Plan your first website

Twenty minutes of planning before you open the editor saves hours of rearranging later. Decide what your website must do, gather what it needs, and you will publish sooner — with fewer drafts you regret.

Tip: Visit three websites you admire and write down exactly what works. Then make yours clearer — not busier.

Set one goal

Choose the single most important job for the website: shop orders, enquiries through your contact form, or being found online. Every page you plan should serve that goal. If a page does not help, it does not make the cut.

List your pages

Most small businesses need a Home page, an About page, a Services or Products page, and a Contact page. Write each name on its own line, then note what the visitor should do next on each one.

Gather your content

Collect your logo, your best photos, prices, opening hours and the phone number or WhatsApp line customers should use. Put everything in one folder so the building phase is assembly, not searching.

Write for your customer

Short sentences, plain words, and one clear next step per page — call, order or visit. Mention how customers pay, such as bank transfer or pay on delivery, so nobody has to ask.

Sketch on paper

Draw boxes for the header, the text and the photos on each page. Rearrange on paper until the flow feels right; dragging sections in the editor is faster when you already know the shape.