How To Get Your Business Online (Without Losing Your Mind Or Your Life)

At 9:22am on a grey Monday in Birmingham, Josie – who sells eco-friendly kids’ toys at her local market – opened an email from a customer asking if they could buy her wooden ladybird on wheels online. She sighed. Again.

She didn’t have a website. Or a payment system. Or an idea of where to start. And as she looked at the pile of ladybirds, ducks and hand-painted xylophones, she wondered how many sales she was missing by not being online.

If you’re reading this thinking, “Oh, I’m Josie,” then pull up a chair (or perch awkwardly on a stool like Josie probably is). Because this guide is for you.

Whether you’re a craftsperson, coach, dog groomer or plumber – getting your business online can change everything. It can open doors to millions of potential customers, new markets, better profits, and fewer awkward “do you take card?” moments.

And the best part? You don’t need to be a tech wizard. You just need a plan. So sit back, we’ve got you.

Lost the buzz for your business?

Starting a business is exciting. Succeeding is rewarding. The bit between is hard, repetitive, and full of self-doubt. 

The Lonely Middle Club (From Business4Beginners) helps you through it:

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Why now’s the time to get online (if you haven’t already)

If you’re still flirting with the idea of taking your business online like it’s a Tinder date you’re too nervous to message – now’s the time to commit.

According to BrightLocal, 77% of UK consumers have used the internet to find a local business in the last 12 months. If your customers can’t find you? They’ll find someone else.

A reported 95% of the UK population were using the internet in 2022. That’s your potential customer base checking Instagram, Googling gift ideas, and panic-ordering dog toys at 11pm.

As of April 2025, e-commerce sales are account for over 25% of all retail sales in the UK (compared to less than 18% before Covid). Covid truly changed the game, now brick-and-mortar businesses are now expected to offer at least some online presence.

In short: your customers are online. You need to be too.

If your business is not on the internet, then your business will be out of business.

Bill Gates

And it’s not just about sales. Going online opens the door to recurring revenue, scalable systems, and passive income opportunities. From digital products and e-commerce to subscription models, email funnels and affiliate marketing – the internet has become the great business equaliser. Low overheads, global reach, and a 24/7 storefront without needing to rent a unit just off the M25.

Still need convincing?

• 70% of people say they research a business online before making a purchase.
• 75% of consumers judge a business’s credibility based on its website.
• Small businesses with websites grow twice as fast as those without.

What’s more, platforms like Shopify, Squarespace, and WordPress make setting up shop easier than ever. You can be trading within hours – not months – with a modest investment and a decent coffee.

And if you’re sitting on the fence because you’re worried about costs, think about this: a basic website might cost less than £100 a year to maintain. Add in some DIY marketing and a sprinkle of SEO, and you could be reaching thousands of potential customers for less than the cost of your broadband bill.

In short: the risks are low. The upside? Limitless.

Now, let’s get into the how.

Step 1: Choose your online business model (or adapt your offline one)

This is the big brainstorm moment: what are you actually selling, and how will you sell it?

Let’s be real: not everyone’s launching the next Amazon. And thank goodness. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find your niche – and thrive in it.

First, take stock. Are you…

• Moving an existing bricks-and-mortar business online
• Starting a brand new venture from scratch?
• Testing a passion project on evenings and weekends?

Either way, this bit matters. Because the structure you choose will guide everything – from the tools you use to the platforms you pick, to how you promote it, price it, and deliver it.

Here are your main options:

E-commerce store

The classic. You sell physical or digital products via an online shop. Think handmade jewellery, vintage football shirts, e-books, Not On The High Street-level gifts.

• Platforms: Shopify, WooCommerce, Squarespace
• Stat to know: The value of online retail sales in the UK reached a record-breaking £127bn in 2024.

Online services

You offer skills or consulting – therapy, coaching, tutoring, even dog training over Zoom.

• Platforms: Calendly for bookings, Stripe for payments, WordPress or Wix for content.
• Real example: One of our friend’s, Mike, 63, has been a freelance accountant in Kent for 20 years and used to rely on referrals and word of mouth. Upon our advice, we helped him to move online, and with so many previous happy customers, he was able to sprinkle his site with real testimonials and customer reviews. The result? Astoundingly, he doubled his client base in just six months.

