Before you start
Bring the facts, not more tabs.
- The business name, phone number, email address, street address, city, time zone, and opening hours.
- A small set of real photos you have permission to publish. Six to twelve strong images are enough for a first draft.
- One primary customer action: call, order, reserve, book, request a quote, or visit the location.
You will learn to
- Start from the right business structure instead of a generic blank page.
- Understand the difference between a website Theme and the editor interface style.
- Use Launch guide as an evidence-based completion checklist.
- Check the storefront at a phone width before publishing.
Start a New project from the closest business type
The template determines the starting page structure and useful business modules. Choose the closest operating model, not merely the thumbnail with your favorite colors.
- Choose New project.
- Pick the business type that behaves most like the real business. A restaurant, appointment business, publication, and property site need different page and data structures.
- Open a template and inspect its included pages and customer journey. Use a blank project only when you already have a page plan.
Done when: You can name the site’s primary customer action and the chosen template already supports that journey.
Choose a Design style, then enter real business details
Design style changes the customer-facing composition and palette. The small interface-style switcher near Settings changes only the editor chrome.
- In the setup dialog, compare the available Design style options and use Try on when it is offered.
- Enter the real business name, phone, email, address, city, state, ZIP code, and time zone.
- Choose Create project only after the contact information is no longer sample data.
Done when: The project opens with the correct business identity, and the selected website style supports the content rather than overpowering it.
Work down Launch guide before polishing isolated sections
Launch guide reads the project and reports what is actually missing. Its rows lead directly to the relevant panel, so use it as the build order.
- Open Launch guide in the left rail.
- Complete Fill in the real business details and Set your opening hours in Site.
- Use the live counts for photos, catalog entries, and page metadata instead of relying on memory.
- Return to Launch guide after each work session and address the first unfinished item.
Done when: The guide no longer reports sample contact information, missing hours, or empty required content.
Replace the sample content with a clear customer story
A template is scaffolding. Replace the visible proof, offers, and calls to action before spending time on small visual adjustments.
- Open Components to add a block or use Layers to select an existing block precisely.
- Select a block on the canvas, then edit its Content in the inspector. Use Style for appearance and Actions for click behavior.
- Add approved photos to the media library and place them into the intended image slots. Confirm the crop at each breakpoint.
- Give every button one destination. A button can navigate, start the intended business action, or be removed.
Done when: A new visitor can tell what the business offers, why it is credible, and what to do next without reading every paragraph.
Make Pages match the real navigation
The page name becomes the navigation label, and the page order becomes the navigation order. Visibility cycles through navigation plus footer, footer only, and hidden.
- Open Pages and rename each page in plain customer language.
- Move pages into the order a first-time visitor needs. Keep legal or policy pages in the footer when they do not belong in the main navigation.
- Remove duplicate or unused pages. The home page cannot be deleted.
- Add an accurate SEO title and description for every page when the Page inspector requests them.
Done when: The navigation is short, ordered, and every visible page has a distinct purpose and search description.
Check the mobile journey, not only the mobile screenshot
Most local-business visits arrive on a phone. The important test is whether the customer can complete the primary action without confusion.
- Switch the editor toolbar to Mobile and scan the whole page at the 390-pixel canvas width.
- Open Preview, choose Mobile, and test navigation, forms, buttons, menus, and any order or booking path.
- If the site has a Backoffice, switch Preview from Storefront to Backoffice and check that view at Mobile as well.
- Return to Launch guide and mark Preview it on a phone size only after the complete path has been tested.
Done when: The primary action works from the first screen through its completion state without horizontal scrolling, clipped text, or hidden controls.
Final check
Do not call it done until these are true.
- Business identity, contact details, hours, and address are real.
- Every image and public claim is approved for publication.
- Every visible button has an intentional destination or action.
- Navigation order, page visibility, SEO title, and description are set.
- The full storefront and primary conversion path were tested in Mobile Preview.