10 Essential Decisions for a Good Website

Since Wolf IQ started in 2014, we have built over 1,400 custom design websites for small business owners and marketing leaders.

Each one is unique, but they all share the 10 essential Ingredients that help them get found and build trust with their audiences. This guide outlines each one and why it matters.

1. What website builder should you use?

Your website's architecture determines its performance, security, and scalability. Choosing the wrong platform now can cost thousands in rebuilding later.

Before you worry about servers or security, you need to choose the software your website will run on (the Content Management System or CMS).

For many business owners, this is the most confusing step. Do you go with a DIY builder or a robust open-source platform?

Here is a breakdown of the top players to help you decide:

Platform	Who It's For	Key Benefits	The "Secret Sauce"	Watch out for
WordPress	Growing SMBs and businesses that need scalability.	Infinite customisation and huge support network.	Ownership. You own your data and code.	Maintenance and Backups.
Shopify	eCommerce businesses.	Dedicated entirely to selling products online.	Checkout. The most optimised checkout experience.	Limited blogging capabilities.
Wix / Squarespace	Hobbyists or micro-businesses.	Extremely easy setup with no coding.	Aesthetics. Beautiful templates out of the box.	Difficult to migrate away later.
HubSpot	Marketing teams focused on lead gen.	Seamless integration with CRM and automation.	Data. Connects activity to sales pipeline.	Gets expensive very quickly.
Webflow	Visual designers wanting pixel-perfect control.	Writes clean code automatically while you design.	Design Freedom. Interactions other platforms struggle with.	Not intuitive for non-designers.

When to Change Platforms

Sometimes you outgrow your current platform or need better features.

Platform migration can be complex, but understanding the basics helps you make informed decisions.

• Signs it's time to migrate: Site is too slow, needs features your platform lacks, looks outdated, or maintenance costs are excessive.
• Protecting your search rankings: The biggest migration risk is losing search rankings and traffic. Proper planning includes mapping current URLs to new ones, setting up redirects, and maintaining site structure. This requires professional expertise-don't attempt it yourself.

The key to successful technical architecture is working with professionals who handle complex details while keeping you informed about business-affecting decisions.

You don't need technical expertise, but understanding these fundamentals helps you make better decisions and communicate effectively with your development team.

2. Why design your website to be mobile first?

With 73% of Australians browsing mainly on mobile-and Google indexing mobile-first-your site must be built for thumbs, not just mouse cursors.

Your website design is like your business's digital storefront-visitors form an opinion about your professionalism and trustworthiness within milliseconds of seeing it.

Research shows that 75% of users judge a company's credibility based on website design alone, making this one of your most important business investments.

Mobile-First Design Essentials

According to the ACMA, almost all Australian adults use a mobile phone to access the internet, making mobile-first design essential for your website.

This means more than just making everything smaller-it requires rethinking how people interact with your site using their thumbs.

• Responsive design basics: Your website should automatically adapt to any screen size, with text that's readable without zooming and buttons that are easy to tap. Images should scale appropriately, and your entire site should load quickly on mobile networks.
• Mobile navigation that works: Simplify menus, use hamburger icons, ensure important pages are accessible. Consider sticky navigation.

A Consistent and Professional Color Palette

Think of your website colors like the paint scheme for your office-they should reflect your brand personality and make customers feel comfortable. Stick to 3-4 colors maximum to avoid looking chaotic.

Choose colors that match your industry expectations: blue builds trust (perfect for financial services), green suggests growth and health, while red creates urgency (great for sales).

Most importantly, ensure there's enough contrast between your text and background colors so people can actually read your content.

This isn't just about looking good-it's about accessibility and ensuring everyone can use your website, which can also affect your search rankings.

High-Quality Images That Tell Your Story

Professional photos are worth the investment-they're often the difference between looking like an established business and looking like a hobby.

Use consistent image styles throughout your site, and make sure all images are properly sized so they don't slow down your website loading speed.

Include photos of your actual team, workspace, and work examples rather than generic stock photos. Australian customers particularly value authenticity and want to see the real people behind the business.

Design Mistakes That Cost You Customers

Avoid these common design problems that immediately damage your credibility:

1. Outdated design trends: If your website looks like it was built in 2010, customers will assume your business practices are equally outdated. Modern, clean design suggests you're current with industry standards and technology.
2. Inconsistent branding: Different colours, fonts, or styles make your business look disorganised. Consistency builds trust and recognition.
3. Poor image quality: Blurry or cheap stock photos look unprofessional. Invest in quality photography that represents your actual business.
4. Cluttered layouts: Too much information overwhelms visitors. Clean, organised layouts with clear priorities perform better.

The goal of good visual design isn't to win awards-it's to build immediate trust with potential customers and guide them smoothly toward contacting you.

Every design choice should support your business objectives, not just look pretty.

3. How to design an intuitive website experience?

User experience (UX) determines whether visitors can easily find what they're looking for and complete desired actions.

