THE SILK FIELD GUIDE / WEBSITES
You do not need to know how to code. You need to know what your customers are trying to do. Here is how to turn that into a website worth building.
Build your brief ↓
01 / START WITH THE CUSTOMER
A hotel, a consultant and a local trade business need different journeys. Begin with one useful action: request a quote, book a consultation, browse a collection or send an enquiry.
“We help [customer] with [service], and we want them to [next step].” This sentence gives your designer a practical test for every page. If a section does not help someone understand, trust or contact you, reconsider it.
Visitors should quickly understand your offer, who it suits, where you work and how to get in touch. A clear service description and a visible enquiry button usually matter more than adding another decorative section.
A button click is not a sale. Decide which information makes a lead useful: their business, the service they need, location and intended timing. Keep the first form short, then ask for detail in the conversation.
02 / GATHER THE RIGHT MATERIAL
Supply your approved business name, service area, contact details, hours where relevant and a plain description of your services. Include the questions customers ask repeatedly. Keep qualifications, memberships and experience factual and current.
A five-page service website might cover Home, About, Services, Work and Contact. That is a starting point, not a rule. An online store needs products, a basket and checkout; a booking business needs availability and a suitable booking system. Agree these differences before comparing quotes.
Collect your logo, original photographs and permission to use any client work or testimonials. Label design concepts clearly. If photography is unavailable, discuss licensed or created imagery and where authentic photographs are essential. Product images should accurately represent what customers will receive.
Choose where enquiries go and who responds. A WhatsApp link can be a useful start; a form, booking tool or checkout may need accounts, notifications and testing. Payment processing depends on a suitable verified merchant account. Include those dependencies in the brief.
Ask who controls the domain, hosting account and website files. Define which costs recur, who keeps a recoverable copy and what support includes. A monthly change allowance is different from unlimited redesigns. Agree how a handover or cancellation works before launch.
Name one person to gather content and consolidate feedback. List the review rounds, dependencies and acceptance checks. Delivery dates should start from an agreed brief and the required content and access, rather than an incomplete initial conversation.
03 / COMPARE LIKE WITH LIKE
A lower setup price can come with ongoing hosting and care. A handover package can leave those responsibilities with you. Choose the arrangement that fits how you want to run your business.
Compare page count, copy, imagery, review rounds, mobile layouts, forms, search setup and launch support. Domain registration, email, paid platforms and advanced integrations may be separate. Record each recurring charge and who bills it.
Confirm the proposal currency, working language, time-zone overlap and the payment method. Silk works remotely with businesses in South Africa, the UK and elsewhere. Our Shop separates South African and international pricing; a written scope confirms the final arrangement.
A working demonstration helps test an idea. Live accounts, permissions, databases, payments and ongoing maintenance need their own scope. If your website must manage sensitive customer information or business operations, raise that at the start.
04 / BEFORE YOU GO LIVE
Read each page on a small screen. Test the menu, phone and WhatsApp links, forms and any booking or checkout flow. Confirm that the right person receives the enquiry. Check image loading and that text remains readable over photography.
Use clear page titles, relevant service descriptions, descriptive links and a sitemap. Keep private customer areas and unfinished prospect previews out of search. Verify the domain in Google Search Console and review indexing there. Search setup helps discovery; it does not guarantee a position or a stream of leads.
Agree who checks enquiries, updates services, renews the domain and deals with problems. Start with a routine you can maintain. A website is more useful when its information stays current and customers receive a response.
YOUR NEXT STEP
Tell us what you do, who you serve and what your current website makes difficult.
Discuss your website ↗