What's the purpose of a business website?

In the modern, digital world, every business needs a website. It is no longer negotiable or avoidable. But why exactly is it so important?

Firstly, a website establishes your brand. Many small business owners will find it awkward to think of their business as a 'brand', but it is one or at least has one that you need to define. Your website not only establishes the logo and the colour of your business brand, but it also sets out what you do and how or where you do it.

If you are a heating engineer based in Essex, your business will set out that you can fix and fit heating systems and you will do that in Essex. It helps visitors from Aberdeen understand you might not be for them. If you also offer electrical services, which is not always common with heating engineers, it does help explain that you can also provide that service. It helps establish your business in multiple ways.

Beyond the facts of the business, you need to consider what you want a visitor to do when they realise you're the perfect business for them. For our Essex heating engineer, they will want the visitor to call or fill in a contact form to initiate a discussion. Whereas an e-commerce shop selling makeup wants the visitor to buy something.

Your business website needs a clear purpose and a clear outcome. That outcome needs to be signposted throughout the website and it must be as frictionless as possible.

The clarity and ease are what separates a good from a great business website. At 80five, we not only create great websites, but we also create unforgettable websites!

What do we offer at 80five?

At the core of what we offer at 80five is a commitment to make modern and high-converting websites for a wide range of small businesses.

The websites we create are built and hosted with Framer. With a website built within Framer, you get a website that is built to the most modern standards and is also very easy to maintain.

Every website we build is fully responsive. Whether your visitors are on a desktop, laptop, tablet or phone, the websites we build have been designed to work perfectly across all four of those device types.

We integrate great features, such as visually appealing animations and interactions. However, it is not all about looking good. We ensure all websites are built to perform well in terms of SEO and accessibility. Your websites will be found in Google searches and be navigable for every visitor.

What about updating and editing your website? I've worked with and for agencies that provide a confusing content management experience. There is no point updating some text in a box and then having to load the website in another tab to see what it looks like!

With Framer, you visually edit your website. You can see what the page looks like as you make updates and it is as simple as clicking and typing. I have tested Framer with a range of people and I am fully confident that it is an easy, intuitive editing experience.

The six steps to launching your website

When you are ready to reach out to us at 80five, what will happen next? There are six steps we will take between the initial call and the launch of your website.

1. Discovery

We will talk with you about your business and what you want from a website. Do you need people to call or email you? Do you need to explain the area you operate in? What restrictions or competition are you facing? We will find out everything we need to know about you, your business and your goals. You can also let us know prior to the meeting using our pre-meeting form.

2. Sitemap and wireframe

Once we know what you require, we will map it out for you. After researching your business, the sector and the competition, we will present a sitemap of the pages we aim to build. Alongside this, will be a wireframe of what each page would look like in a raw, basic form. This helps initiate discussions and ensures we are going in the correct direction.

3. Mockup

Then, we will build a mockup of your website using Figma. This will provide a very good representation of what your website will look like, with colours and copy in place. You can move around the pages and get a feel for the website.

4. Build and test

After that, the design is taken over to Framer and constructed as a full, working website. On a test domain, you can use and test the website on your computer and phone and start to understand how it will work. You can share it with friends and trusted customers to get their input and feedback.

5. Tweak and improve.

Quite often, we get it right the first time! However, if you need adjustments based on your testing and feedback we will listen and respond. You are not rushed to launch and rushed to pay. Nothing progresses until you have your perfect website.

6. Launch

Once you are happy with the website and how it works for you and your business, it is launched. With Framer, this is a very smooth process. We recommend using Cloudflare to manage your DNS records for your website and emails, as it makes it even quicker to launch. If you need help at this stage, we can assist. Technical support is our specialism!

What happens once it is launched?

The launching of your website is such an exciting moment. After the dust settles, you should consider what happens next. We provide a range of additional services to keep your website unforgettable.

Firstly, we can help host the website. With Framer, the hosting is achieved through their own platform, so no additional hosting is required. We can host it for you and manage the ongoing payments of this.

After that, you might want help to maintain your website. Whilst Framer is ridiculously easy to edit, you might be ridiculously busy with all of the new enquiries you are getting due to your new website! We can help edit your website and keep it updated and accurate.

What about monitoring your website and ensuring it is working and loading quickly? We also provide website monitoring via our company UpWatch. You can get seven website monitors in one package. This checks that your website is up, has not changed and is loading quickly whilst performing well in Google searches.

What does it cost?

There is no fixed price for web design. It depends a lot on what you want from your website. However, we can talk to you and outline the minimum cost depending on your requirements. I can assure you that there are no hidden costs or sudden "added extras".

I have had too many experiences recently with a company turning a £3,000 fence replacement into a £16,000 garden remodelling to understand the frustration of fluid pricing!

The hosting and maintenance of your website usually starts at £50 per month. This price is derived from some of the basic plans with Framer for small business websites. On top of the base hosting cost, we will add on the cost of our ongoing maintenance and deliver it in one monthly cost.

The website monitoring via UpWatch starts at £5 per month and goes up to £15 per month. If you are already using 80five for hosting and maintenance, this can be added into the one monthly cost.

So, from £55 per month, you can get excellent hosting, website maintenance and comprehensive website monitoring.

How can I get started?

Going back to the start, what do I want you to do as a visitor of this website? I want you to call or email us today to find out more. You can complete the contact form and let us know more about how we can help.

Are you ready to get an unforgettable website? Get in touch today.