Whether you’re starting a business, launching an online store, or simply want a place to showcase your portfolio, a website is your digital hub. It’s often the first interaction someone will have with your brand—so it needs to be functional, strategic, and well thought-out.
Getting a website isn’t just about picking a pretty template and publishing some content. It’s a step-by-step process that brings together strategy, design, technology, and marketing. Here are 10 steps to get your website off the ground—so it not only looks good but works hard for your business too.
Table of Contents
1. Choose and Register Your Domain
Your domain name is your website’s address—what people will type into the browser to find you (e.g. www.yourbusiness.co.za). Ideally, it should be short, easy to remember, easy to spell, and reflective of your brand.
Tips for choosing a domain name:
- Avoid numbers and hyphens
- Make it simple, relevant, and brandable
- Try to keep it as short as possible
- Check that it’s available using tools like Domains.co.za or Nameboy
Once you’ve found the perfect domain, register it through a domain registrar. Most domain names cost around R120 per year.
2. Set Up Website Hosting
Hosting is what makes your website accessible on the internet. Think of it as the “folder” where your site’s files are stored. You’ll need to choose a reliable hosting provider based on your website’s size, complexity, and expected traffic.
Types of hosting:
- Shared Hosting: Affordable but slower, as you share server space with other websites.
- Managed Hosting: Offers better speed, security, and support. Ideal for business websites and online stores.
- WordPress Hosting: Optimised specifically for WordPress websites.
- Cloud/VPS Hosting: Offers scalability and flexibility, great for growing websites.
Look for features like:
- SSL certificate (https)
- Daily backups
- Good customer support
- High uptime and performance
- Servers located close to your target audience
3. Define Your Website Goals
Before anything else, be clear on why you’re building a website. Your goals will shape everything—from layout to content to functionality.
Common website goals:
- Attract traffic (e.g. via SEO and blog content)
- Generate leads or enquiries
- Make sales through an online store
- Communicate your brand story
- Build credibility and trust
- Offer information or resources
Having a clear purpose makes it easier to measure your website’s success and make strategic decisions down the line.
4. Understand Your Audience and Research Competitors
Your website should speak directly to your ideal audience. What are their needs, challenges, or frustrations? What kind of content or design will appeal to them? How can your website help them?
At the same time, look at what your competitors are doing:
- What do their websites do well?
- Where are there gaps or opportunities you can capitalise on?
- What keywords are they targeting?
- What type of tone and visual branding do they use?
This research helps you position your brand in a way that stands out and resonates with the right people.
5. Create a Content Strategy
Your content strategy is the backbone of your website. It includes the structure (which pages you need), the type of content (copy, blogs, images, etc.), and how everything fits together.
Content strategy includes:
- Planning your sitemap (e.g. Home, About, Services, Blog, Contact)
- Deciding what content goes on each page
- Doing keyword research for SEO
- Structuring your site for easy navigation
- Planning categories and content pillars
- Setting up internal linking and calls to action
Good content doesn’t just fill space—it supports your goals, answers questions, builds trust, and moves people to act.
6. Write or Source Your Content
This is one of the most underestimated steps. Strong, compelling copy is essential—it’s what communicates your message, builds trust, and drives action.
Your content should:
- Be clear, concise, and persuasive
- Speak directly to your audience’s needs
- Be optimised for SEO (but not stuffed with keywords)
- Reflect your brand’s tone and personality
- Highlight your unique value and process
- Answer common questions and reduce doubt
If writing isn’t your strong point, consider hiring a copywriter—especially for your homepage, about page, and service pages. Good copy is an investment that pays off.
7. Design the Website
Now comes the fun part—bringing your website to life visually. But good design isn’t just about aesthetics. It’s about function, branding, and user experience.
Start with wireframes to plan your layout, followed by high-fidelity mockups of your key pages. These act as a roadmap for the build phase.
Your design should:
- Be on-brand (fonts, colours, style)
- Prioritise usability and readability
- Be mobile-friendly and responsive
- Use consistent layouts and spacing
- Include strategic calls to action
- Support your goals and content
Strong design helps guide users through your site and encourages them to take the next step—whether that’s getting in touch, signing up, or buying.
8. Build the Website
Once your content and design are ready, it’s time to build. If you’re using WordPress (which I recommend), choose a flexible page builder like Bricks Builder. It allows you to create custom designs that are scalable, accessible, and optimised for performance.
During development:
- Use clean, semantic HTML and CSS
- Optimise images (WebP/AVIF) and use alt tags
- Implement SEO basics (meta titles, descriptions, heading structure)
- Make sure your site is mobile-friendly
- Follow accessibility best practices (WCAG compliance)
- Integrate functionality like forms, payment gateways, or analytics
Remember: the way your site is built affects how fast it loads, how well it ranks, and how easy it is to update later.
9. Test Thoroughly
Before launch, test everything. This includes functionality, performance, responsiveness, and even your spelling.
Things to check:
- Are all links and buttons working?
- Are your forms sending properly?
- Does your site look good on mobile and tablet?
- Are there any typos or errors?
- How fast is your site loading?
- Are SEO elements in place?
Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights and Google Search Console to help fine-tune your site and ensure everything is working smoothly.
10. Launch and Promote Your Website
Publishing your website is just the beginning. Now it’s time to tell people about it and drive traffic.
Ways to promote your site:
- Share it on social media
- Set up a Google Business Profile
- Run paid ads (Google, Facebook, etc.)
- Start a blog or content marketing strategy
- Build an email list
- Get listed on local or industry directories
Keep adding fresh content, updating pages, and tracking your analytics to improve your results over time.
Bonus: Don’t Forget Ongoing Maintenance
A website isn’t a once-off project—it’s an ongoing asset. Regular maintenance ensures your site stays secure, up-to-date, and running smoothly.
Maintenance tasks include:
- Updating plugins and themes
- Taking regular backups
- Monitoring uptime and performance
- Checking for broken links
- Updating content
- Testing forms and features regularly
Keeping your website maintained protects your investment and helps you avoid issues down the line.
Final Thoughts
Getting a website involves a lot more than just choosing colours and uploading a logo. It’s a strategic, step-by-step process that blends business goals with thoughtful design and development.
By following these 10 steps to get a website, you’ll end up with a tool that supports your brand, engages your audience, and helps grow your business.
Need help designing a website that looks great and works hard for your small business? Let’s discuss how to integrate strategy and design. Fill in the project enquiry form to get started.