Poor user experience is one of the main reasons people abandon websites-research shows a significant portion of users leave when they struggle to find what they’re looking for quickly.

Users expect certain navigation patterns, and while creativity has its place, most businesses should stick to what people already know. Break that familiarity and visitors get confused in seconds.

Good user experience means your customers can find what they're looking for quickly and easily.

If visitors get confused or frustrated trying to navigate your website, they'll leave and go to a competitor instead.

Organise Content Around Customer Needs

Structure your website based on what customers want to find, not how your business is organised internally. For example, group services by customer problems they solve rather than by your internal departments.

Keep your navigation simple-customers should be able to reach any important information within 3 clicks maximum.

Include a clear navigation menu at the top of every page and consider adding important links in your footer as well.

Make Content Easy to Scan

Most website visitors scan rather than read every word, so format your content accordingly. Use clear headings, short paragraphs, and bullet points to break up large blocks of text.

Put your most important information "above the fold" (visible without scrolling) so visitors see it immediately.

Create a logical flow from your most important information down to supporting details. Think of each page like a newspaper article-headline first, then key points, then additional details for those who want to read more.

4. How to optimise your value proposition?

Your value proposition is the most important element on your website.

Visitors decide whether to stay or leave within 5 seconds, so you need to immediately communicate what you do, who you help, and why they should choose you over competitors.

The Perfect Pitch Formula

Use this simple formula to create a compelling value proposition:

"We help [specific customers] achieve [specific outcome] through [your unique approach] so they can [ultimate benefit]."

What Makes a Value Proposition Work

Your value proposition should include:

• Specific target customers rather than trying to appeal to everyone
• Clear problem you solve that your ideal customers actually have
• Your unique approach that sets you apart from competitors
• Concrete benefits with numbers when possible
• Emotional outcome that motivates people to take action

5. What high value content to have on your website?

Quality content does three important things for your business: it helps potential customers find you through search engines, demonstrates that you know what you're talking about, and builds trust by providing genuine value before asking for anything in return.

Content That Actually Helps People

Create content that answers the questions your customers are already asking.

This includes how-to guides that solve common problems, explanations of industry topics that confuse people, and FAQ sections that address concerns before customers have to ask.

Share real examples of your work through case studies and customer success stories with specific results. People want to see proof that you can deliver what you promise, not just hear you say you're great.

Content That Improves Your Search Rankings

Regular blog posts and detailed service pages help search engines understand what your business does and who you serve.

Write about topics your customers search for, include location-specific information for local SEO, and keep your content fresh with regular updates.

Focus on creating original, well-researched content rather than copying from other sources. Search engines reward unique, helpful content that serves users' needs.

Measuring What Works

Track which content attracts the most visitors and leads to customer inquiries. Pay attention to how long people spend reading different articles and which topics generate the most engagement. This helps you create more of what your audience actually wants to read.

The best content marketing happens when you consistently provide value to potential customers, building trust and expertise over time rather than constantly trying to sell.

6. Why is social proof important?

Australian consumers are cautious about choosing new service providers, especially online. Trust signals help overcome skepticism and give people the confidence they need to contact you.

Research shows that 84% of people trust recommendations from people they know, and 70% trust online reviews from strangers.

Customer Testimonials That Actually Work

The best testimonials include specific results, full names and locations (with permission), and explain the problem you solved.

Avoid generic praise like "great service"-instead, get customers to describe the specific outcome they achieved.

Display Google reviews prominently on your website and consider video testimonials for higher impact. Make sure testimonials are recent and relevant to the services you're promoting.

No Testimonials Yet? Use Your Professional Credentials

If you don’t have testimonials yet, showing your professional qualifications, industry certifications, and years of experience prominently on your website can help bridge the gap.

Include your Australian Business Number (ABN), physical business address, and local phone number to prove you're a legitimate local business.

List relevant professional associations, insurance coverage, and any industry awards or recognition. These details might seem boring, but they build crucial credibility with cautious Australian consumers.

7. How do calls-to-action drive conversions?

Calls-to-action (CTAs) are the bridge between visitor interest and business results. Without clear, compelling CTAs, even interested visitors might leave without contacting you.

According to HubSpot research, personalised calls-to-action (CTAs) convert up to 202% better than generic ones, demonstrating just how much impact effective CTAs can have on your conversion rates.

Writing CTAs That Actually Work

Use action-oriented language that tells people exactly what to do and what they'll get in return. Be specific rather than generic, and explain the value they'll receive.

Weak examples:

• "Submit
• "Click Here"

Strong examples:

• "Get Your Free Quote in 24 Hours"
• "Download the Complete Guide"
• "Book Your Consultation Today"

Focus on what the customer gets rather than what you want them to do.

Instead of "Contact Us," try "Get Expert Advice" or "Start Your Project Today."

Making CTAs Stand Out

Your CTA buttons should be impossible to miss. Use contrasting colors that stand out from your website's color scheme, make them large enough to easily tap on mobile devices, and ensure they look like clickable buttons rather than just text.