Digital products & downloads

Create once, sell forever. We’re talking design templates, meal plans, online courses, writing guides. Ideal if you’re time-poor but resource-rich.

• Platforms: Gumroad, Thinkific, Podia
• Stat to know The e-learning industry expected to be worth $848 billion by 2030.

Affiliate marketing

You promote products or services for other companies and earn a commission when people buy through your link.

• Tools: Amazon Associates, Awin, ShareASale
• Pro tip: Combine affiliate marketing with blogging or email marketing for a passive income dream combo.

Influencer or content creator

TikTok. YouTube. Instagram Reels. Blogging. If your personality is your brand, the platform is your shop window.

• Stat: Influencer marketing projected to reach $32.55 billion in global market size in 2025.
• Monetisation: Ads, brand partnerships, affiliate links, paid subscriptions.

Step 2: Build a website (without losing your mind)

Your online shopfront, your brand HQ, your 24/7 pitch-perfect salesperson.

For most people, the idea of building a website sits somewhere between “I’ll get round to it” and “I’d rather varnish my eyeballs.”

But in 2025, it doesn’t have to be hard, technical, or expensive. You don’t need to code. You don’t need to mortgage your future to a developer called Jimmy. You just need the right tools, a steady plan, and a strong cup of tea.

Choose your website builder (and don’t overthink it)

These days, platforms like MailerLite, Squarespace, and Square make launching your site simple. You pick a template, fill in the blanks, tweak the colours, and boom – you’re live!

Many of them offer free trials or plans that start from £10 – £20 per month. Most come with built-in SEO tools, privacy features, mobile responsiveness, and best of all, drag-and-drop simplicity.

Top picks:

• MailerLite: Free for a basic website.
• Squarespace: Sleek, minimalist, and brilliant for portfolios.
• Square: Ideal for e-commerce or selling physical or digital products.
• WordPress + Elementor: A bit more hands-on, but very customisable.

Website builders allow anyone to have a functioning website quickly. They deliver a streamlined experience, whether you’re laying out your initial site design or doing a minor weekly update.

Maria Bustillos, HostPapa

Structure matters: keep it simple

Don’t over-engineer it. Most small business websites need 4-5 core pages:

• Homepage: Who you are and what you do (with a clear call to action).
• About page: Why you started, what you stand for – tell your story.
• Products/Services: What you’re selling – with pricing and details.
• Testimonials: Even if it’s just, “My mum thinks I’m great.”
• Contact page: With your email, contact form and social links.

Pro tip: Use your business email (e.g. [email protected]), not @hotmail.com. That just screams “trust me, I started this yesterday.”

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Include the things Google cares about

Let’s not forget the all-seeing algorithm. Google wants to see that your site is:

• Mobile-friendly: more than half of all searches are now on phones
• Secure (HTTPS): most website builders now include SSL for free
• Fast-loading: images shouldn’t take longer to appear than your product to ship
• Updated regularly: a blog or testimonial page helps with this

Stat to drop at parties: According to HubSpot, over 90% of users don’t trust poorly designed sites. And 88% of consumers won’t return to a website after a bad experience.

So yes, design matters. And no, Comic Sans is not a personality.

What about legal stuff?

If you’re collecting any kind of data (even just an email address), you’ll need:

• A Privacy Policy (most builders offer templates)
• Cookie consent (especially for EU/UK users)
• Clear terms and conditions if you’re selling anything

Platforms like Termly and iubenda offer GDPR-compliant templates that won’t cost the earth.

Bonus tools to supercharge your site:

• Google Workspace: for your business email, Docs, Sheets and calendar (from £4.60/month)
• Google Search Console: helps monitor how your site performs in search
• Microsoft Clarity: see how users actually interact with your site (for optimisation)

Step 3: Set up your Google Business Profile

So Google knows you exist. And so do your customers.

You’ve built your website. Great. But unless your nan’s doing SEO in her spare time, no one’s going to find it unless you plant a big digital flag in Google’s front garden.

