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CSBD SkillBridge: Building Your First Small Business Website

Thank you so much for attending my webinar. Below are useful links I mentioned thorughout the presentation, followed by the notes. Please feel free to share this information with anyone that you think could benefit from it.

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Building a Website That Actually Works: Website Basics for Small Businesses

About the Presenter

My name is Janson Lietzke, co-owner of 221 Creative Marketing.

I originally started building websites because my wife, Bailey, was doing social media marketing. Her clients kept running into the same issue: people would visit their website, but the website didn’t actually help their business.

So I learned how to build websites that actually work.

At 221 Creative Marketing, our focus is simple:

“A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.” — Proverbs 22:1

What This Covers

  • What a website actually is
  • Platform options
  • How to plan your website
  • What makes a website work
  • Pre-launch checklist
  • What happens after your website is live

What a Website Actually Is

A website has three main parts working together:

  • Domain – your address
  • Hosting – where your website lives
  • Platform – how you build and manage your site

Domain (Your Address)

Your domain is what people type in to find your website.

It does not hold your website. It simply points people to it.

Examples:

  • yourbusiness.com
  • google.com

Tips for choosing a domain:

  • Keep it simple
  • Use your business name if possible
  • You can include your location if needed
  • Use abbreviations if your name is too long

Domains typically cost $10–$25 per year and must be renewed yearly.

  • Set your domain to auto-renew
  • Purchase your domain yourself
  • Do not have a web designer or agency purchase it for you

Hosting (Where Your Website Lives)

Hosting is what gives your website a place to exist.

  • Stores your website files
  • Makes your site accessible online
  • Affects your website’s speed and reliability

There are many hosting providers available, and most are affordable for small businesses.

Platform (How You Build Your Website)

Your platform is the tool used to build and update your website.

There are three main options:

All-in-One Builders (Wix, Squarespace, Shopify)

  • Everything is included (domain, hosting, builder)
  • Easiest option for beginners
  • Typically start around $20/month
  • Limited flexibility long-term
Wix
  • Beginner-friendly drag-and-drop builder
  • Best for simple websites
  • Very easy to use
  • Limited flexibility as your business grows
Squarespace
  • Clean, professional design
  • Great for businesses that care about visuals
  • Strong prebuilt layouts
  • Less flexible long-term
Shopify
  • Built specifically for selling products online
  • Best for e-commerce
  • Handles payments, orders, and inventory
  • Not ideal for service-based businesses

WordPress

  • More flexible and customizable
  • Gives you full control
  • Can grow with your business
  • Requires more setup and responsibility

How WordPress Works

  • Theme – controls how your site looks
  • Content – your text, images, and pages
  • Plugins – add functionality (like apps for your site)

Custom Coded Websites

  • Built completely from scratch
  • Used for advanced or unique functionality
  • Not necessary for most small businesses

Platform Comparison

All-in-One Builders

  • Easier to use
  • Everything included
  • Less control
  • Harder to scale

WordPress

  • More flexible
  • More control
  • Scales with your business
  • More setup and responsibility

The Purpose of a Website

Many people think a website is:

  • Just a box to check
  • Just a place to send people
  • Something that just needs to exist

In reality, your website has one main job:

Build trust

When someone visits your website, they are asking:

  • Is this legit?
  • Can I trust them?
  • Should I reach out?

How People Decide

Know → Like → Trust

People will not take action until they trust you.

Clarity Builds Trust

  • You don’t need something complicated
  • You need something clear

Clean and clear is always better than complex and confusing.

Planning Your Website

Many websites fail before they even get started because there was no plan.

Don’t start building until you plan first.

How to Properly Plan

Step 1: Gather Your Content and Assets

  • Logo
  • Colors (2–3 consistent colors)
  • Photos (real photos if possible)
  • Fonts (1–2 consistent fonts)

You do not need this to be perfect. Start with what you have and improve over time.

Step 2: Plan Your Core Pages

  • Home
  • About
  • Services
  • Contact
The About Page
  • Who you are
  • What you do
  • Why you do it

This is where people decide if they trust you.

The Services Page
  • What you offer
  • What problem you solve
  • Clear descriptions of your services

If people don’t understand what you do, they won’t reach out.

The Contact Page
  • Phone number
  • Email
  • Contact form
  • Clear next step

This page should be easy and frictionless.

The Home Page

This is the most important page on your website.

It should clearly communicate:

  • What you do
  • Who you help
  • Why people should trust you
  • What they should do next

What Makes a Website Work

The Hero Section

The hero section is the top part of your website, before someone scrolls.

This is where people form their first impression and decide whether to stay or leave.

People form an impression almost instantly and decide within a few seconds (typically 3–10 seconds) if they will stay on your site.

If this section is unclear, the rest of your website does not matter.

What a Good Hero Section Does

  • Establishes credibility
  • Clearly explains what you do
  • Clearly explains who you help
  • Tells the visitor what to do next
  • Uses a strong visual that supports your message

Your headline should be clear, not clever.

A simple starting point:
We help [who] with [what]

Call to Action (CTA)

  • Tell people exactly what to do
  • Examples: Call us, Schedule now, Get a quote
  • Make it clear and easy to find

Visual

  • Use an image or video that shows what you do
  • Reinforce your message visually
  • Do not overpower your headline or CTA

A strong hero section is:

A clear message + a clear next step

This section sets the tone for your entire website.

Website Pre-Launch Checklist

Things to keep in mind while building:

  • Clean and clear is better than complex
  • You are building for real people
  • Done is better than perfect
  • You can always improve later

Before launching your website, check:

  • Is my message clear?
  • Is my website easy to navigate?
  • Do my layouts make sense?
  • Does my site work on mobile and desktop?
  • Do all links work?
  • Is there a clear way to contact me?

Clear Message + Clear Next Step = A Website That Works

After Your Website Is Live

Websites are not “set it and forget it.”

Many websites fail not because they were built poorly, but because they are not maintained.

What Needs Attention

  • Content updates
  • Contact forms
  • Basic security
  • WordPress, theme, and plugin updates (if applicable)
Content Updates
  • Keep information accurate
  • Update photos
  • Update services or pricing

Outdated content can reduce trust.

Contact Forms

Broken forms can lead to lost business.

Forms may stop working due to:

  • Email delivery issues
  • Software updates
  • Spam filters

Test your contact form regularly (at least once a month).

Basic Security

SSL means your website is secure (the lock icon in the browser).

  • Secure websites build trust
  • Insecure websites lose trust

All-in-one platforms usually handle this for you.

With WordPress, this is typically set up through your hosting provider.

WordPress Updates
  • Keep WordPress, themes, and plugins updated
  • Updates help with both functionality and security
  • It is often best to wait for follow-up updates before installing major updates

Final Thought

Your website does not need to be perfect.

It needs to be clear.

Clear message + clear next step = a website that works.

Still have questions? I’d love to help! Reach out to me at 918-639-7757 or fill out the contact form below.

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