Which website should a self-employed professional choose?
Business website, portfolio, appointments or sales: choose for your activity rather than your legal status, with page examples and a decision checklist.
For a self-employed professional, the right type of website depends on the customer journey, not the business’s legal status. A business website may be enough to present services and receive enquiries. A portfolio, appointment calendar or store serves other needs, with features and costs to check separately.
Key takeaways
- Define the action you want visitors to take before choosing a tool.
- Start with essential services and real evidence.
- Check booking or sales functionality: a button alone is not enough.
What should visitors do after reading?
Write a simple sentence: “I want a prospect to call me”, “I want them to see my work” or “I want them to order a product”. These objectives guide the site structure. They also identify essential features and help you leave out those you will not need at launch.
A form collects an enquiry but does not confirm an appointment by itself. A product photo is not a catalogue with inventory and payment. A page can be an excellent presentation without being a management application. Clarify these differences before paying for an option or expecting a feature that is not there.
On small screens, scroll the table horizontally.
| Objective | Format to consider | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Receive quote requests | Business website with contact | Enquiry quality and contact details |
| Present visual work | Portfolio | Photo permissions and mobile viewing |
| Take appointments | Business website linked to a suitable calendar | Availability, confirmation and tool cost |
| Sell products | E-commerce solution | Payment, stock, delivery and follow-up |
| Explain expertise | Business website with focused resources | Credible examples and content upkeep |
An example of a useful starting structure
Imagine someone offering garden maintenance and landscaping. A homepage presents the scope. One page explains maintenance, another landscaping, and a fourth describes real projects or the working method. Contact remains easy to find from each page. This example does not impose the same structure on every independent professional.
A consultant may prefer a page for each assignment type. A photographer may organise photo series by purpose. A sophrologist may explain how sessions work and whom they support. These choices should reflect the actual offer: there is no need to invent services to fill a page allowance.
- Each page addresses an identifiable question or offer.
- A short title makes mobile navigation easier.
- A relevant contact action concludes the page.
- Examples must not be presented as customer references.
What reassures more than a slogan?
Accurate opening hours, a clear service area and photographs of your work provide concrete information. Present your method, the stages of an enquiry and what prospects should prepare. Any qualification or experience you mention must reflect your actual situation.
Avoid unverified figures, invented reviews and images suggesting a team or project that does not exist. Simple, honest wording can be more convincing than a spectacular promise. The same standards apply whether you write the text or an AI tool prepares it.
Start free, upgrade when a need arises
The free Site Gratos plan lets you start with four content pages, plus contact and legal pages, on a subdomain with a banner. It can suit a first business website. Connecting a personal domain and adding pages are Premium features; check the price and conditions when choosing.
A good reason to upgrade is a specific need: your own address, a new service to explain or an external feature to connect. Adding pages just to make the site bigger does not necessarily improve it. Similarly, a purchase does not guarantee more customers: content, your offer and how you promote the website also matter.
Sources : Site Gratos — Free plan and how the service works · Site Gratos — Terms and conditions
What to prepare before creating your website
Gather your business name, public contact details, main services and service area. Then separate facts from visual preferences: colours, logo, atmosphere and presentation examples. This preparation helps you request an accurate design instead of correcting many assumptions after delivery.
Before sharing the address, open every page and send a test message through the form. Check that the phone link calls the correct number and that the mobile version is readable. Finally, set aside a regular time to review your information: a simple, up-to-date website is more useful than an ambitious one left unattended.
What is this article based on?
A decision guide written by Site Gratos. Profession and site-structure examples are hypothetical and make no statistical claim. This article concerns choosing a website, not legal or tax advice on the French micro-enterprise regime.
Sources consulted on 13 September 2026. The plans and features of the services mentioned may change.