You no longer need to be a programmer to make a website, but a good business website that brings in customers still needs a solid plan. In this guide we go through every step: from the goal and domain to SEO and launch. At the end we also talk honestly about when it makes sense to build the website yourself and when to hire someone.
1. Set the goal
Before you think about design, answer one question: what is the website for? Should it bring in enquiries, sell products, present your company or take bookings? Everything else depends on the goal – the number of pages, the content, the features and which button is the most visible on each page.
2. Choose and register a domain
The domain is your website's address, for example yourcompany.com. A good domain is short, easy to say and spell, and matches your company name. For customers in a specific country, a local ending often works best – .ee in Estonia, .fi in Finland. The domain is paid for once a year. You can check whether a domain is free and register it through a domain registrar. LEP is an official Zone partner – through our campaign link you get 58% off Zone hosting and domains for the first year.
3. Choose a platform
There are three common ways to make a website:
| Option | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Website builder (e.g. Wix, Squarespace) | Easy to start, ready-made templates | Monthly fee, limited flexibility, often slower with weaker SEO |
| WordPress | Flexible, free software, strong content management and SEO | Needs setting up and regular updates |
| Hiring someone to build it | Custom design, speed and SEO done right, saves your time | Bigger one-off cost |
For most small businesses WordPress is a good compromise: you can edit the website yourself later and it grows with your business. Read more about WordPress websites.
4. Find hosting
Web hosting is the server your website runs on. Website builders include hosting in the monthly fee; for a WordPress site you choose a host separately. Make sure the hosting is fast, includes an SSL certificate (https) and backups, and that the server is in Europe.
58% off Zone hosting and domains
LEP is an official Zone partner. Through our campaign link you get 58% off Zone hosting and domains for the first year.
Find a domain at a discount →5. Plan the structure
Write down the pages you need. A typical business website has:
- Home page – who you are, what you offer and why choose you.
- Service pages – each important service on its own page, so each page can show up on Google for different searches.
- About – the people and the story behind the company.
- Pricing – even “from” prices help customers decide.
- Contact – a form, phone, email and, if needed, your location.
6. Prepare the content
Texts and images are usually the slowest part of making a website. Write simply and from the customer's point of view: what problem you solve, how you work and what the next step is. Where possible, use real photos of your work and team – they come across as more trustworthy than stock images.
7. Design and mobile view
A large share of visitors come from their phones, so the website has to work well on a small screen. Keep the design clear: readable text, plenty of white space, your brand colours and one clear call to action on every page, such as “Get a quote”. Check the speed too – a slow page loses both visitors and Google rankings. You can measure speed and the mobile view for free with Google's PageSpeed Insights.
8. Do the basic SEO
To make your website findable on Google, check at least the following:
- Every page has a unique title and meta description.
- Every page has one H1 heading containing a keyword your customers search for.
- Images have alt texts and are compressed for the web.
- The site has a sitemap, and it's been added to Google Search Console.
- Your business is listed in Google Business Profile, so people can find you on Google Maps and in local searches.
9. Test and launch
Before launching, check the website on different devices and browsers, and try the contact form and every link. Add a privacy policy, and if you use analytics or advertising cookies, a cookie banner as well. After launch, add the site to Google Search Console and keep an eye on which searches bring people to your site. You can track visitor behaviour with, for example, Google Analytics.
Build it yourself or hire someone?
If you need a simple site and have more time than budget, starting on your own with a website builder makes perfect sense. A simple site of a few pages with your company details and contact information is a good first project, even without technical knowledge.
But if the website needs to bring in customers, it's worth thinking about what your own time is worth and whether you'll get speed, design and SEO right. A DIY site can be finished quickly, but if it doesn't show up on Google or visitors can't find how to get in touch, you're leaving money on the table.
The more complex the project, the more sense it makes to hire a professional. That's especially true for an online store, booking system, multi-vendor marketplace or other custom solution, where you have to get all of these right at once:
- Payments – payment provider integration, refunds and invoices.
- Stock and orders – so sold-out products don't stay in the store and orders don't get lost.
- User accounts and security – personal data, passwords and GDPR.
- Integrations – accounting, parcel lockers, CRM or other systems.
- Speed and reliability – the site has to keep working when there are lots of visitors.
These are highly technical topics, and mistakes are costly here. If a payment doesn't go through, an order disappears or the site is down during a sale, you lose real money and customer trust by the minute. Fixing things later is almost always more expensive than doing them right the first time. Read more about e-commerce development and custom development.
A professional website at LEP costs from €390 – we wrote about it in more detail in how much does a website cost.
Summary
Making a website starts with the goal, not the design. Choose a good domain and the right platform, plan your pages, prepare the content, take care of the mobile view and SEO, and test before you launch. If you'd like us to do this work for you, see our website design service or tell us about your idea.