Place CTAs at logical decision points throughout your website-after you've explained your value proposition, at the end of informational content, and anywhere visitors might be ready to take the next step.

The key is being there with a clear next step whenever someone is ready to move forward.

8. What makes a strong About Us page?

Your About Us page is often the second most visited page on business websites, yet most businesses waste this opportunity with bland corporate overviews.

A well-crafted About Us page builds trust, demonstrates expertise, and helps visitors understand why you're the right choice.

Focus on Customer Benefits, Not Company History

Instead of listing when your company was founded and how it grew, focus on how your experience and skills benefit customers today.

Tell Your Story with Purpose

Explain why you started the business and what drives you to serve customers. Share your unique background and how it helps solve customer problems. Include your values and vision, but always connect them back to customer benefits.

Australian customers particularly value authenticity and want to know the real people behind the business before making decisions.

The goal is helping visitors understand that you're qualified, trustworthy, and genuinely care about helping customers succeed - not just making sales.

9. Why does website speed matter?

Page speed directly impacts both customer experience and search rankings.

According to Google’s The Need for Mobile Speed report, 53% of mobile visits are abandoned if a page takes longer than three seconds to load.

Other research shows that each additional second of load-time delay on mobile can reduce conversions by up to 20%.

For Australian businesses, this is particularly important due to varying internet speeds between urban and regional areas.

Why Speed Matters for Your Business

Slow websites lose customers before they even see what you offer. People expect websites to load instantly, especially on mobile devices.

Beyond customer frustration, Google uses page speed as a ranking factor, so slow sites get buried in search results.

Your website should load in under 3 seconds on desktop and under 4 seconds on mobile to meet customer expectations and search engine requirements.

Google PageSpeed Insights can be one of your best friends here as it helps you assess performance across mobile and desktop, measuring factors like load speed, interactivity, and visual stability.

The Biggest Speed Killers

Before you start fine-tuning design elements or rewriting your copy, there’s one non-negotiable that can make or break your website: speed.

If your site is slow, nothing else matters-visitors will bounce before they even see what you offer.

The most common culprits slowing your site down are:

• Large, unoptimised images are usually the main culprit. Compress using TinyPNG or Squoosh (70-80% reduction, no quality loss).
• Too many plugins and widgets slow down your website by adding unnecessary code. Remove unused plugins. Avoid adding features just because they look cool.
• Poor hosting can make even well-optimised websites slow. Choose quality hosting with Australian servers for better local performance, and ensure your hosting plan can handle your traffic levels.

FIve Quick Wins for Better Performance

There are five simple, high-impact actions that take just minutes - but can dramatically improve your site’s speed, search rankings, and user experience.

1. Compress all your images before uploading them to your website
2. Remove unused plugins and widgets you're not actually using
3. Enable caching through your hosting provider (often just a switch to turn on)
4. Choose Australian hosting with SSD storage for faster loading
5. Optimise your largest images first for the biggest immediate impact

When to Get Technical Help

If your website is still slow after these basic optimisations, you may need professional help with code optimisation, server configuration, or content delivery networks.

The investment is usually worth it-faster websites generate more leads and sales.

Test your website speed regularly using Google PageSpeed Insights and address any major issues quickly. Your customers' patience is limited, and your competitors are just one click away.

10. Why is SEO important?

SEO helps potential customers find your website when they search for your products or services.

For Australian small businesses, local SEO is particularly important since many customers search for providers in their area. Organic search often provides the highest quality leads at the lowest cost.

Remember that 63% of small businesses report that generating consistent website traffic is their biggest digital marketing hurdle. If you want to grow, SEO needs to be a key consideration.

SEO Basics

SEO can feel overwhelming, but you don’t need to master every detail to see results.

Three three fundamentals are the most important to get right from the start:

1. Page titles and descriptions: Every page needs a unique title that includes your main keywords and describes what the page is about. Keep titles under 60 characters and write compelling descriptions under 160 characters that encourage people to click.
2. Quality content with good structure: Quality content with good structure: Use clear headings (H1, H2, H3) and answer customer questions. Include location keywords and update regularly.
3. Technical basics: Fast loading, mobile-friendly, clean URLs, and descriptive image alt text.

Measuring What Works

If you’re not measuring what’s working, you’re guessing-and that’s costing you. Smart use of data helps you make better decisions and get more from every marketing dollar.

These simple tools reveal what’s attracting visitors-and what’s actually converting them into paying customers.

• Google Analytics: Track visitor numbers, sources, and pages. Most importantly, track conversions to customers.
• Google Search Console: Shows search terms bringing traffic and identifies technical ranking issues.
• Track conversions: Monitor form submissions, phone calls, and actions leading to business.

You don’t need to be an SEO expert - just make sure potential customers can find you when they're searching for what you offer, and keep track of what marketing efforts are actually working for your business.