Website projects often stall not because of technology but because they start from the wrong end: colours get chosen while it is still unclear what the site is meant to achieve. This plan lays out the steps in the order that saves both money and nerves.
Step one - a goal, not a design
Answer in one sentence: what should a visitor do on arrival? Call, leave an enquiry, buy, book an appointment. Everything depends on that answer: the structure, the copy, even the position of the buttons. If there are several goals, choose the main one: it gets the most important place on the home page. A website without a clear goal ends up beautiful, but it does not work.
Step two - content before design
A designer cannot lay out empty boxes. Before the project, gather: a logo, a list of services with prices or at least the pricing logic, photos, customer reviews, company details. Perfect copy is not needed - a draft is enough, and we will polish it together during the project.
Step three - structure
For a small business up to five pages is usually enough: home, services, work or gallery, about you, contact. A bigger structure makes sense only when each page answers a separate visitor question. Five thorough pages are better than ten with two paragraphs each: a thin page answers the question neither for the visitor nor for search.
Step four - budget and timeline
Our indicative ranges: a brochure website (up to 5 pages) from €590 and 1-2 weeks, a business website with custom design and a wider structure from €890 and 3-5 weeks. In addition you will pay each year for a domain (about €10-20 per year) and hosting (about €40-100 per year). The timeline counts from when you have at least a content draft. What you pay for and what upkeep costs is described in our article on website cost.
Step five - who will do it
There are three options. A website builder suits you when you have more time than budget and a simple site is enough. A freelancer - when you need a custom solution and want to talk directly to the person building it. A team or agency - when the project is large and several specialists work on it at once. Which questions to ask a supplier before the contract is described in the article on how to choose a web development team. The most important criterion: does the supplier ask about your business, or only about colours.
Frequently asked questions when starting
Can we start without all the copy?
Yes. We build the structure and design with drafts and load the final copy before launch. If photos are missing, licensed stock photos work temporarily and you upload your own later. Far worse is postponing the start while waiting for perfect copy that never arrives.
Do I need a domain and hosting in advance?
Not necessarily - we help you choose and register them during the project. Only one thing matters: register the domain in your own name, not the supplier’s, so the website always belongs to you.
When should SEO go into the plan?
From day one: structure and copy are the SEO foundation, which is more expensive to redo later than to do right at once. More on our website development for business page, and what to do after launch is described in the article on website promotion.
If you would like to go through this plan with us, get in touch: in the first conversation we will discuss the structure and give an indicative price.
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