Module 1: Plan Before You Build

The One Job of Your Website

To find your one job, look at where your revenue actually comes from. If 80% of your business starts with a consultation call, your site's job is booking that call — not listing every service in detail. The detailed stuff still lives on the site (Module 3), but it plays backup, not lead. One more test: can a visitor figure out the one thing to do within five seconds of landing? If not, you don't have a design problem — you have a clarity problem. Fix it now, before you build, and every later decision gets easier.

Mapping Your Pages

A page map is a one-page sketch of every page your site will have and what each one does. Grab a sheet of paper and draw boxes — one box per page, with a one-line job description inside each. Most small business sites need only five to seven pages: Home, About, Services (or Products), Pricing (if you publish prices), Reviews or Work Samples, Contact. That's it. Anything beyond that earns its place by proving it serves the one job from Lesson 1.

Each box should answer two questions: "What does the visitor learn here?" and "What do they do next?" The Services page teaches what you offer and points to Contact or a quote form. The About page teaches why you're trustworthy and points back to Services. Notice the pattern: every page ends by handing the visitor somewhere — nobody should reach a dead end. The Contact page is the final stop, so it needs nothing after it except a thank-you page confirming the message was received.

Choosing How to Build: Builder, WordPress, or Hand-Coded

You have three honest paths, each with real tradeoffs. A drag-and-drop website builder (like Squarespace or Wix) is the fastest route: you pick a template, edit text, and publish — no code, usually $15–$30/month. The tradeoff is that you're renting, not owning: if you leave, the site doesn't come with you, and you're limited to what the builder allows. For a simple brochure site you need live this month, this is the right call.

WordPress (the self-hosted kind at WordPress.org, not the free WordPress.com blogs) powers roughly 40% of the web. You install it on your own hosting, pick a theme, and add features with plugins. It's the middle path: far more flexible and portable than a builder, with thousands of plugins for booking, shops, and forms — but you own the maintenance. Expect to spend a few hours a month on updates and backups (Module 5 covers the routine). Typical cost: $5–$15/month for hosting plus a premium theme around $60 one-time.

Hand-coded (plain HTML and CSS files you write yourself or have built for you) is the leanest and fastest option on the web, with zero update chores — but every change means editing code, which is impractical for most owners. This course's sweet spot: start with a builder if you need speed, move to WordPress when you need flexibility and ownership. Pick the path that matches your actual time budget, not your aspirations. A builder site you update beats a WordPress site you abandon.