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Build and Publish a Real Small-Business Website

The capstone project for Web Development for Small Business Websites — a free Data & Tech course. Pass it and you earn a certificate anyone can verify.

Start the course free Download the project workbook

The project unlocks once you complete the lessons. The workbook is free to download now so you can see exactly what is expected.

What you will submit

A single submission containing the LIVE public website link plus your one-page client handover note (paste the note text and the link together), so a reviewer can open the working site and read the handover.

What to do, step by step

  1. Choose a real small Nigerian business (your own, a family member's, a friend's, or a willing local shop — salon, tailor, baker, boutique, school, photographer, etc.). Using the one-page sketch method from Lesson 2, plan its pages, headline, content blocks, and single main call-to-action before building anything.
  2. Build the website using any path from Lesson 3 — Carrd, Wix, WordPress, or hand-coded HTML/CSS on free Netlify/GitHub Pages. It must include at least: a Home page with a specific headline, an About section, a Services/Products section with at least three offerings, and clear Contact details.
  3. Make it mobile-first and fast: compress all images (TinyPNG/Squoosh), confirm it loads quickly on mobile data, and add a working WhatsApp click-to-chat button using the wa.me link format (and, if relevant, a Paystack/Flutterwave payment link or bank-transfer instruction).
  4. Apply basic on-page SEO from Lesson 6 — a descriptive page title, a meta description, a real H1 heading, and local search words in your text — then PUBLISH the site live on a real address (a custom domain, or at minimum a free public URL like name.netlify.app, NOT a private preview).
  5. Set up (or describe step-by-step, if you lack access to the business's verification) a free Google Business Profile for the business, and run the five-point pre-launch phone test from Lesson 5 to confirm everything works.
  6. Write a short one-page client handover note (per Lesson 7) covering: the live link, domain/hosting and renewal info, how to make basic edits or who to contact, the Google Business Profile, and what a maintenance retainer would cover.

Files to work with

Project workbook (fill in, then submit)The whole brief, an evidence checklist, the grading rubric as a self-check and the link-sharing steps in one file. Opens in Word, Google Docs or WPS.Word · 7 KB

How it is graded

CriterionWeight
Site is genuinely LIVE on a public URL and clearly serves a real, specific Nigerian small business (not a placeholder demo).25%
Required pages/sections present and well-planned: Home with a specific headline, About, Services/Products (3+), and clear Contact — following a sensible visitor journey.20%
Mobile-first and fast: loads well on mobile data, compressed images, readable on a phone, with a working WhatsApp click-to-chat button (and payment/transfer option where relevant).20%
Basic on-page SEO applied (descriptive title, meta description, real H1, local keywords) and a Google Business Profile set up or properly documented.20%
Clear one-page client handover note covering live link, domain/hosting & renewals, how to edit, Google profile, and maintenance — written professionally.15%

You need 65% overall to pass. A failed submission comes back with feedback and can be revised and resubmitted.

Before you submit: make your link public

If your work lives in Google Drive or Google Docs, open Share → General access and change “Restricted” to “Anyone with the link” (Viewer). Then paste the link into a private browser window: if it opens without sign-in, you are ready. A private link cannot be graded — it is the single most common reason a good project fails.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to finish Web Development for Small Business Websites before submitting the project?

Yes. The submission screen opens once every lesson in Web Development for Small Business Websites is marked complete. The lessons are where the methods, the Nigerian context and the worked examples the project depends on are taught.

How is the project graded?

An examiner scores each rubric criterion from 0 to 100 and weights them as shown on this page; you need 65% overall to pass. Most submissions are graded within minutes and you get written feedback on what was strong and what to improve.

Can I resubmit if I fail?

Yes. A failed project comes back with feedback; revise the weak parts and resubmit. A passed project is final — the certificate is issued and cannot be re-rolled.

What do I actually submit?

A write-up of what you did (under 5,000 characters) plus a public link to your work — a Google Drive folder, Google Doc, spreadsheet, GitHub repository or video. The link must open without sign-in; a private link cannot be graded. The free project workbook on this page walks you through all 6 steps.

Is the certificate real?

Yes. Passing this project issues a certificate with a unique verification code. Anyone — an employer, a client, a school — can open the verification page and see that the certificate is genuine and which project earned it.

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Ready to earn this certificate?

Web Development for Small Business Websites is free and self-paced. Finish the lessons, complete this project, and the certificate is yours to share.

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