Guide
Setting up a website and email address for a new business
What a new UK business needs online, in the order to do it: a domain name, an email address on it, a one-page website, a Google Business Profile if you meet customers in person, and the details the law asks you to show.
Updated 25 September 2026
1. Choose and register a domain name
Your domain is your address online, such as yourbusiness.co.uk. Pick something short, easy to say over the phone and close to your business name. A .co.uk suits a business that works in the UK. Register it in your own name or your company’s name, so it belongs to you whoever built your website.
2. Set up an email address on it
You do not need a website to have an email address on your own domain: you need the domain and an email service. An address like [email protected] looks more established than a free webmail address and stays yours if you change provider. Most people either forward it to an inbox they already use or pay a provider such as Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 for a full mailbox.
3. Put up one clear page
Most new local businesses do not need a large website. One well-made page that answers the questions people ask before they call does the job: what you do, the area you cover, your prices or a price guide, your opening hours, and how to get in touch, with a button that calls you from a phone.
If you want us to do it, ours is £49 upfront for a one-page website, and £20 a month for the care plan that comes with it (hosting, updates and support), with a 12-month minimum term: a working preview within 3 hours of your answers, and 20 rounds of changes included. See pricing or sample pages.
4. Create a Google Business Profile, if you meet customers in person
A Google Business Profile is free and is how you appear on Google Maps and in local results. It is only for businesses that meet customers in person during stated hours, at your premises or theirs: Google does not allow a profile for a business that works only online. If you are eligible, use exactly the same business name, address or service area, phone number and opening hours as on your website: search engines and answer assistants trust details that agree with each other.
5. Show what the law asks for
Every business website must show some basic details, and a limited company must show a few more. Our guide to what a UK business website must show by law sets them out with links to the rules.
A short checklist
- A domain name registered to you or your company
- An email address on that domain
- One page: what you do, where, prices, hours, contact
- A tap-to-call button and a short contact form
- A free Google Business Profile with matching details, if you meet customers in person
- Your legal details, a privacy notice if you collect enquiries, and cookie consent if you use non-essential cookies
Sources
Questions people ask
Do I need a website to have a business email address?
No. You need a domain name and an email service. A website is optional, but most businesses put a page on the same domain so customers can check who they are.
What should I do first when setting up a business online?
Register the domain name first. Your email address, your website and the details on your Google Business Profile all depend on it.
How much does it cost to get a simple website for a new business?
It depends on who builds it and what is included. Ours is £49 upfront for a one-page website, and £20 a month for the care plan that comes with it (hosting, updates and support), with a 12-month minimum term.
Ready when you are
Order the one-page website now, or tell us what you need and we will reply with a quote within one working day.