’t. People check this before anything else.
What it costs, or how you price
A starting price, an hourly rate or what a typical job comes to. If every job is different, say what you need to see before you quote, and whether VAT is included.
Why they can trust you
Photos of your own work, the qualification or registration your trade needs, your insurance. Real things, not adjectives.
How to reach you
A phone number, WhatsApp, an enquiry form. Say when you answer, so a message at 9pm isn’t mistaken for a booking.
What does the law ask you to show?
It depends on how the business is set up. This is what GOV.UK says, in short; follow the links for the full rules.
As a sole trader
You can trade under your own name or a business name, and you don't need to register it. GOV.UK says your name, and any business name, must go on official paperwork such as invoices and letters. It doesn't list websites for sole traders, but showing who runs the business is what customers look for anyway.
As a limited company
GOV.UK says the company's website must show its registered number, its registered office address, where it is registered (England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland), and that it is a limited company, usually by giving its full name with “Limited” or “Ltd”. Most sites put these in the footer.
If your site takes enquiries, it collects people's details, so tell them how you use them; the ICO's advice for small organisations ↗ explains what that means for a small business. Every ThemeSmith site comes with a privacy page.
Your name, your domain, your email
Register the domain, like yourbusiness.co.uk, in your own name, whoever builds the site. If the business is ever sold, or the person who built the site moves on, the address and the email that goes with it stay yours.
With ThemeSmith you can connect a domain you already have, or buy one in your dashboard; each name shows its yearly price before you pay, and it is registered in your name.
Start with one page. Add to it as you grow.
Describe the business in a chat on our site or on WhatsApp. Choose a design direction, and your home page is ready to look at in about twenty minutes. The words, the photographs and two logo designs are made for you.
One page
Who you are, what you do, where, what it costs and how to reach you.
- Two logo designs, drawn for your business
- Words and photographs made for you
- A privacy page, free
- Up to five changes and one complete rethink before you approve it
Keeping it live
Hosting, security and changes by message, with no contract.
- Around ten small edits a month, sent on WhatsApp or in your dashboard
- Your own domain connected, with SSL
- Enquiries emailed to you
- Add a page later for £15
One page's first year: £29 for the build and 11 × £15 for hosting, £194 in all. Growing faster? A four-page site is £74, and what a website costs sets out every option. Work in a trade? See websites for your trade.
Questions people ask when they're starting out
If yours isn't here, message us ↗ and we'll answer it.
- Do I need a website as a sole trader?
- Not always. If all your work comes from one client or from word of mouth, a Google Business Profile may be enough at first. A website earns its keep when people look you up after hearing your name, when you want to show prices or past work, or when you want an email address at your own domain.
- How much does a website cost for a sole trader?
- With ThemeSmith, a one-page site is £29, paid once, with two logo designs included. Hosting is free for the first month, then £15 a month, which covers around ten small edits by message: £194 for the first year, all in. Add pages later for £15 each.
- Do I need a limited company to have a website?
- No. Sole traders can have a website under their own name or a trading name. If you do trade as a limited company, GOV.UK says your website must show the company’s registered number, registered office address, where it is registered and that it is a limited company.
- Can I get my website built on WhatsApp?
- Yes. You can describe the business and build the whole site on WhatsApp, or in a chat on our site. After launch, changes are a WhatsApp message too.
- I don’t have a logo or any photos yet. Is that a problem?
- No. Two logo designs come with every build, drawn for your business, and the photographs and words are made for you from what you tell us. Swap in photos of your own work whenever you have them.
- Is there a contract?
- No contract and no setup fee. Hosting is monthly after the free first month, and you cancel from your account. Your domain is in your name either way.
Tell us about the business. We'll give it a website and a face.
A chat, a choice of design and a yes to your home page. Then it's live on your own domain, and changes are a message away.
One page £29, paid once, logo included. Hosting free for the first month, then £15 a month. No contract; cancel from your account.