Set Up and Maintain an Online Presence That Looks the Part

‍ A surprising number of sole traders and startups are still running their business on a free Gmail or Hotmail address, with no proper website behind it. It works, but it quietly costs you credibility every time a prospective client sees "yourbusiness@gmail.com" instead of "you@yourbusiness.co.uk."

I'm James, The IT Guide — and alongside computer support, I help small businesses and sole traders across Sidcup, Bexley, Bexleyheath, Eltham, Greenwich, South East London and beyond get the fundamentals of their online presence properly set up, then keep it maintained: registering the right domain name, setting up a proper business email address, pointing that domain at a website, and advising on which email service actually suits you — rather than relying on whatever consumer-grade account you signed up with years ago.

Once the foundations are right, I can also keep things running month to month; website updates, social media content, video editing; in a fixed-cost, no-surprises way.

Who this is for‍?

If you're a sole trader or small business owner and any of this sounds familiar:

• You're still emailing clients from a personal Gmail, Hotmail or iCloud address

• You've never registered a proper domain name, or you own one but it isn't doing anything

• Your website exists but isn't pointed at your domain properly, or hasn't been touched in months

• You know a proper domain and business email would look more credible, but aren't sure where to start or which email service to use

• You know you should be posting on social media regularly, but never get round to it

— then this is built for you.

‍ What's included

Foundation setup — one-off, from £150

Domain name registration (or review of one you already own), setup of a proper business email address on your own domain, advice on which email service genuinely suits you, and pointing your domain at your website correctly. This is the groundwork everything else builds on — and the single biggest credibility upgrade most sole traders can make.

Essentials — from £150/month

Ongoing website upkeep, monitoring and small updates, so your site — and the domain and email sitting behind it — keep working properly. Ideal once the Foundation setup is done and you just need it kept ticking over.

Active — from £280/month

Everything in Active, plus video editing for client showreels, testimonials or marketing clips — turning raw footage into polished content ready to share.

‍ Optional add-on: inbox management, if you'd like emails triaged as well as set up properly.
(Exact pricing depends on scope and hours — get in touch for a fixed monthly quote.)

Why work with The IT Guide for this?

• Local and accountable — I'm based in South East London and already support businesses from Croydon to West Yorkshire. This isn't an anonymous agency. This is me, providing you with a personal, bespoke service.

• Fixed cost, no surprises — same philosophy as my IT support: you know exactly what you're paying, every month.

• One point of contact — no handing your website to one company, your socials to another, and your video editing to a third. It's all handled by one person who already understands your business.

• Proven track record — I've managed the full online presence (domain, email, website, social media and video) for a sports consultancy client for over three years.‍

Frequently asked questions

I already have a Gmail or Hotmail address I use for business — do I really need to change it? You don't have to, but a business email address on your own domain (you@yourbusiness.co.uk) looks more established to clients and suppliers, and is something you own outright rather than renting from a free provider which could close your account or withdraw their service at a moment’s notice. I always say: just because you can run your business from a consumer-grade account, doesn’t mean that you should.

I own a domain name but nothing's really "on" it — what does that even mean? It means the domain isn't pointed at a website or email service, so it's not doing anything for you yet. This is one of the most common things I fix in the Foundation setup.

Do I need to already have a website and social media accounts set up? Not necessarily — I can help set these up from scratch if you're starting out, or take over management of what you already have.

How much of my time does this take? Very little. That's the point — you approve direction and content, I handle the day-to-day execution.

Can I start with just one part of this, like social media, and add more later? Yes. Most clients start with one tier and expand once they see the time it frees up.

Ready to get your domain, email and website working properly together?

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