IN THIS ARTICLE · 10 PARTS
Getting a first website can feel like a big project with many unknowns. It does not have to be. Here is a simple plan, from the first idea to a live site.
Step 1: decide what the website is for
Pick the main goal. For most small businesses it is one of these: get phone calls, get enquiries through a form, take bookings or sell products. Write it down. Every later decision gets easier when you know the goal. You are in good company: according to Eurostat, 79% of enterprises in the EU had a website in 2025 [1].
Step 2: look at what others do
Look at the websites of a few competitors and a few businesses you admire, in any industry. Note what you like and what annoys you. This takes an hour and helps a lot when you talk to a designer.
Step 3: decide the size
Most first websites need fewer pages than people think: a homepage, a page for each main service, an About page and a contact page. See one page or several: the right size for your first website.
Step 4: secure your domain
Choose a short, clear web address and register it in your business's name, or make sure whoever builds the site does so in your name: domain and hosting explained. ICANN, which coordinates domain names worldwide, explains the rights you have as a domain holder, one more reason to have the domain in your own name [2].
Step 5: gather your material
Logo, real photos, notes about your services and prices, contact details, opening hours and a few reviews. The full list is in what to prepare before you get a new website.
Step 6: choose who builds it
You can do it yourself with a website builder, hire a freelancer, an agency, or choose a monthly plan. Each has pros and cons: freelancer, agency or website builder.
Step 7: review and test
Before launch, check every page on your phone, test the forms and the call button, and read all texts once more. Use the website launch checklist.
Step 8: launch, then improve
Launch a good first version instead of waiting for a perfect one. Then improve it step by step: new photos, a new service page, answers to the questions customers ask. This is how every Studio V1 site works: it launches as v1.0 within 7 business days and keeps getting new versions: see how.
A first website does not need to be perfect. It needs to be clear, live and improving.
After launch
Set up your Google Business Profile, ask your first customers for reviews and check once a month what the website brings in: how to measure what your website brings in. Google's help centre walks you through adding or claiming your Business Profile [3].
References
- Eurostat (European Commission). "Digital economy and society statistics – enterprises." ec.europa.eu
- ICANN. "Registrants' Benefits and Responsibilities." icann.org
- Google Business Profile Help. "Add or claim your Business Profile." support.google.com
