How to get a new business online: a step-by-step checklist

1. Check your business name and domain

Before you print anything, check that the name you want isn't already used by a similar business near you, and that a matching web address (domain) is free. A short, easy-to-spell domain such as smithplumbing.co.uk is ideal. Register it in your own name, so it always belongs to you. A .co.uk domain usually costs between £5 and £20 a year.

If you're setting up a limited company, check the name on Companies House too.

2. Set up business email on your domain

An address like [email protected] looks more professional than a free Gmail or Hotmail address. Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 both offer this for a monthly fee per mailbox. Ask whoever sets it up to add the SPF, DKIM and DMARC records to your domain, which help your quotes and invoices land in inboxes rather than junk.

3. Create your Google Business Profile

This is what shows your business on Google Maps and in the map results at the top of local searches. It's free. Choose the most accurate main category, add your services and the areas you cover, and if you work at customers' homes, set it up as a service-area business so your home address stays hidden. Google will ask you to verify that the business is real. Our guide explains every step: how to get your business on Google Maps.

4. Launch a simple, fast website

You don't need dozens of pages to start. A good first website has a clear home page, a page for each main service, an about page, and an easy way to call or ask for a quote. It must work well on a phone, because that's where most local searches happen. Write your business name, phone number and areas exactly as they appear on your Google profile.

Not sure what it should cost? See how much a small business website costs in the UK.

5. Set up Google Search Console and Bing

Google Search Console is free and shows which searches you appear for and any problems Google finds on your site. Add your sitemap so Google finds your pages quickly. Do the same in Bing Webmaster Tools, because Bing results feed into several AI assistants, including Microsoft Copilot.

6. List your business on trusted directories

Add your business to a handful of well-known directories, such as Bing Places, Apple Business Connect, Yell and any trade body you belong to. Use exactly the same name, phone number and web address everywhere. Consistent details help Google and AI tools trust that your business is real. Quality matters more than quantity, so skip spammy directory sites.

7. Start collecting reviews from your first job

Reviews help you appear in the map results and persuade people to call you. Ask every customer, from your very first job, with your short Google review link or a QR code. Never buy reviews, write your own or offer discounts in return, as Google and UK law ban these. Read how to get more Google reviews for message templates.

8. Help AI assistants understand your business

More people now ask ChatGPT or Google's AI answers to recommend a local business. These tools favour businesses they can clearly understand: a website that says plainly what you do and where, structured data describing your business, consistent listings and genuine reviews. See how to get your business recommended by ChatGPT.

Then keep it going

Getting online is the start. Post updates and photos of your work on your Google profile, keep asking for reviews, and add a page when you start offering a new service or covering a new town. A little, done regularly, beats a big push once a year.

Want it done for you?

We set all of this up for new businesses in one go, with no setup fee and from £99 a month. See websites for new businesses.