← All playbooks

Playbook · 7 min read

Launch a one-page site this weekend

One good page beats five half-finished ones. Here's the realistic Friday-to-Sunday plan — what to write, what to skip, and what to ship.

Open notebook with checkmarks beside a sketched webpage

The goal: a real link you can text to a customer

The goal of this weekend isn't "complete website." It's "real URL I can put in my email signature on Monday." One page, done well, beats a five-page draft you keep meaning to finish.

A live one-pager beats a half-built five-pager every single time.

The four things every one-pager needs

  1. What you do. One sentence at the top. No metaphors.
  2. Who you help. "Homeowners in Austin." "Brides on a budget." Specifics build trust.
  3. Proof you're real. A photo of you (or your shop), an address, one or two reviews.
  4. How to get in touch. Phone, email, or a 3-field contact form. All three is fine. Zero is not.

Builder vs hosting — pick in 60 seconds

If you're doing this in a weekend and you're not technical, use a website builder — GoDaddy Websites + Marketing, Squarespace, or Wix. You pick a template, type your content, hit publish.

If you already know WordPress or want full control later, use managed WordPress hosting. Slightly more setup, far more flexibility down the road.

Get the domain and a builder in one place

Skip the DNS configuration and start designing immediately.


The weekend timeline

Friday night (30 min) — Register your domain. Pick a builder. Choose a template that's close to what you want.

Saturday morning (2 hours) — Write the four sections. Don't edit. Just get words on the page.

Saturday afternoon (1 hour) — Take or find photos. One of you, one of your work. Resize so they load fast.

Sunday morning (1 hour) — Edit the words. Read everything out loud. Fix the awkward bits.

Sunday evening (30 min) — Publish. Test on your phone. Send the link to three friends. Ship it.


What not to do this weekend

No blog. No newsletter. No live chat. No e-commerce. No "About" page that's three pages long.


Stay sharp

New tools and tips in your inbox.

One short email when we publish something useful — never more than once a week.

No spam. Unsubscribe in one click.