Blackpool retail is a town of independents. The Houndshill and the big chains take the town centre footfall, but the shops people actually talk about are on the parades: Highfield Road and Waterloo Road in South Shore, Red Bank Road in Bispham, Whitegate Drive, Layton’s square, the traders inside Abingdon Street Market. Most of them have no website at all - which means when someone Googles what you sell, they find a chain, a marketplace listing, or a competitor two streets away who got theirs sorted. A shop website doesn’t have to be complicated. It has to answer the three questions every customer asks - what do you sell, where are you, when are you open - and then, if you want it to, take the order too.
Brochure site or online shop?
This is the first question we ask every retailer, and there’s no wrong answer:
- A brochure site shows what you stock, tells your story, puts your opening hours and directions one tap away, and gets you ranking for what you sell locally. For most independent shops this is the right starting point - it’s the difference between existing and not existing on Google.
- A full online shop adds products, baskets, card payments and delivery or click-and-collect on top. We build it as an optional add-on to the same monthly plan, quoted clearly before you commit - no surprise fees when you decide to start selling.
- Start small, add the shop later. Plenty of our retail clients begin with a brochure site and switch the shop on once the website has proven itself. It’s the same site and the same monthly plan; nothing gets thrown away.
We’ve built both ends of the scale - from local shop windows to The Perfume Factory, a full online perfume store - so we’ll give you a straight answer about which your business actually needs.
What every retail site gets
- Your stock, shown properly. Ranges, brands, new arrivals - photographed well and easy to browse on a phone. When stock changes, message us and we update it; edits are included in the monthly fee.
- Opening hours that are always right. On the site, and matched to your Google Business Profile so the map listing never contradicts you. Nothing loses a sale like “permanently closed” showing in error.
- Directions and parking. Blackpool customers drive. We make where-to-find-you and where-to-park effortless, which matters double if you’re on a parade rather than a high street.
- Your reviews, front and centre. Independent shops win on trust and service - so we put your Google reviews where new customers can see them.
- Seasonal switch-ups. Blackpool trade is seasonal. Illuminations stock, Christmas hours, summer ranges - tell us and it goes up the same day.
Why pay-monthly suits a shop
Retail margins don’t leave a few thousand pounds lying around for a website, which is why so many Blackpool shops never get one. Our package is £99 to set up, then £29.99 a month - design, hosting, your domain, business email, security and unlimited edits all included. If you add e-commerce, we quote that clearly as an add-on before you commit. The website stays current because updating it is already paid for.
Getting found: local SEO for Blackpool shops
Most shop searches are local and immediate: “vape shop Blackpool”, “gift shop near me”, “record shop Blackpool open Sunday”. We build every retail site to win those - pages structured around what you sell and where you sell it, fast load times, and the structured data Google uses to understand a local shop. We’ll also help you sort your Google Business Profile so your hours, photos and reviews reinforce the website instead of contradicting it. If you sell online, product pages are written so they can rank too - not just exist.
Questions shop owners ask us
Can you build me an online shop?
Yes. E-commerce is an optional add-on to the standard monthly plan - products, basket, card payments, delivery or click-and-collect. We’ll quote it clearly up front, and if you’re not ready yet, a brochure site converts to a shop later without starting again.
How much does a shop website cost?
£99 to set up, then £29.99 a month - design, hosting, domain, email, edits and support included. An online shop is quoted separately as an add-on, in plain numbers, before you decide.
I already sell on Etsy, eBay or Facebook - do I still need a website?
Marketplaces take a cut of every sale and own the customer relationship. Your own website is the one shop window nobody can change the rules on - and it’s what makes you look established when someone checks you out before buying.
Do I own the website?
After 12 months with us, the website and domain are yours to keep. Before that they stay with us as part of the service - and there’s no contract, so you can cancel anytime.
Ready when you are
Tell us what you sell and where - we’ll tell you straight whether you need a brochure site or a shop, and what it’ll cost. No jargon, no hard sell.