Choose a website platform for your small business
Claude and ChatGPT can assist a prototype; Astro, Sanity and Payload address different build and content needs. Choose against editing, customer integrations and ongoing ownership, rather than choosing a technology name first.
Modern platforms that work well with AI
An AI-friendly CMS keeps your content in a clean, structured form, separate from the design. That makes it easier for people to edit, for AI tools to help with, and for search engines and AI assistants to read.
We build on platforms such as Astro for the website itself, with Sanity or Payload as the editing system behind it. Astro produces fast, mostly static pages. The CMS gives you a place to log in and change your content.
These tools are not right for everyone. We help you choose against how you will edit, what the site connects to and who will look after it. Sometimes the honest answer is WordPress.
At a glance
- A platform chosen for how you work
- Fast pages built with Astro
- Editing screens shaped around your content
- Content structured for search and AI assistants
- Honest advice, including when WordPress is better
What is included in a modern CMS build
We choose the platform with you first, then build the website and the editing system together.
A platform recommendation
We start with your needs: who edits, how often, and what the site must connect to. Then we recommend a combination, such as Astro with Sanity, and explain the trade-offs in plain words.
A content model
We define your content types, such as services, team members, projects and FAQs, with the fields each one needs. Good structure is what makes the site easy to edit and reuse.
Editing screens made for you
Your CMS is configured around your business, not a generic template. Fields are labelled in plain English, with guidance where it helps, so editors know what goes where.
A fast Astro website
The public site is built in Astro, which sends mostly plain HTML to the browser and adds JavaScript only where a page needs it. We check every page on phones.
Publishing set up and tested
Because pages are built ahead of time, a change in the CMS triggers a rebuild of the site. We set this up, test it and show you how long a change takes to appear.
Handover and documentation
You get a walkthrough of editing, images and publishing, plus a written record of where the code, content and hosting live and which accounts and plans they use.
What a modern CMS gives you
The gains come from separating your content from the pages that display it.
Quick, lightweight pages
Static pages are built ahead of time, so there is no database to query on each visit. That tends to mean quick pages, which helps visitors on mobile data.
Less to attack
A static site has no public admin login or plugin list on the live website. The editing system sits separately behind its own login, which removes several common ways sites are broken into.
Edits cannot break the design
Editors fill in structured fields and the design is applied automatically. Pasting in text will not break a layout, and every page of the same type stays consistent.
Content AI can work with
Structured content is easier for AI tools to draft, check or reuse, and easier for AI assistants to read. A person still reviews anything AI produces before it goes live.
One source, many uses
Because content is stored separately from the pages, the same service details or FAQs can appear on several pages, or in a future app, without anyone retyping them.
Portable content
Your content can be exported from the CMS, and the website code is standard and kept in a repository your business can own. That makes a later move or redesign more straightforward.
What small business owners say
After trying to build a website myself, it just wasn’t professional and detailed enough for what I wanted. The team built a customised website for me and it was exactly how I explained what I wanted and how I envisioned it! I couldn’t be happier with the outcome. I am even getting feedback from my patients saying how easy it is to navigate.
Michelle DoddOwner, MD Cosmetic InjectionsFrom start to finish, I experienced nothing but prompt communication including, so much information that was very easy to understand which made every step of the web development process, so simple!
Chad FellowsGeneral Manager, TBC Supplies
Read the storyThe team were incredibly patient taking us step by step through the process and continually offered support and feedback to help improve on our vision. They not only created a website that looks great but one that is user-friendly and functions well.
Brad ChapmanOwner and Project Manager, BIC ConstructionHow it works
From first message to launch in four steps, with a local team in Sydney and Melbourne.
- 1
Tell us what you need
Send a short enquiry about your business, your current website and what is getting in the way.
- 2
Discovery call
Our team calls to understand your customers, your goals and which package fits.
- 3
A proposal written for you
You get a written proposal with a clear scope and quote before any work starts.
- 4
Build, review and launch
We build, you review and approve, and we launch together. Then we show you how to edit it.
