A starter website for your small business, yours to own.
A starter website is a simple, fast site with the pages your customers actually look for: what you do, what it costs, who you are and how to book or call. We write it with you, build it, put the domain and hosting in your name, and then look after it on a monthly plan from the day it goes live.
In one sentence: we give a business with no website a small, clear, fast site that answers customers' first questions and gives them one easy next step, built in your name and looked after once it's live, with a short note every Monday.
Who is a starter website for?
Owners who've been running happily on word of mouth, a Facebook page or a Google listing, and now feel they're missing out. People starting a new business who want to look established from the first day. Owners whose old site was taken down or lost, and who'd rather start clean than chase an old developer.
You're not alone. In a 2025 survey, Clutch found that 17% of small businesses still have no website, and that over a third of those believe they don't need one because they rely on social media or marketplaces instead (Clutch, 2025).
Do I need a website if I have Facebook or a Google listing?
Your Google listing and social pages are where people often find you. Your website is where they decide. BrightLocal's 2026 survey found that 54% of people visit a business's website after reading good reviews about it (BrightLocal, 2026). If there's nothing to visit, or just a social page with old posts, many of them move on to the next name.
A website is also the one place online that you fully control. Social platforms change their rules, hide your posts or lock accounts. Your own site, on your own domain, stays put.
What does "simple and fast" actually mean?
- Built for phones first. About 59% of web browsing worldwide now happens on mobile phones (StatCounter, September 2026). Your call button, prices and booking link are easy to tap with a thumb.
- Quick to load. Google suggests the main content of a page should appear within 2.5 seconds (web.dev, Google). We keep your pages light so they load quickly.
- Few pages, all useful. No filler pages, no stock "about our mission" text. Each page answers a real customer question.
- One clear next step. Book, call or send an enquiry. Every page leads there.
- Easy for everyone to use. Readable text, labelled forms and buttons that work with a keyboard, from day one.
The pages customers look for first.
Every business is different, so we agree the exact list with you. Most starter websites include these.
Home
What you do, where, and for whom, in the first few seconds. With your call and book buttons right there.
Services
One clear section or page per main service, written in the words your customers use.
Prices
Real prices or honest "from" prices. People trust a business that's open about cost.
About you
Who's behind the business, your experience, and real photos. Never stock photos of strangers.
Book or contact
A short enquiry form, your booking link if you have one, and a tap-to-call button on phones.
Questions
Answers to what people ask before they book: parking, what to bring, how to pay, cancellations.
Where to find you
Your area, opening hours and directions, matching your Google listing exactly.
The basics behind it
Privacy notice, page titles Google can read, a security certificate, backups and spam blocking.
Three steps from nothing to live.
You bring what you know about your business. We do the writing, building and testing.
We learn your business
A short conversation or written questions: what you do, who your best customers are, what they ask before booking, and what makes you different. We also look at how people find you today, on Google and elsewhere.
You talk, we listenWe write and build it
We write every page in simple words, using your answers and your photos, and build the site on hosting registered to your business. You see a private preview and tell us what to change.
You approve every pageIt goes live, then we look after it
We test every form and button on real phones, connect your Google listing, and put the site live. From that day your plan keeps watch on it, tests your forms regularly and tells you what happened every Monday.
Looked after from day oneMelisva launched looking established on day one.
Melisva provides virtual assistants to fitness and wellness businesses in the Netherlands. It came to us brand new, with no website and only a rough idea of how to present itself. We built the whole site from scratch, in English and Dutch, with a clear story, a form that asks the right questions before a discovery call, and answers to what owners ask first. Then we kept looking after it.
- Live and looking established from the first day
- Enquiries arrive saying who the business is and what it needs
- Watched and improved with what visitors actually do
Who it suits best.
A starter website is deliberately small, so it's quick to launch and easy to look after.
A good fit if...
- You have no website, or your old one is gone for good.
- You're a service business people book or call: a clinic, a groomer, a tutor, a tour, a trade.
- You want something clear and trustworthy, not an award-winning design.
- You'd rather someone else wrote the words and kept it running.
- You want to own it outright, with no lock-in.
Something simpler may do if...
- You need a full online shop built from scratch. We look after shops, but we don't build them.
- You need a big custom design, an app or a members' area.
- You need a logo or brand created first. That's a designer's job. We can work with a simple text name until then.
Price on request, quoted after your first fix. Works with any plan.
It's a one-time build, priced on how many pages you need, how much writing we do, whether you need more than one language, and what your booking setup looks like. You get a clear quote listing every page. Nothing starts until you say yes.
You own it. The domain, hosting and every login are registered to your business from the start. We use our own helper login, which you can remove.
- No setup fee on the plan that looks after it
- Month to month afterwards, leave any month
- Words and photos you supplied stay yours
Monday, 8:00
Hi Hannah, your first full week online. 4 class enquiries.
