Before Building a Website or Store: An Accessibility Checklist for Solo Founders

When you run a business on your own, it can be hard to know what to prepare before building a website. You can get started without coding or design experience using TalkTalkMySite no-code templates, AI chat, and visual editing, but these tools do not review the finished site for you. Before publishing, check the content, layout, and business details yourself.

1. Decide what the site needs to do

• If your priority is introducing your business or services and receiving inquiries, consider Basic (website).

• If you need to display products and accept orders, choose Standard (store).

• If you need to provide information in multiple languages, consider Premium (multilingual).

• Payments, social login, domains, and shipping require setup. List which ones your business needs and who will handle them before you begin.

Hypothetical example: A solo ceramic seller wants to present their pieces and process, and accept online orders. Because selling products is central, they consider Standard and prepare the information needed to configure payments and shipping. If multilingual information for overseas customers is not an immediate need, they do not make it a requirement for the initial plan.

2. Gather materials and draft the copy

• Confirm your business name, products or services, prices or inquiry method, contact details, and operating or shipping information.

• Collect the images you plan to use and note what each one shows. Do not rely on images alone to convey important information; write meaningful alternative descriptions.

• Decide, in one sentence, what visitors should do next. For example: “Browse the products, then place an order.”

• Read your draft aloud. Check that each sentence does not try to explain too many things at once, replace unfamiliar expressions with plain language, and give headings names that indicate what each section covers.

3. Check accessibility and readability

• Make sure headings divide the content in a sensible order and that link and button labels make their purpose clear on their own.

• Check that text stands out from its background. Do not use color alone to identify prices, errors, or required fields.

• Preview the site on a phone: check that text is not cut off and buttons do not overlap. Compare images, copy, prices, opening hours, and contact details against your actual business information.

• Review the pages yourself and try the main links and buttons. Using an editing tool does not guarantee accessibility for every visitor or a site free of errors.

4. Check before publishing, then start small

• [ ] Did you select Basic, Standard, or Premium to match your purpose?

• [ ] Did you review business details, copy, image descriptions, and the mobile layout?

• [ ] Have you identified any required payment, social login, domain, or shipping setup?

• [ ] Did you test how a visitor makes an inquiry or places an order?

Search rankings and sales are not guaranteed, nor is unlimited free use or a completely error-free result. You do not need to build every feature at once. Start by editing the essential pages for your purpose, inspect them as visitors will see them, and then complete each required setup task one at a time.