Top 10 Things to Consider When Building a New Website

It's tempting to jump straight to colours, fonts, and layouts. But the most important question is: what do you want this website to actually do? Generate enquiries? Sell products? Book appointments? Build trust? Your goals will shape every decision that follows.

A brochure-style site is very different from an e-commerce store or a lead-generation site. Be specific. 'Look professional' is a nice outcome, but 'receive five qualified enquiries a week' is a goal you can design around. Every page, image, and button should be working towards that outcome.

Your website isn't for you — it's for your customers. The better you understand them, the more effective your site will be. What problems are they trying to solve? What questions do they ask before buying? What objections stop them from getting in touch?

Write down the top three types of customer you serve and keep them in mind during planning. When your content speaks directly to their needs, they feel understood — and that builds trust fast. If you're unsure, our web design services include audience research and messaging strategy.

A beautiful layout with weak content is like a glossy brochure with nothing to say. Before you think about how the site will look, decide what it needs to say. What pages do you need? What should each page include? What images, testimonials, or case studies will support your message?

Start with a simple sitemap: Home, Services, About, Contact, and any industry-specific pages. Then outline the content for each. When content comes first, the design can do its job properly — guiding visitors toward action rather than trying to compensate for missing information.

There are dozens of ways to build a website: drag-and-drop builders, WordPress, custom-coded sites, e-commerce platforms, and more. The right choice depends on what you need now and what you might need in the future.

A simple brochure site has very different requirements from a site that needs booking systems, membership areas, or online payments. Cheap builders can be appealing at first, but they often become expensive or limiting as you grow. Choose a platform that matches your goals, your budget, and your willingness to maintain it.

More than 60% of web traffic now comes from mobile devices. Google also uses mobile-first indexing, which means it primarily evaluates the mobile version of your site when deciding where to rank you. If your site only looks good on a desktop, you're ignoring the majority of your visitors.

Mobile-first design means planning for small screens first, then expanding to larger ones. It forces you to prioritise what really matters and keeps navigation, buttons, and text easy to use on a phone. A site that works beautifully on mobile feels modern and professional — and converts more visitors into enquiries.

Visitors should never have to hunt for what they need. Your main navigation should be short, clear, and predictable: Home, Services, About, Contact, Blog. Avoid clever labels that confuse people. 'What We Do' is less clear than 'Services.' 'Get in Touch' is less direct than 'Contact.'

Every extra click or moment of confusion increases the chance someone will leave. Group related pages under clear headings, use a visible phone number or contact link, and make sure your logo links back to the homepage. Simple navigation keeps people moving toward the next step.

A slow website kills conversions. Studies show that if a page takes longer than three seconds to load, a significant number of visitors will leave before they even see your content. Speed is also a confirmed Google ranking factor, which means slow sites get less visibility as well as fewer enquiries.

The biggest culprits are usually oversized images, too many plugins, and bloated code. Compress images before uploading, limit unnecessary scripts, and choose fast hosting. Speed isn't a technical luxury — it's a basic requirement for a site that actually performs.

Every page on your website should guide the visitor toward one clear next step. That might be 'Get a Quote,' 'Book a Call,' 'View Our Work,' or 'Buy Now.' These are your calls to action — and without them, visitors read your site and then leave without doing anything.

Don't hide your contact details at the bottom of a page. Repeat your main call to action throughout the site, especially after you've made your case. Make buttons stand out visually and use action-led text. 'Request a Free Quote' is much more compelling than 'Submit.'

SEO shouldn't be an afterthought. The structure, content, and technical setup of your site all affect how well you rank on Google. If you wait until after launch to think about SEO, you'll likely need to rewrite pages, fix technical issues, and rebuild parts of your site.

From the beginning, research the keywords your customers use, write unique page titles and descriptions, use proper headings, and make sure your site is fast and mobile-friendly. A site built with SEO in mind will bring in free traffic for years. For a deeper dive, read our beginner's SEO guide.

Websites are not 'build it and forget it' projects. Software needs updating, content needs refreshing, and broken links need fixing. Before you launch, decide who will be responsible for updates. Will you do it yourself? Will your designer handle it? Will you pay for ongoing support?

Many business owners underestimate this part and end up with a site that slowly goes out of date. A clear maintenance plan protects your investment and keeps your site secure, fast, and relevant. When you know who's responsible, small updates happen regularly instead of turning into a big, expensive rebuild every few years.