- Online all week
- Booking form tested, arrived safely
- 4 enquiries: Lucy, Amir, Beth and Tom
- Still waiting: Amir asked about beginner classes on Thursday
- Most viewed page: Classes and prices
A new website needs watching most in its first months.
New sites have no track record. The first weeks show which pages people read, which questions they still ask, and whether enquiries really arrive. With a plan, we watch all of that and tell you every Monday, so small gaps get fixed while they're small.
- Your enquiries by name, with who's still waiting
- Forms tested and backups taken regularly
- Updates and security handled for you
- A 3-month letter on what we've learned and what's next
See the weekly note and monthly page
Names and numbers changed for illustration.
How is it set up, and what do you need from me?
We confirm timing in your quote. The biggest factor is usually how quickly we can get your words, photos and approvals, so having them ready helps a lot.
What we need from you
- About an hour of your time to tell us about your business, in a call or by email.
- Your services and prices, even rough ones. We turn them into clear pages.
- Real photos: you, your team if you have one, your space, your work. Phone photos are fine. We'll tell you which ones work.
- A domain name you like, or let us suggest a few. We register it in your business's name.
- Your booking or payment tool, if you use one, so we can link to it rather than replace it.
- Your logo, if you have one. If not, your business name in a clean typeface works well.
- Quick replies to the preview, so changes don't sit waiting.
How does this compare with doing it yourself?
Website builders have made it possible to make a site yourself in a weekend, and for some owners that's the right choice. The difference is who writes the words, who tests it, and who looks after it after launch.
| What matters | Website builder, on your own | One-off freelancer | Penguina starter website, on a plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who writes the words | You | Often you | We do, with you |
| Domain and hosting in your name | Usually | Depends check the contract | Always |
| Forms tested after launch | If you do it | Rarely | Regularly |
| Updates, backups and security | Partly, by the builder | Usually stops at launch | Done for you |
| Someone to ask in a year's time | Support desk | If they're still around | We reply by email, WhatsApp or chat |
| Cost | A monthly builder fee, plus your time | A one-off fee, sometimes with extra for changes | Price on request, then your plan from $100 a month |
What should I know before getting my first website?
Read the details
- A privacy notice is usually needed. If your site has a contact form, it collects personal details, and most places expect you to say what you do with them. We write a clear starting version for you to check. It's general, not legal advice. Regulated businesses, like clinics, should have it reviewed by their adviser.
- A cookie banner may not be needed. We keep your site free of unnecessary tracking, which keeps things simpler for visitors. If you add advertising or tracking tools later, the rules on consent may change.
- Use photos you have the right to use. Your own photos are best. Pictures copied from the internet can bring copyright claims, and stock photos of strangers make people trust you less.
- Pick a domain you can say out loud. Short, easy to spell, and ideally matching your business name. Avoid hyphens and odd spellings that people mishear on the phone.
- Your Google listing matters as much as your site. Same name, address, phone and hours on both. We connect them at launch, and on Grow and Full Care we look after your listings too.
- What it isn't. A starter website isn't a full custom redesign, an online store, a logo or an app. If you need one of those, we'll say so and, where we can, point you to someone good.
The one question to ask anyone who builds you a website
"Whose name will the domain and hosting be registered in?" The right answer is always "yours". With us, it always is.
Questions about a starter website.
Something else? Ask in the chat, email hello@penguina.website or WhatsApp us.
Do I need a monthly plan as well?
Yes. The site is built once, then a plan looks after it: checks, backups, updates, form tests and your weekly note. Keep, at $100 a month, is the smallest. It's month to month, with no setup fee.
Can I make changes to it myself?
Yes, it's your site and you have the owner login. Many owners prefer to send us a quick message instead, so nothing breaks. We tell you up front which changes your plan covers. New pages and answers are part of Full Care, or quoted separately on other plans.
Will it show up on Google?
We set it up so Google can find and read it: clear page titles, a site map, and a link from your Google listing. A new site takes time to be noticed, and we show you what's happening in your note.
Can it take bookings?
If you already use booking software, we connect to it with clear "Book" buttons on every page. If you don't, we can start with a simple enquiry form and talk about options. We don't replace booking software you already use.
What if I don't have good photos?
Phone photos taken in good daylight work well, and we'll tell you exactly what to shoot. We'd rather use a few honest photos than stock images of people who don't work for you.
Can it be in two languages?
Yes. We built Melisva's site in English and Dutch with a language switch. A second language adds to the work, so it's reflected in your quote.
What happens if I leave?
You keep everything. The domain and hosting are already in your name. We hand over a full backup and every login, free, and remove our access.
Not sure where to start? Send us your website.
We look at it the way a customer would, find up to 3 real problems, and fix one of them free. No call needed.