That flag? It’s your Google Business Profile – the free, powerful listing that makes your business pop up on Google Search and Maps when someone types “cupcakes near me” or “emergency plumber Hull”.

Setting it up takes 10 minutes. Staying off Google takes much longer (and earns you £0).

What to include:

• Business name, address, and phone number
• Your opening hours (don’t say 24/7 if you’re not answering the phone at 2am)
• Your website link
• High-quality photos of your product/shop/self/plant
• A short, clear description of what you offer

Stat: 16% of businesses get more than 100 calls from Google Business Profile alone every month.

Pro tip: Ask your happy customers to leave a review on your Google Business Profile – even three lines of “Fast service and lovely people” works wonders.

Step 4: Get visible – fast

Build it and they will come? Well, they won’t if you don’t shout about it.

There’s no point having a beautiful online business if no one knows it exists. Whether you’re selling hand-poured candles or offering bookkeeping services for freelance dog trainers, you need eyeballs. Preferably the kind attached to paying customers.

Here’s how to get those digital doors swinging.

a) SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)

Help people find you on Google without paying per click.

Search Engine Optimisation isn’t dark magic – it’s mostly about making your website easy for both humans and search engines to understand. That way, when someone Googles “custom pet portraits UK”, your site actually shows up (if that’s what you sell anyway).

Basic steps:

• Add keywords like “eco-friendly kids toys UK” to your homepage and product pages
• Write regular blog posts or FAQs using target phrases
• Use headers (H1, H2, etc.) to structure content logically
• Add alt text to images (it’s good for accessibility and Google)
• Keep URLs short and clear (e.g. yourdomain.com/about-us not yourdomain.com/page?id=123)

Want to go further? You can use tools like Hike SEO which is perfect for beginners.

Stat: 68% of online experiences begin with a search engine

Recommended SEO Tool:

If you’re a small business that wants to make SEO simple, we recommend using Hike SEO.

Their platform provides easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions that are fully customised to your goals and your website. You can even adjust how much time you want to spend on SEO month.

It’s by far the best SEO tool we have seen for time-poor business owners on a tight budget.

Click here to read our full review

Building Google rankings can be difficult, especially if you aren’t an SEO pro. Hike SEO is a great tool and will get you a long way. But one thing it can’t do is provide you with backlinks. This is essential to gain domain authority, which will rank you higher on Google.

We have used FatJoe for this for years and would recommend them to any small business. And they can help with many othre things too to get your website higher up the rankings. While they tend to advertise more to agencies, they are a great option for any small business.

Read our full FatJoe review to find out more.

b) Google Ads

The fast lane to the top of search results.

SEO is the lentil, the slow release. Google Ads is the espresso shot. You’re essentially paying to appear at the top of Google when someone searches for a product or service you offer.

Why it works:

• Hyper-targeted (e.g. “best accountant for sole traders”)
• You only pay when someone clicks
• You can start small

Set up is easy via Google Ads Express (great for beginners). You can test different ad types, headlines and calls-to-action.

Focus on your niche and location – “family photographer Eastbourne” will cost you less than “wedding photographer UK”.

Stat: According to Google, businesses can expect to make $2 for every $1 they invest in Google Ads

c) Email marketing

It’s not spammy. It’s smart. And personal.

You may have heard the old marketing cliche: “The money’s in the list.” That’s because it’s true. Unlike social media, where the algorithm decides your fate, email marketing gives you direct access to your customer base and is a great place to manage customer relationships, with no middleman.

Use tools like:

• MailerLite (super affordable)
• Mailchimp (great for beginners)
• ConvertKit (great for creators and info products)

What to send:

• Launch announcements
• Flash sales and discount codes
• Behind-the-scenes stories
• “We miss you” emails
• Value-packed tips your customers actually want

Don’t forget your signup form. Add it to your homepage, product pages and checkout. Offer something in return: a discount, a guide, or even a recipe (yes, even accountants can have signature lasagne recipes – maybe).

d) Social media (yes, but with boundaries)

Be present, not burnt out.

Social media is where people hang out. But it’s also where small business owners lose entire afternoons rearranging Canva templates and wondering if it’s “reel-worthy”.

Set limits. But do show up.

