Every week someone asks me about building a website for their business. Should they use Wix? Hire a designer? How much should they spend? What about those companies that call offering “free” websites?

After helping dozens of regional businesses with this decision, here’s my honest advice.

Start With Why

Before anything else, be clear about what you want your website to do:

Option A: Digital business card. You want something simple that confirms you exist, shows your contact details, and maybe lists your services. Potential customers will find you and verify you’re legitimate.

Option B: Customer acquisition. You want the website to actively attract new customers through Google searches, showcase your work, and convince visitors to contact you.

Option C: Online selling. You want to sell products directly through the website, with shopping cart, payment processing, and possibly shipping integration.

Your answer determines what you need. A tradie who gets all their work through word-of-mouth needs a very different website than a retailer wanting to sell nationally.

The DIY Options

Google Business Profile (Free, Recommended for Everyone)

This isn’t technically a website, but it’s essential. When people search your business name, your Google Business Profile appears with hours, location, reviews, and photos.

Set this up even if you do nothing else. It’s free and takes 30 minutes.

Square Online (Free-ish)

If you’re already using Square for payments, their free website builder is decent. Basic but functional, and it integrates with your existing Square setup.

Good for: Simple service businesses, cafes, small retailers.

Wix and Squarespace ($20-40/month)

These drag-and-drop builders have improved dramatically. You can build a professional-looking site without coding knowledge.

Wix is more flexible but can feel cluttered. Squarespace is more polished but less customisable.

Good for: Option A or B businesses willing to invest some time.

Shopify ($39-105/month)

The standard for e-commerce. If you’re serious about selling online (Option C), Shopify is probably your best bet. It handles payments, shipping, inventory—everything you need.

Good for: Retailers wanting significant online sales.

WordPress (Variable)

Powerful but more complex. WordPress can do almost anything, but it requires more technical knowledge or a developer.

Good for: Businesses with specific requirements that simpler platforms can’t meet.

When to Hire a Professional

DIY works for many businesses. But consider professional help if:

• You have no time or interest in learning website tools
• Your industry requires a particularly polished presentation (real estate, professional services)
• You need custom functionality
• You tried DIY and it looks… not great

What to Expect

Budget website ($1,000-3,000): Template-based design, basic pages, simple functionality. Fine for many small businesses.

Mid-range website ($3,000-8,000): Custom design, more pages, some custom functionality, basic SEO setup.

Premium website ($8,000+): Fully custom design, complex functionality, comprehensive SEO, ongoing support.

Regional designers often charge less than Melbourne agencies. That’s not necessarily a quality difference—overheads are lower here.

Finding a Good Designer

• Ask other local businesses who built their sites
• Look for designers with examples in your industry
• Ensure they explain things clearly—avoid jargon-heavy salespeople
• Check references

Red Flags to Avoid

“Free” website offers. Nothing is free. They’ll charge for hosting, updates, or ownership of your domain. Often you’ll pay more long-term than if you’d just bought something properly.

SEO guarantee promises. Nobody can guarantee first-page Google rankings. Be skeptical of these claims.

Contracts locking you in. You should be able to leave with your website and domain if the relationship doesn’t work.

Dramatically low quotes. If someone offers to build your website for $200, something’s wrong. Either quality will suffer or they’re planning to upsell you.

What Actually Matters

Having worked in tech and helped regional businesses with websites, here’s what I’ve learned actually matters:

Mobile-friendly. Over half your visitors will be on phones. If your site doesn’t work on mobile, you’re losing customers.

Fast loading. Slow sites frustrate visitors and hurt search rankings. Keep images optimised and avoid unnecessary features.

Clear contact information. Phone number, email, address, hours. Make it easy to find.

Accurate, up-to-date content. Wrong hours or outdated menus frustrate customers. Keep things current.

Basic SEO. Proper page titles, descriptions, and Google Business Profile. The fundamentals matter more than fancy tricks.

What doesn’t matter as much as people think: animations, video backgrounds, elaborate designs. Simple and functional beats flashy and confusing.

My Recommendation

For most regional small businesses, I suggest:

1. Set up Google Business Profile (free, do this today)
2. Start with Squarespace or Wix (affordable, good enough for most)
3. Invest in better later if your website becomes a significant customer acquisition channel

Don’t overthink it. A simple, professional website that you launch is infinitely better than a perfect website that never gets built.

Get something live, see how it performs, and improve from there.

Business Victoria offers digital adaptation grants that can help fund website development, and SmartCompany regularly publishes guides on small business website best practices.