- Static pages with no public admin login
- Sanity hosts and updates the content platform
- Payload needs its own hosting and backups
- CMS, hosting and code accounts under your business
- Design and structure changes need a developer
Maintenance, security, hosting and ownership
These sites have fewer moving parts than a plugin-based site, but they are not maintenance-free. The website code has dependencies that need updating, and the CMS, hosting and build process each need an owner. With Sanity, the content platform itself is hosted and updated for you. With Payload, someone must look after its server, database and backups.
We agree who does this before the build. Accounts for the CMS, hosting and code repository are set up under your business wherever possible. You should also know that changes to design or structure need a developer, so plan for some ongoing technical help.
Is a modern CMS right for you?
A good fit if
- You want a very fast site with little to patch.
- Your content has clear types, such as services, projects or locations.
- Several people edit, and you want every page to stay consistent.
- You plan to use AI tools with your content.
- You are comfortable using a developer for design changes.
Probably not yet if
- You want to install plugins and change layouts yourself. WordPress suits that better.
- You mainly sell products. Shopify is built for that job.
- Your current site works and only needs repair. Fixing it may be the better decision.
Good to know before you start
The practical detail owners ask about once they are serious.
Claude and ChatGPT
Use AI assistance to explore layouts, draft copy or work on code. Agree where finished code lives, who reviews it and how it is deployed. Generated output still needs accurate content, accessible navigation, tested customer actions and a maintenance owner.
Astro
Astro is an option for content-focused sites using generated HTML and selective browser interaction. It does not itself define editing workflows, booking systems or commerce. Compare the actual requirements before selecting it.
Sanity CMS
Sanity can supply structured content to an Astro frontend. Static publishing needs an agreed rebuild process. Demonstrate editing, media, permissions, preview and publishing against actual plan limits; a connected API is not a completed team workflow.
Payload CMS
Payload is another CMS/application option where structured content and application requirements justify it. Define hosting, database, permissions, backups and upgrades before choosing the operating model.
Conventional websites still have a place
An existing WordPress site or standard builder may be the sensible answer. List who edits, what changes and which customer systems are involved. Ask for an editing demonstration and an explicit export, deployment and recovery handover.
AI-friendly CMS: common questions
Straight answers. If yours is not here, ask us directly.
What is Sanity CMS?
Sanity is a hosted headless CMS. Your content is stored in Sanity's cloud as structured data, and you edit it in Sanity Studio, an editing app we configure around your business. The website is built separately and pulls its content from Sanity. You get tidy editing screens without running a server for the CMS.
How is Sanity different from WordPress?
WordPress stores content and design together and builds pages on your server. Sanity only manages content, and a separate website, such as one built in Astro, displays it. Sanity has less to patch and keeps content tidy and reusable. WordPress has far more ready-made plugins and themes, and layout changes are easier without a developer.
How do I edit a site built with Astro and Sanity?
You log in to Sanity Studio in your browser, open a page or item, change the fields and publish. Sanity keeps a history of changes, and several people can edit at once. The website then rebuilds with the new content, so there is a short wait before a change appears. We show you the whole process before handover.
Should I choose Sanity or Payload?
Sanity suits most small businesses that want hosted editing with little to run. Payload is open source and runs on your own hosting with your own database, which gives more control and suits sites that behave more like applications. It also means someone must manage the server, backups and upgrades. We recommend one after the discovery call.
Does Sanity cost money to use?
Sanity has a free plan and paid plans, with limits based on things such as users and usage. Whether the free plan is enough depends on your team and site, and plans change, so we check the current terms with you. Any CMS, hosting or other subscription is listed in your written proposal before work starts.
How does a project start, and how long does it take?
It starts with an enquiry and a discovery call, followed by a written proposal. Nothing starts until you approve it. A Launch website is live in about 2 weeks and a Design+ website takes 6 to 8 weeks. The proposal confirms which one fits your project, the platform we recommend and the reasons for it.
Will a modern CMS help me show up in AI answers?
It can help with the basics. Structured content, fast pages and clear business facts make a site easier for search engines and AI assistants to read. No platform can promise a mention, a citation or a ranking. What you say on the page, and whether it answers real customer questions, matters more than the technology.