Published in Growth / Marketing 10 min read

Small Business Website Basics: What to Add Before Telling Anyone Your URL

After managing multiple static websites across different platforms - from WordPress to my current favorite, Publii - I've learned that certain fundamental elements are non-negotiable regardless of which content management system (CMS) you choose. This checklist ensures your website is discoverable, measurable, and user-friendly from day one.

Whether you're launching your first blog or your tenth business site, skipping these basics means missing opportunities for organic search visibility, tracking traffic growth and engagement, and professional credibility. I've made the mistake of launching sites without proper analytics or search console setup, only to realize months later that I had no data on how visitors were finding (or not finding) my content.

Table of Contents

The Checklist

Once you have covered the basic (bought a domain, deploy first page on the domain), you can follow this checklist. This is my website setup ritual for every new website that I deploy:

Connect to Google Search Console

Google Search Console is your direct line of communication with Google about how your site appears in search results.

Steps:

  • Visit Google Search Console
  • Click "Add Property" and enter your website URL
  • Verify ownership using one of the available methods (HTML file upload, DNS record, or meta tag)
  • Once verified, you'll start receiving data about search impressions, clicks, and indexing issues

Why it matters: Without Search Console, you're flying blind. You won't know which keywords drive traffic, which pages have indexing problems, or when Google encounters errors crawling your site.

Submit Your Sitemap on Google Search Console

Your sitemap tells search engines which pages exist on your site and how they're organized.

Steps:

  • Locate your sitemap URL (typically yoursite.com/sitemap.xml)
  • In Google Search Console, navigate to "Sitemaps" in the left sidebar
  • Enter your sitemap URL and click "Submit"
  • Monitor the status to ensure Google successfully processes it

Pro tip: Most platforms including Publii generate sitemaps automatically. Verify yours exists before submitting.

Set Up Google Analytics

Understanding your audience's behavior is essential for making informed content and design decisions.

Steps:

  • Create a Google Analytics account at analytics.google.com
  • Set up a new account (and a property under this account) for your website
  • Copy the tracking code and add it to your site's header. Test connection.
  • Open your website in a tab. Now verify that data is being collected by checking real-time reports.

What to track if you are new to Google Analytics: Pay attention to traffic sources, popular pages, bounce rates, and user demographics.

Add WhatsApp Chat Button (When Appropriate)

For businesses, service providers, or anyone wanting direct customer communication, a WhatsApp button can dramatically improve conversion rates.

When to include it:

  • E-commerce or service-based websites
  • Consulting or coaching sites
  • Local businesses
  • Any site where immediate customer support adds value

Implementation: Use a simple HTML link like https://wa.me/yourphonenumber or integrate a floating button widget for better visibility.

Protected Contact Email

Spam bots harvest email addresses from websites constantly. Protect your inbox while remaining accessible.

Steps:

  • Visit mailhide.io
  • Enter your email address
  • Generate a protected link that requires CAPTCHA verification
  • Add this link to your contact page

Alternative approach: A contact form.

Copyright Notice

A simple copyright statement establishes ownership and looks professional.

Template: Copyright © 2025-26 Amber Jain

Where to place it: Typically in the footer of every page, automatically applied through your theme or template.

Note: Update the year annually, or use dynamic code to display the current year automatically.

Social Follow Buttons

Make it easy for visitors to connect with you on the platforms where you're most active.

Recommended platforms in 2025-26:

  • Instagram (visual content, behind-the-scenes)
  • LinkedIn (professional content, B2B connections)
  • X/Twitter (quick updates, industry conversations)

Best practices:

  • Place buttons in your footer or header for site-wide visibility.
  • Use recognizable icons.

Social Share Buttons on Content

Enable readers to amplify your blogposts/content with minimal friction.

Recommended platforms for sharing in 2025:

  • Facebook (broad reach)
  • X/Twitter (quick sharing)
  • LinkedIn (professional content)
  • WhatsApp (personal recommendations)
  • Copy button (a button that copies the content to be shared to clipboard)

Where to add them:

  • Top or bottom of blog posts and/or pages
  • Or, floating sidebar for easy access while reading

Technical note:

RSS or JSON Feed Link

Despite social media dominance, RSS feeds remain valuable for dedicated readers and content aggregators, especially if you have a comprehensive content strategy (or you publish blogposts regularly).

Steps:

  • Confirm your feed exists (usually something like https://amberja.in/feed.json or https://amberja.in/feed.xml or yoursite.com/rss)
  • Add a visible RSS icon linking to your header, sidebar or footer (so that it is visible on all pages of your website).

Why it still matters: RSS gives readers an option to be automatically notified whenever you publish new content, builds a loyal audience independent of algorithm changes, and enables content syndication.

Microsoft Clarity

Clarity is a free user behavior analytics tool from Microsoft that helps you understand how users are interacting with your website through session recordings and heatmaps.

Other things you can consider adding to your website

Relatively easier to setup

  • Add a SSL certificate. See also: Free SSL Certificate & Free Domain Name
  • Search box
  • Privacy Policy page - Legal requirement if collecting any user data
  • Cookie consent banner - Required by GDPR/CCPA if using analytics or tracking
  • Terms of Service (ToS) page - Protects you legally
  • Disclaimer page - Especially important for advice/informational sites
  • Security badges - If running e-commerce or collecting payments (SSL seals, payment processor logos)
  • Favicon - The small icon in browser tabs (looks professional)
  • Custom 404 error page - Better user experience when links break
  • Robots.txt file - Controls what search engines can crawl
  • Branding and credibility
    • Logo - Professional branding element
    • Testimonials section - Social proof for businesses (e.g. Link to Google Business profile or an award or certification etc.)
    • Media mentions page - If you've been featured elsewhere
    • Team/Staff page - For organizations
  •  

Advanced, takes more time, skills and effort to setup

  • Site speed optimization - Image compression, caching, minification (see also: Google PageSpeed Insights)
  • Mobile responsiveness check - Test on actual devices
  • Lazy loading for images - Improves page load times
  • CDN setup - For faster global content delivery (especially if you serve downloadable static assets like videos, PDFs etc.)
  • Backups system - Automated regular backups that are as easy to restore as possible
  • Related posts widget - Keeps visitors engaged longer, reduces bounce rate
  • Comments section - If you want community engagement.

Final Thoughts

This checklist has saved me countless hours. Every time I launch a new site, I run through these items methodically. The few hours you invest in proper setup pays dividends in discoverability, tracking user growth and engagement, as well as user experience.

What's missing from your current websites? Pick one item from this list and implement it today - your future self will thank you.

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Copyright © 2025 Amber Jain