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Next Step Sites Affordable, fully managed websites for local businesses. No jargon, no hassle.

15/10/2026

One of the least exciting website jobs is also one of the most important: checking who owns your domain name.

If a designer, former employee or someone else registered it, make sure you have the login details and that renewal emails come to you. The same applies to your hosting and other important accounts.

I manage websites for small businesses, and I’d much rather clients know where everything is than feel tied to me. Good support should make things easier, not leave you locked out of your own online presence.

14/10/2026

Some customers aren’t ready to ask for a quote yet. They’re still trying to work out what they want.

That’s why the Design Studio on the JUST LVT website is a useful addition. Visitors can browse different flooring options and see how they look in different rooms before getting in touch about supply or fitting.

A good website doesn’t always need to push people straight towards an enquiry. Sometimes it just needs to help them make a decision.

13/10/2026

A website can be well built and still let a business down if the information on it is six months out of date.

That’s why I make regular updates for clients rather than treating launch as the finish line. For Brew & Banter, that includes keeping the homepage and What’s On section current with events, evening drinks, private events and speciality evenings.

It doesn’t always need a redesign. Sometimes it just needs someone to keep the information fresh.

12/10/2026

Take your own website out of the office and try to use it on your phone with one hand.

Can you quickly find what you do, where you work and how to contact you without pinching, hunting through menus or waiting for a huge image to load?

A website needs to work for someone in a hurry, not just look tidy on a laptop. That’s one of the small things I check when building and managing sites through Next Step Sites.

If yours feels awkward on a phone, send me the link and I’ll take a look.

One of the best marketing lessons I ever learnt involved two cereal companies. 🥣Years ago, when I worked in radio advert...
11/10/2026

One of the best marketing lessons I ever learnt involved two cereal companies. 🥣

Years ago, when I worked in radio advertising, I came across a story that’s stuck with me ever since.

During the Great Depression in the 1930s, two major cereal companies took very different approaches to advertising.

Post reportedly cut back on advertising to save money.

Kellogg’s took the opposite approach, investing more heavily in promoting its products, particularly through radio.

Kellogg’s went on to strengthen its market position.

I’ve never forgotten that story.

Because when times get tough, the temptation is to stop spending money on promoting your business.

And I completely understand why.

But there’s something worth remembering.

Your competitors might be thinking exactly the same thing.

And when they stop putting themselves out there, there’s an opportunity for your business to be seen.

I’m not suggesting every small business should double its advertising budget. Far from it.

Sometimes it’s simply about having a professional website, keeping your social media active and making sure customers can find you when they need you.

You don’t need the biggest marketing budget. You just need to make sure your business isn’t invisible.

That’s a big part of why I started Next Step Sites. Helping small businesses build an affordable, professional online presence without spending a fortune.

www.nextstepsites.co.uk

11/10/2026

A website can’t create trust out of thin air, but it can make it easier for someone to see why they should contact you.

For Newlove Engravers, that meant putting their 49 years’ experience, work across 25+ industries and specialist services in clear view, alongside examples of their work and a straightforward quote journey.

Those details are more useful than filling a homepage with big claims. People want to know whether you’ve done this sort of work before, understand what they need and make it easy to ask for a price.

That’s the sort of thing I look at when building a website for a small business.

10/10/2026

A useful test for any business website:

Look at it as someone who’s ready to enquire, not as the person who built it.

Can they quickly work out:

• What do you do?
• Do you cover their area?
• What happens after they contact you?

For Spicer Plumbing, the website includes clear call and free-quote options, along with an expected response within 24 hours. That removes a bit of uncertainty and makes the next step obvious.

Small details like that can make a website much easier to use.

If you’re not sure whether your website is helping people enquire, send it over and I’ll have a look.

I took the step. And I haven't looked back.Starting something for yourself is scary.You can spend months thinking about ...
09/10/2026

I took the step. And I haven't looked back.

Starting something for yourself is scary.

You can spend months thinking about it.

What do I call it?
Do I need a website?
How do I take payments?
How do I actually find customers?
What if nobody buys anything?

I've been through all of that.

Now I'm probably practically unemployable 😂

I love being my own boss. I love being responsible for what happens next. And I actually enjoy holding myself accountable for whether something succeeds or doesn't.

But I also know that getting started can feel like a minefield.

So if you've got an idea, you're starting a little side business, or you've decided it's finally time to work for yourself and you don't know where to begin, get in touch.

It doesn't have to start with me selling you a website.

I'm happy to have a conversation, help you work through what you actually need and point you in the right direction.

And when you're ready to give your business a proper home online, I can help with that too.

www.nextstepsites.co.uk

09/10/2026

A website can look good and still be a bit vague.

If you serve several towns, offer different services or deal with urgent enquiries, those details need to be clearly written on the site. Google and potential customers both need to understand what you do and where you do it.

When I built the East Coast Car Keys website, it was structured around specific services, locations and common customer questions rather than one general page saying “auto locksmith”.

That gives people clearer information and gives Google something more useful to understand.

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