Where Do I start when Planning to Build a Website?
The time is here! You've decided to build a website for your business. It’s an exciting step, but it’s easy to feel a bit lost and ask yourself, "What are the first steps to building a website?" Don't worry, it doesn't have to be a headache. We’ve put together this simple 8-step guide to help you start your planning on the right foot and set your site up for success.
1. Get to know your users
A lot of businesses forget a golden rule: your website is for your customers, not just for you. How do you find out what they want? Just ask! Use quick email surveys, read through your customer feedback, or look at what they say on social media.
Think about why they are visiting. What do they need? Make sure your site meets their needs and is easy for everyone to use (good web accessibility is a must these days).
Actionable Tip: Write down the top three reasons a customer would visit your site, and keep that list on your desk while you plan.
2. What is the purpose of your website?
Most websites have one big job: to sell. Even if you want to teach or share news, the end goal is usually to turn visitors into leads, and leads into buyers. Keep this at the front of mind.
Don't get stuck worrying about making it perfect on day one. A website is an investment that will grow and change as your business does. Get the basics right, and build from there.
Actionable Tip: Write down your number one goal for the website in one simple sentence (e.g., "I want people to book a free chat").
3. Look at what your competitors are doing
Checking out the competition is a brilliant way to get ideas and find out what’s missing in your market. Look at their sites and see what works well and what you'd rather avoid.
Go through their site as if you were a customer. Can you easily find what you need? Where do they make things difficult? Use these notes to make your own user journey much better.
Actionable Tip: Pick three competitors and list one thing you love about their site and one thing you would do differently.
4. Decide on an SEO strategy
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) must be sorted out early on. It’s much harder to add SEO later than to build it in from the start. Nailing your website architecture for SEO early on saves a lot of time and money. Look into the best SEO strategies for new websites, like early keyword research, so Google loves your layout and content.
Also, don't forget the tech side. Google ranks sites based on user experience, so put a basic Core Web Vitals checklist for new sites together to ensure your pages load fast and run smoothly right from the start.
(If you need help with SEO, take a look at our blog post: What is SEO?)
Actionable Tip: Find five words or phrases your customers naturally search for on Google and make sure they feature on your main pages.
Feeling a bit stuck? Let us help.
Book a Quick Chat with the Finch Design team. We’re here to help you get moving without the stress!
5. Content Planning
When figuring out how to plan a website structure, start by making a master list of all the pages you need. You also need to keep mobile-first design requirements in mind here. Most people will view your site on their phones, so keep your layout clean and your words clear and punchy.
For each page, note down the title, what it’s about, who it’s for, and who will be in charge of writing it.
Actionable Tip: Open up a simple spreadsheet and map out your top five pages. Having it all in one place makes a huge difference.
6. Allocate your resources
Time and money are key. If you are wondering, "What is the checklist for launching a new website?", setting a clear budget and timeline is right at the top of that list.
How long will the design take? When do you want it live? How much can you spend on each stage? Sorting this out now stops nasty surprises and stressful delays later on.
Actionable Tip: Set a realistic launch date and work backwards to set yourself small, weekly tasks.
7. Consider your Call To Action (CTA)
Your Call To Action (CTA) just tells your user what to do next—like 'Buy Now', 'Get a Quote', or 'Book a Consultation'.
Before you start building, make sure you know exactly what you want your visitors to do. Make your CTA stand out so it is super easy for your customers to take that next step.
Actionable Tip: Pick one bright, contrasting colour for your CTA buttons so they naturally draw the eye.
8. Pick a Content Management System (CMS)
The CMS is the tool you use to build and run the back end of your site. You might know names like WordPress, Shopify, or Squarespace, but there are dozens of options. The right one depends entirely on your business needs.
At Finch Design Company, we can recommend the best CMS for you and get you up and running with a site that actually works. Whether you need an online shop for your small business or a sharp portfolio to show off your work, we can guide you through everything from design and build to CMS and SEO.
If you need an affordable web design and SEO agency to help bring your ideas to life, don't hesitate to reach out to us here.
You’re now ready to start planning a website that looks great, helps your users, and brings in more business. Enjoy!
