The Website You Actually Need (Not the One You Think)
Here's what happens: you decide you need a website. You look at other business websites. They seem impressive. Lots of pages. Lots of features. Probably cost a fortune to make.
So you either:
Never build one, or
Build something simple and then wonder why you're not getting found
Both feel like failure. But they're actually just based on misunderstanding what your website actually needs to do.
Your website doesn't need to be impressive or fancy. But it does need to work for how people actually find you now.
And that's different from what most people think.
How People Actually Find Self-Employed Businesses Now
Let's be real about this. When someone needs what you offer, how do they find you?
They Google it.
"Hairdresser in Reading" "Coach for career changers near me" "Cleaner Reading area" "Photographer for small business"
Google shows them a list. If you're on that list, they might click you. If you're not, they click someone else.
Or they ask AI. ChatGPT. Perplexity. Claude. "Tell me about photographers in Reading who specialise in..."
AI looks at websites and tries to give an accurate answer. If your website is clear, well-structured, and has real information, AI can find you and recommend you. If it's vague or thin, AI will probably recommend someone else.
This changes what your website needs.
It's not about being impressive anymore. It's about being findable. Being clear. Being structured in a way Google and AI can actually understand and rank.
What Your Website Actually Needs To Do (For Real)
Your website needs to do three jobs:
1. Be findable for the things people actually search for
Someone searches "hairdresser near me" or "reading coach for job changers" or "local cleaner in my area." Your website needs to show up for those searches.
That means:
You need pages about the specific services you offer
You need your location mentioned clearly (because people search local)
You need content that matches what people are actually searching for
You need it structured so Google understands what you're saying
2. Help AI give accurate information about your business
When AI is asked about businesses in your area or in your field, it needs to find accurate information about you. If your website is thin or unclear, AI will either not mention you or give inaccurate information.
Your website should clearly state:
What you do
Who you help
Where you operate
How people can work with you
What experience or credentials you have
3. Answer the questions people have BEFORE they contact you
When someone clicks your link from Google or gets recommended by AI, they land on your site with questions:
Is this person legit?
Can they actually do what I need?
What's the process?
How much does it cost (roughly)?
How do I get started?
If they have to dig around to find answers, they'll leave and click the next person's website.
If those answers are right there, easy to find, they'll get in touch.
What Your Website Actually Needs (Structure)
This is where most self-employed people get it wrong. They think "simpler is better" but actually, Google and AI need more structure to understand and rank you properly.
You need:
Homepage: Clear statement of what you do, who you help, where you operate. This is the entry point. Make it count.
Service/Offering Pages: Separate pages for each thing you offer. A coach might have one page about career transition coaching and another about confidence coaching. Each page is its own opportunity to be found in search.
Why? Because someone might search "career transition coach reading" and that specific page shows up. Someone else searches "confidence coach" and a different page shows up. You're not competing once. You're competing multiple times.
Local/Area Pages: If you serve multiple areas, you need pages for those areas. "Cleaner in Reading" "Cleaner in Berkshire" "Cleaner near me." Each one targets a specific search.
Detailed About Page: Your actual story, your experience, why you do this. This helps Google understand you're a real person with real expertise. This also helps AI give accurate information about you.
Work Examples/Portfolio/Gallery: Real before-and-afters. Real projects. Real client work. This is what actually converts people. And it's what Google ranks. Real, specific examples beat generic descriptions every time.
FAQ or Detailed Service Pages: Answer the questions people actually ask. "How long does it take?" "What does the first session look like?" "What's your pricing?" This content helps both Google and potential customers.
Contact/Booking Page: Make it genuinely easy. Phone number visible. Email visible. Clear booking process.
Blog or Resource Section: This is actually important now. Not daily posts. But regular content answering questions your customers actually search for. "How to prepare for your first coaching session" "Best practices for home cleaning" "What to look for in a photographer."
Why? Because every blog post is another chance to be found in search. Every post is another page Google can rank. Blog posts get found months or years after you write them.
Why This Matters For Search and AI
Here's the thing people don't understand: Google has changed. AI has changed. How people discover small businesses has changed.
Google now:
Ranks based on depth and structure, not just keywords
Favours sites with multiple relevant pages over single-page websites
Ranks based on how well you answer specific questions
Values content (blog posts, guides, resources) hugely
AI now:
Reads your website to give accurate recommendations
Needs clear, structured information about what you do
Looks for real examples and specifics, not vague claims
Considers multiple pages and content depth
A thin, simple website with just a home page and an about page gets buried. It looks like you're not serious. Google doesn't know what you do specifically. AI can't find much to say about you.
A website with multiple targeted pages, real examples, useful content, and clear structure gets found. A lot.
Real Examples of What Actually Gets Found
The hairdresser who built:
Home page (what she does)
Specific pages for "colour specialists," "cuts and styling," "wedding hair"
About page (her story, her experience)
Portfolio with real before-and-afters
Blog post about "how to prepare for your first appointment"
Blog post about "seasonal hair care tips"
Result? She shows up when someone searches "best highlights in Reading" or "wedding hairdresser Reading" or even "how to look after coloured hair." Multiple entry points. Multiple ways to be found.
Within six months, most of her bookings came from search.
The cleaner who created:
Home page
Specific service pages: residential cleaning, office cleaning, post-build cleans
About page (why she does this, what her standard is)
Pricing page (yes, actual prices—Google ranks transparency)
FAQ page answering common questions
Blog post: "The cleaning checklist we use for every home"
She shows up in search for "office cleaning Reading," "residential cleaner near me," "post-build cleaning." AI can accurately say "she does residential, office, and post-build." People find her because she's specific.
The coach who did:
Home page
Specific service pages for different coaching types
About page (credentials, why she coaches, her actual story)
FAQ: "What happens in a coaching session?" "How long does coaching take?" etc.
Blog posts: "5 signs you're ready for a career change" "How to prepare for career coaching"
She ranks for "career transition coach" and "life coach" and specific question searches. When AI is asked "who can help me with a career change," it has plenty of information to recommend her.
All three got customers through search and AI discovery. Not through being fancy. Through being structured, clear, and having real content.
But What About "Keeping It Simple"?
You might be thinking: "This sounds like loads of work. I just want to keep it simple."
Here's the thing: simple and complete aren't opposites.
You don't need fancy design or complicated features. You don't need animations or pop-ups or loads of "features."
But you DO need:
Multiple pages targeting different searches
Real content and examples
Clear information about what you do
Proper structure so Google and AI understand you
That's not complicated. That's just... proper.
And here's the actual truth: it's EASIER to get customers this way than to have a simple single-page website and rely entirely on word-of-mouth.
A single-page website gets buried in search. You have to constantly chase customers. A properly structured website with good content gets found passively. People find you. You don't have to chase as hard.
Content.
Blog posts. Guides. Detailed service pages. FAQ sections.
This stuff is GOLD for search and AI discovery.
Every time you write a useful blog post answering a question someone actually searches for, you're creating another way to be found.
"How to prepare for your first session" gets found by people searching that. They land on your blog post. They read it. They think "oh, this person really knows what they're talking about." They click through to your services. They book.
You didn't interrupt them with ads. You didn't chase them. You just answered a question they had, and that answer led them to you.
This is how self-employed people get found passively now. Not through fancy marketing. Through useful content that answers real questions.