Building a website for a York science park spin-out
York has a serious research economy. The University of York; York Science Park, which the university opened in 1991 beside its Heslington campus with an Innovation Centre and a Biocentre; and the York Biotech Campus at Sand Hutton, where Fera Science is the anchor tenant, together host a mix of companies working in bioscience, agri-food, digital and environmental research. Many of them began as spin-outs, and most reach a point where the holding page put up at incorporation is no longer good enough.
A spin-out website has an unusually varied audience. In the same week it might be read by an investor doing early diligence, a postdoc deciding whether to apply for a job, a scientist at a partner organisation checking your methods, and a commercial buyer who wants to know what you can do for them. Each wants something different, and most will only give you a minute or two. This guide sets out how to structure a site that serves all of them.
Start with one clear sentence
The biggest weakness of research-led websites is the opening. It is often written for a grant panel: dense, hedged and full of terms only a specialist would recognise. That is fine further down the page, but the first line has to work for everyone. Try to describe what you do, for whom, and why it matters, in a sentence a smart person outside your field could follow.
Compare "A platform for high-throughput characterisation of enzyme variants using novel microfluidic assays" with "We help manufacturers find better enzymes faster, by testing thousands of variants in the time it usually takes to test a few." The second can be followed by the first; it should not be replaced by it.
Layer the detail
Once the opening is clear, go deeper in layers. A good pattern is:
- Home: the one-sentence description, the problem you address, two or three proof points such as publications, partnerships or funding you can publicly name, and routes into the rest of the site.
- Technology or platform: how it works, at a level a scientist from an adjacent field would respect. Diagrams help enormously here.
- Applications or services: what customers can actually buy or commission, with enough detail to start a conversation.
- Evidence: publications, posters, datasets, case studies and patents, with links.
- Team: who is behind it, with real biographies, written or approved by each person.
- Careers: what it is like to work there, what roles exist, and how to apply.
- Contact: separate routes for commercial enquiries, partnerships, press and jobs if you can manage them.
What investors look for
Early investors use your website to form a first impression and to check what you have told them. They look for a clear statement of the problem and the market, evidence that the technology works, a credible team, and signs of traction such as named partners or pilots you are permitted to mention. They also notice whether the site is maintained. A news page whose last post was two years ago raises questions.
Do not overclaim. Investors read a lot of websites and are quick to spot inflated language. "First", "only" and "revolutionary" invite scepticism. Specific, checkable statements build trust.
What recruits look for
Hiring is often the hardest problem for a young company, and candidates will read your site closely. They want to know what the science is, who they would work with, whether the company is stable, and what the working arrangements are. Photos of the actual lab and office, a few words from the founders on how the team works, and clear job adverts with salary ranges where you can share them all help. Because many candidates will be coming from the university itself, it can help to explain how your company relates to it.
What partners and customers look for
Scientists at partner organisations want method detail, data and a named contact. Commercial buyers want to understand what they can buy, how long it takes, how samples or data are handled, and what happens next. A short "how we work" page with the stages of a typical engagement is often the most read page on a services-led spin-out site.
Practical points
Keep it light and fast. A static or lightly built site is usually the right choice. It costs little to run, is very secure and loads quickly for visitors around the world.
Make it easy to update. News, publications and vacancies change most often. Set these up so a non-technical member of the team can add items in minutes.
Mind accessibility. Many partners are public bodies or universities with accessibility obligations, and tender processes increasingly ask about it. Build to WCAG 2.2 AA from the start.
Check your claims with the university. If you were spun out of a university, there may be rules on how you describe the relationship and use its name or logo. Check before launch.
Think about search. People looking for a specific capability, such as a type of assay or a modelling method, search for it by name. Pages that describe each capability clearly, using the terms your customers use, will be found.
Visual identity for science companies
Science companies often default to blue gradients and abstract molecules. There is nothing wrong with that, but it makes many sites look alike. Consider what makes yours different: your own imagery from the lab, diagrams in a consistent style, or a colour palette drawn from your work. A distinctive, calm design helps you stand out in an investor's open tabs.
A page-by-page checklist
| Page | Main reader | Must include |
|---|---|---|
| Home | Everyone | One-sentence description, the problem, two or three named proof points, routes onward |
| Technology | Scientists, technical investors | How it works, a diagram, limits and current stage |
| Services or applications | Commercial buyers | What can be bought, turnaround, sample or data handling, next step |
| Evidence | Investors, partners | Publications, preprints, posters, patents, with links |
| Team | Investors, recruits | Real biographies approved by each person, advisers if public |
| Careers | Candidates | Roles, salary ranges where possible, how the team works, how to apply |
| Contact | Everyone | Separate routes for commercial, partnership, press and jobs |
Common mistakes we see
- A site that describes the grant, not the company. Funders' language rarely suits buyers or recruits.
- Stage confusion. Being vague about whether a product is in research, pilot or sale makes buyers wary. Say plainly where you are.
- No owner. The news page goes stale because nobody is responsible for it. Name someone and make updating quick.
- A single contact address that nobody checks. Partnership and commercial enquiries are too valuable to sit unread.
- Building on a platform the team cannot edit. If only a contractor can add a publication, it will not get added.
An example structure in practice
Picture a small company offering a specialist analytical service from the Biocentre. Its homepage opens with what it measures and for whom, then three routes: "Send us samples", "Our methods" and "Work with us". The methods page carries the detail a reviewer would want, with references. A short "How an engagement works" page lists the steps from first call to report. Careers sits in the footer and the main menu during hiring rounds. Nothing here is elaborate, but each audience reaches what it came for in one or two clicks.
For more on the area and its companies, see our Heslington and York Science Park page. We cover writing for technical audiences under branding and copywriting, and the accessibility standard partners expect under accessibility and speed audits.
Where to begin
If your current site is a holding page, the quickest useful step is to write that one-sentence description, then list your audiences and the three questions each would ask. That list becomes your sitemap. If you would like help shaping it, we are a short walk or drive from the science park and happy to talk it through.