How I Approach Building Websites for Small Businesses
by Oliver Havis, Developer
Small business websites do not fail because of bad design — they fail because they are built without a clear purpose.
When I start a new project, my first goal isn't choosing a tech stack or designing a homepage. It's understanding what the website actually needs to do.
For most small businesses, that means:
- Explaining what you offer clearly
- Making it easy to get in touch
- Loading quickly on real devices
- Being easy to update without breaking
Only once those goals are clear does the technical work begin.
What I Focus On
I focus on building websites that are:
- Fast and accessible — Performance matters for real users on real connections
- Easy to maintain — You shouldn't need a developer for every small change
- Free from unnecessary plugins or bloat — Less complexity means fewer problems
- Designed to grow with the business — Built to evolve, not to be replaced
A good small business website shouldn't feel impressive to developers — it should feel useful to customers.
Let's Talk
If you're thinking about building or improving a website and want to talk through what actually matters, feel free to get in touch.