Website Design for Small Business: What You Need to Know Before Hiring a Designer
Your Website = Your First Impression
Your website is often the initial interaction someone has with your business, so why not make a strong first impression?
Before they call, book, buy, or inquire, potential customers are forming opinions based on what they see and what they don’t see. For many small business websites, your site is your most valuable digital asset and your hardest-working employee, operating 24/7.
Yet many small business owners often find themselves in one of two not very optimal situations:
They DIY a site just to get something live and eventually outgrow it
Or they hire a website designer without fully understanding what they actually need.
Both situations are frustrating, meaning wasted resources and a website that looks fine but doesn’t convert—and we want our sites to convert.
If you’re considering website design for small business, this guide is designed to change that.
Let’s jump in and see what makes a site truly effective, when to invest in custom work, how platforms like Squarespace fit in, and exactly what to ask before hiring a designer like Northwest Brand Design. Knowledge is power—and also better ROI.
What Makes a Small Business Website Truly Effective?
An effective small business website isn’t just pretty. It’s strategic.
Great small business website design balances aesthetics with function, guiding visitors effortlessly toward action—whether that’s booking a service, making a purchase, donating, or getting in touch.
Key pillars every professional site should include:
Clarity: Visitors should understand who you are, what you do, and who you serve within seconds. Clear, authentic messaging always outperforms clever but confusing copy.
Functionality: Fast load times, intuitive navigation, accessible design, and reliable formats are non-negotiable.
Mobile Optimization: Everyone lives on their phone nowadays. If your site isn’t designed mobile-first, you’re losing potential customers.
Ease of Updates: Your business will evolve. Your website should be easy to update, empowering you to make changes as you grow.
SEO Foundations: SEO ensures your site can actually be found by the right customers. Keywords should align with you and your intended audience.
When visuals and content work together (brand colors, fonts, illustration, and copy) they create a seamless user experience that builds trust and guides users to take action. That’s the difference between a site that exists in the digital space and one that converts.
Do You Need a Custom Site or Can You Use a Template?
One of the most common questions we hear is, “How much does custom website design cost, and do I really need it?”
The answer depends on your goals.
Template-Based Sites (like Squarespace templates)
Pros:
More affordable upfront
Faster to launch
Great for service-based businesses with simple needs
Cons:
Limited flexibility without customization
Can look generic if not thoughtfully designed
Templates can work well when your business is new, your offerings are straightforward, and your brand doesn’t require complex functionality. However, templates and AI generated content can be used by any business, which can potentially have an adverse impact on authenticity. A template without strategy is just a placeholder.
Custom Website Design
Pros:
Tailored user experience
Stronger brand differentiation
Built to scale as your business grows
Cons:
Higher initial investment (but the ROI is always worth it.)
Potentially longer timeline (but your site is built through collaboration, with intention, as part of your business strategy)
Custom sites are worth it when you need advanced integrations, multi-audience navigation, or a brand presence that stands out. Even more, custom website design is created to be you, meaning it will be an authentic, inextricable part of your brand identity.
Importantly, whether you use a template or go fully custom, strategy and professional design still matter.
Why Squarespace Is Great for Small Businesses (When Done Right)
You may be asking Google or ChatGPT “Is Squarespace good for small business websites?”
In short—yes, when it’s used intentionally and strategically.
Squarespace offers clean, modern templates, a user-friendly CMS, and built-in tools that make it ideal for growing organizations. As a Squarespace designer and Squarespace website expert, we’ve seen how powerful the platform can be when paired with strategy.
The biggest mistake?
Assuming Squarespace means “no planning required.” If you’ve ever read our blogs, you know we believe that planning is KEY.
When we design on Squarespace, we leverage:
Built-in SEO tools and clean code structure
Custom CSS for brand-forward styling
Strategic page layouts that support conversion
Embedded integrations for scheduling, email marketing, donations, and more
Squarespace gives small businesses control without sacrificing professionalism when it’s set up correctly from the start.
What to Ask Before Hiring a Website Designer
Before you sign a contract to collaborate with a website designer, it’s critical to ask the right questions. Learning what to know before hiring a web designer can save you time, money, and stress.
Here are a few essentials:
Do they understand your industry and audience? Design without audience insight is just decoration.
Do they help with content or only visuals? Messaging matters just as much as layout, so you want to make sure both work strategically, hand-in-hand.
How do they approach SEO and mobile design? These should be foundational, not add-ons. Your website needs to be found, and it needs to be designed to be used on a small screen.
What’s included post-launch? Ask about training, support, and future updates to make sure collaboration continues as your business grows.
And, most importantly, do they lead with strategy? Design should serve your goals, not the other way around.
At Northwest Brand Design, we believe strategy comes first—always. Every aspect of your business is part of your strategy, and taking the time to plan ahead means success in both the short-term and long-term to ensure your small business thrives from your website to your logo, to your ROI.
NBD’s Approach: Strategy + Design That Works for You
At Northwest Brand Design, we offer professional website design services rooted in authenticity, strategy, and growth. As a woman-owned design studio and branding and web design agency, we specialize in helping small businesses build websites that actually work and convert.
Our process includes:
Brand & Content Strategy – defining your message, audience, and goals
Custom Design in Squarespace – tailored layouts, styling, and integrations
SEO Foundations – structuring your site to be found and understood
Built for Growth – scalable, easy-to-manage, future-ready sites
We’re proud to be an Oregon website designer with a bi-coastal team, supporting clients locally and nationally. Our process is rooted in collaboration. We want to work with you every step of the process and celebrate your wins and milestones.
One of our small business clients recently shared how working with our team on a website overhaul provided the results they needed.
“The team at Northwest Brand Design was wonderful to work with on CASA of Lane County's website overhaul! They took our pain points to heart, kept the parameters of our national standards in mind, and created a site that is beautiful, on-brand, AND easily functional. If you want a team that listens, elevates your platform, and executes on time, give them a call!”
Ready to Launch a Website That Works? Let’s Talk.
Your website isn’t just about looking good. It’s your 24/7 digital storefront, your credibility builder, and your growth engine. Let your website work for you.
If you’re ready to level up your small business website, invest in custom website design, or explore working with a trusted Squarespace designer, we’d love to help.
Contact us today and let’s build something strategic, beautiful, and designed to grow with you.
