0/3
HR Consultancy Launch Programme · Stage 7 of 10
Build Your Website & Client Portal
Get a credible site live and a secure portal in place, so prospects trust you and clients exchange sensitive files safely.
How long
2–4 days
You’ll have
A live website, a secure client portal, and the site compliance basics done
Steps
3 steps
Resources
3 resources
-
01 Step 01
Step 01
Build a credible website
SME buyers check you exist and look safe before they call, and a missing or broken site costs you the enquiry.
Do it yourself
- Cover the core pages: home, your services from Module 1, an about or founder page from Module 6, a niche or sector page, and contact with clear calls to action.
- Make the services and scope explicit, reinforcing the "we do, we refer" line from Modules 1 and 4.
- Optimise the home and service pages for the local search terms from Module 8.
- Keep it fast, mobile-friendly and simple to update, because content and clarity beat custom design.
Common mistake · A beautiful site that never says, in plain terms, what problems you solve and for whom.
Time1–3 days CostDIY builder ~£10–£30/mo; freelance build £800–£3,000+ DifficultyMediumResource for this step
CHECKLISTWebsite page plan
The pages a consultancy site needs and what each one has to say, so nothing important gets left off.
-
02 Step 02
Step 02
Add a secure client and document portal
You need one safe place for clients to exchange contracts, policies and sensitive files, not email attachments.
Do it yourself
- Decide the approach: a dedicated client portal, your HR platform's portal from Module 5, or a controlled Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace space set up with the secure-exchange method from Module 5.
- Enforce access control, MFA and encryption, in line with the security from Module 3.
- Set retention and deletion to match your data map, so files do not linger past their purpose.
- Make the portal the default and stop sending sensitive files as attachments, given the special-category data you handle.
Common mistake · A "portal" that is really an open shared drive with no per-client access control.
Time3–6 hours Cost£0 with existing tools, up to ~£20–£50/mo for a dedicated portal DifficultyHardResource for this step
CHECKLISTSecure portal setup checklist
The controls a client portal needs before you put a single file in it, aligned to your Module 3 data map.
-
03 Step 03
Step 03
Get the site's compliance right
The website itself processes personal data, so it has to reflect your ICO status and your privacy obligations.
Do it yourself
- Publish the privacy notice you wrote in Module 3.
- If you use cookies or analytics, add a cookie notice and a consent mechanism so tracking waits for consent.
- Display your ICO registration reference and your business details.
- Make sure contact forms handle data securely and collect only what you need, which is data minimisation in practice.
Common mistake · A live site with an analytics tracker and a contact form but no privacy or cookie notice.
Time1–2 hours CostFree DifficultyEasyResource for this step
What you’ll have after this stage
- A credible consultancy website showing your services, niche and founder story
- Home and service pages built around your local search terms
- A secure client portal for contracts, policies and sensitive files
- Retention and deletion set to match your Module 3 data map
- A privacy notice, cookie consent and ICO reference live on the site
Next · Stage 8 of 10
Get Found
Keep going yourself — carry your momentum straight into the next stage.
Prefer we build it?
Hand this stage to us
A website and a secure client portal are two of the things we build. We can put your site together on a fast, simple platform with your services, niche and scope laid out plainly, and set up a portal where clients exchange sensitive files instead of emailing attachments. If you would rather have it built than build it yourself, talk to us.