What does a sole trader actually need on a website?

Keep it small and finished

A sole trader website does not need to look like a large company's. It needs to answer the questions a customer has before they get in touch, and it needs to be finished. A tidy five-page site that is live this week will win more work than an ambitious twenty-page plan that never launches.

Think about the last few customers who contacted you. What did they ask first? Usually it is some mix of: do you do this job, do you cover my area, roughly what does it cost, are you any good, and how do I reach you. Your website should answer those in that order.

The pages you need

1. Home: one sentence saying what you do and where, a phone number, a button to send an enquiry, and a few lines of proof such as reviews or photos of work.
2. Services: one section or page per main service, written in the words your customers use, not trade jargon.
3. Areas or locations: the towns or postcodes you cover. This matters for local search as well as for customers.
4. About: who you are, how long you have done this, any qualifications or memberships, and a real photo. People buy from people, and as a sole trader that is your advantage.
5. Contact: a short form, phone, email, the hours you answer, and how quickly you reply.

Add a page for reviews or past work if you have enough to fill it, and the legal pages covered below. That is it. A blog is optional, and only worth starting if you will keep it going.

If you want a fuller list to tick off before launch, our new business website checklist goes through every item.

Trading name or your own name?

Sole traders can trade under their own name or under a business name. If you choose a business name, there are some general rules. You cannot, for example, include words such as "limited" or "Ltd" that suggest you are a company, and certain sensitive words need permission. The current rules are set out on gov.uk in the guidance on setting up as a sole trader, which also covers registering for Self Assessment with HMRC.

Gov.uk also explains what must appear on paperwork such as invoices when you trade under a business name, which generally includes your own name alongside the business name. Check the official guidance for your situation, and ask an accountant if you are unsure.

Before you settle on a name, also check that the matching domain is available, and search Companies House and social platforms so you are not confused with someone else. Our guide to choosing a .co.uk or .com domain helps with the domain side.

The legal details to show on the site

This is general guidance, not legal advice. As a broad position, UK businesses that offer services online are expected to make it easy for customers to see who they are dealing with. In practice most sole trader sites show:

• Your name, and your trading name if you use one.
• A postal address where you can be contacted. Many sole traders work from home and are wary of publishing it. Some use a business address service; check with the provider and the official guidance that it is suitable for what you need it for.
• An email address, not only a contact form.
• Your VAT number, if you are VAT registered.
• Any trade body membership or registration you claim, with the registration number where the body expects one.
• A privacy notice explaining what you do with the details people send you.
• Cookie information if your site uses non-essential cookies, such as analytics or advertising cookies.

The Information Commissioner's Office (ico.org.uk) publishes guidance on privacy notices and on the data protection fee, including a short self-assessment to see whether you need to pay it. Our guide to terms, privacy and legal pages for UK small business sites goes into more detail.

What a sole trader website costs

There are three common routes, and each has a different cost shape:

Route	Up-front cost	Ongoing cost	Your time
DIY builder	Low	Monthly plan, plus any add-ons	Highest: you write and build it
Freelance designer	Medium to high	Hosting, plus paid changes	Low to medium: you supply content
AI-assisted builder	Low	Monthly plan	Low: you edit a finished draft

Whichever route you take, budget for these running costs:

• The domain name renewal, usually yearly.
• Hosting or the builder plan.
• Email at your own domain, if it is not included.
• Any paid apps for bookings, reviews or forms.
• Your time for updates: a couple of hours a quarter keeps most small sites current.

Prices change, so check each provider's current pricing page rather than relying on figures quoted in reviews.

Common sole trader mistakes

• Using a free email address: a domain address looks more established and stays yours.
• Letting someone else own the domain: if a friend or designer registered it, get it moved into your name now.
• No prices at all: even "most jobs fall between" style guidance filters out poor-fit enquiries.
• A mobile number hidden at the bottom: most visitors are on phones. Put it at the top and make it tappable.
• Stale information: old hours, old prices and services you no longer offer cost you trust.

A quick route if time is the problem

Most sole traders do not have a spare weekend to write a website. Site Shifter asks six questions and builds a complete site with pages, wording and photos, which you then put in your own words and publish, often the same day. It costs £24.95 a month on your own domain, with hosting and the security certificate included, and every enquiry from your form is saved as a client in BonusFlow so nothing gets lost in your inbox. You still need to add your own legal details, so use the list above either way.

Frequently asked