Website Development 101: What Every Small Business Should Know Before Hiring a Web Designer

By Stride Digital Solutions

December 15, 2025

Building a website isn’t just picking pretty colors and hoping people find you. It’s a process — and if you’ve never gone through it before, it can feel overwhelming.

So today we’re deep diving into exactly what you need before hiring a website designer, what to expect during the process, and how to make sure you end up with a website that actually brings you customers. Let’s make this simple.

1. You Need a Clear Understanding of What Your Website Is For

Every good website starts with one question:

What do you want your website to do for you? Most small businesses fall into one of these:

• I want more calls

• I want more bookings

• I want more quote requests

• I want more online sales

• I want more foot traffic

• I want to look professional

Once you know the goal, the entire website development process gets easier — for you AND your web designer.

2. You Need a Domain Name (Your Online Address)

Your domain is your digital street address. Something like:

• yourbusiness.com

• stridedigitalsolutions.com

• batterybarn.com

Tips:

• Keep it short

• Avoid dashes and weird spellings

• Make it easy to say over the phone

• Use a .com if possible

If you don’t have one yet, don’t stress — We help clients choose and register them all the time.

3. Choose Reliable Website Hosting (Don’t Skimp Here)

Hosting is where your website “lives.” Cheap hosting = slow websites. Slow websites = lost customers + bad Google ranking.

Good hosting gives you:

• Fast loading

• Better uptime

• Strong security

• Smoother performance

This is one area where the $3.99/month “budget deal” always costs you MORE later.

4. Know What Platform Your Website Will Be Built On

There are tons of options, but here’s the quick breakdown most small businesses need:

• Wix: Great for small businesses, service providers, easy management, and scalable.

• WordPress: Best for blogs, larger websites, and advanced SEO — but requires more maintenance.

• Shopify: A great option for e-commerce stores.

• Squarespace: Beautiful design but less flexible.

If this makes your head spin, don’t worry — that’s why people hire web designers like us.

5. Your Content Matters More Than You Think

A beautiful website with bad copy will NOT work.

You need:

• A strong headline

• Clear list of services

• A little about you (not your whole life story)

• Real photos

• Calls-to-action

• Testimonials

• FAQs

• Location & service area

Most business owners freeze when they hear “content.”

That’s why Stride Digital Solutions writes it for you — in your voice — so your website sounds like you, not a robot.

6. Your Website MUST Be Mobile-Friendly

More than half of your customers will visit your site on a phone — especially in small towns.

If your site:

• Doesn’t fit the screen

• Requires zooming

• Has tiny buttons

• Loads slow

• Looks outdated

…they’re gone. No hesitation. No second chance.

Mobile-first design is the standard now — not an upgrade.

7. You Need Basic SEO Set Up From Day One

Website development is not complete without SEO. This is what helps you show up when people search:

• “web designer near me”

• “restaurant in baton rouge”

• “louisiana small business website”

• “mechanic near alexandria”

Basic SEO should include:

• Page titles optimized

• H1 + H2 headings

• Internal linking

• Local keywords

• Optimized images

• Google Business connection

• Fast loading

• Clean code

• Alt text

• Meta descriptions

If your website designer isn’t doing this, you’ll have a pretty website that nobody can find.

8. Understand the Website Development Process

Here’s what it usually looks like with a professional:

• Discovery call

• Website strategy

• Content & copywriting

• Design mockups

• Development/build

• SEO setup

• Revisions

• Launch

• Maintenance plan (optional but smart)

You should NEVER feel confused or left in the dark.

9. Know the Red Flags When Hiring a Developer

Avoid anyone who:

• Won’t explain things

• Doesn’t give you a login

• Doesn’t teach you how to update your site

• Doesn’t include SEO

• Uses a generic template for every business

• Can’t show real work samples

• Charges way too low (you get what you pay for)

Your website is an investment — not a gamble.

10. Your Website Should Grow WITH Your Business

A good website isn’t “done.” It evolves.

You should be able to:

• Add new services

• Update photos

• Post blogs

• Change hours

• Add team members

• Update pricing

• Improve SEO

Think of your website like your storefront — it needs attention to stay attractive.

Final Thoughts: A Good Web Developer Makes Your Life Easier

You don’t need to be a tech expert. You don’t need to understand coding. You don’t need to "know" anything fancy.

You simply need someone who:

• Gets your business

• Understands your customers

• Speaks your language

• And builds a website with purpose

  
  

That’s what we do at Stride Digital Solutions.

Ready for a Website That Works For You?

If you're tired of guessing…If you're overwhelmed by the tech stuff…If you want a website that actually brings you customers…You’re in the right place.

👉 Book your FREE consultation with Stride Digital Solutions today - (318) 229-9795

Let’s build a website that works 24/7 — even when you're off the clock.