Where to start:

• Pick 1–2 platforms max (where your target customers are)
• Post consistently – but not robotically
• Use Reels or TikToks for personality
• Use Stories for behind-the-scenes, polls, or silly cat videos
• Reply to comments. Engage. Don’t just post and ghost.

Use tools like Buffer, Later, or Hootsuite to schedule posts, check engagement and stay (mostly) sane.

Step 5: Get customer reviews + testimonials

People trust people, not marketing speak.

Let’s be honest: you can say your service is reliable, affordable, or life-changing, but it hits way harder when a real customer says it for you.

Ask for reviews as soon as someone’s had a positive experience. A quick email, a follow-up text, or a simple “Would you mind leaving a review?” can go a long way.

Start with:

• Google Business Profile reviews (great for local SEO)
• Website testimonials (star quotes = star sales)
• Review and testimonial collection tools like Senja

Add your best ones to your homepage, service pages, and checkout – places where people need reassurance most.

Stat: According to the Spiegel Research Center, displaying reviews can boost conversions by up to 270%. Yep. That’s not a typo.

Step 6: Add the extras – securely

Before your first visitor ever adds something to their cart or subscribes to your emails, they need to know your site is safe. This is where the boring-but-important bits come in. Think of them like the lock on your shop door.

a) Privacy and cookies

If you’re collecting any customer data – name, email, address, even through a contact form – you’ll need to be GDPR compliant.

Use tools like Rocket Lawyer, TermsFeed, or PrivacyPolicies.com to generate a privacy policy that ticks the legal boxes but still sounds like you.

Install a cookies plugin like CookieYes or Complianz to show that pop-up banner we all ignore but absolutely need.

b) SSL certificate

That little https:// in your web address? It’s not just for show.

It means your site is encrypted, secure, and trustworthy. Without it, Google might flag your site as “not secure” – which is basically the online version of having a broken window in your shopfront.

Most platforms like Squarespace, Shopify, or Wix include SSL by default. Just double-check it’s active before you launch.

Step 7: Think about automation

Work smarter, not harder.

Once your site’s live and humming, you don’t need to do everything manually (unless your dream was to become a full-time admin assistant).

A few clever tools can save you hours every week:

• Zapier: automate things like sending emails after a sale.
• Calendly: let customers book calls or sessions without the email back-and-forth.
• Tawk.to: for website chat boxes.
• LiveAgent: for customer service management without losing your mind.

You can also outsource things like:

• Content writing
• Social media management
• Customer service

Think of automation like a good sous-chef – the secret ingredient to keeping your business cooking while you actually enjoy the meal.

Pricing snapshot: what will it all cost?

So, what’s the damage? The good news is that getting your business online doesn’t have to rinse your wallet. You can launch lean or go full-throttle, depending on your budget and ambition.

Here’s a quick breakdown of typical monthly costs – from absolute essentials to a few handy extras that’ll make life smoother.

Total basic starter cost: £40–£100/month

Add extras like SEO tools or ads and you could be looking at £150–£250/month for a fully-functioning, fast-growing digital setup.

Still way cheaper than renting a shop or paying for weekly newspaper ads in 2025.

Final thoughts: You’ve got this

Getting your business online can feel like spinning plates while answering emails in your pyjamas. But once it’s up and running? It’s like hiring a full-time assistant, shopfront designer, and marketing guru – without the payroll stress.

You’ll reach new customers, build trust faster, and get your evenings back. You’ll go from chasing customer emails at 10pm to watching the orders roll in while your hands are full of actual work – or wine.

Whether you’re tinkering with homemade candles or launching the next great consulting empire, it’s not about being perfect. It’s about being present. Visible. Clickable. Searchable.

So if you’re still staring at a blank screen thinking where do I even begin? Start small.

Grab your domain. Build your site (or get someone else to). Set up that Google Business Profile. Ask a happy customer to say something nice. And press publish.

Then keep going. Add a blog. Start an email list. Post a behind-the-scenes reel. Install that live chat widget you bookmarked three weeks ago. Bit by bit, the pieces come together.

Because “getting your business online” isn’t a one-time job – it’s a journey. But you’re now on the map.

And the internet’s waiting.

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