Web and design

Web and design work means building a page people can actually use. A good first service is a one-page website for a small business: one page that explains one service, who it suits, what’s included, a question customers often ask and how to get in touch. The most useful design decision is usually a clear next step, such as a button that opens the owner’s contact page, rather than extra animation.

To show buyers what you can do, build a sample for an imaginary business. For example, make a one-page site for a made-up bike repair shop that offers a basic bicycle check. Give it a heading that names the service, a short description, a list of what the check covers, opening hours, one common question with its answer, and a contact button. Save it as an HTML file you can open in your browser. When you show it to someone, say that the shop is invented and the page is a sample you built, not a live business website.

Test it the way a visitor would: read the headings, follow every link, narrow the browser window to phone width and press Tab to move through the links. Fix anything you can’t read or reach.

The design tool’s cost is separate from hosting, a domain and maintenance. A free tool is fine for your sample, but a live business page usually has running costs. With a real client, agree in writing who owns those accounts, who pays the renewals and who makes changes after you hand the page over. Leave payments, bookings and forms that collect personal details out of your first job unless you can genuinely set them up and support them.

The landing-page plan takes you from sample to first client, and the handoff guide shows how to deliver a finished page.