GnM Consulting Website Design

What do I need to build a website?

Building a website can feel overwhelming when you’re not sure where to start, but the process becomes much easier when you know the essential steps. Whether you’re planning to DIY your site or work with a professional web designer, this guide walks you through everything you need, from choosing your platform to launching your website.

Step 1 | Choose a professional Website Designer (hint, hint!)

Working with a professional website designer and developer ensures your website is strategic, on‑brand, and built correctly from the start. You’ll get expert guidance through every step, a customised design, and a site that’s built to support your business long‑term.

Step 2 | Register a Domain Name

Your domain name is your website’s unique address (e.g. www.purodesign.com.au). You must register your domain name with a Domain Name Registrar and renew it every year. You can search for and register your domain name directly through Puro Design.

REGISTER YOUR DOMAIN NAME

Step 3 | Branding & Visual Direction

Your website should look and feel like your brand. This includes your logo, colour palette, fonts, imagery style, and any existing brand guidelines. If you don’t have these yet, your designer can help create them. Strong branding builds trust, consistency, and recognition, and it’s essential before any layout or design work begins. Puro Design can help you build your brand.

CREATE YOUR BRAND DESIGN BRIEF

Step 4 | Build a website design brief

A design brief outlines the purpose, goals, functionality, and visual direction of your website. It sets clear expectations and ensures your designer understands exactly what you need. You can create your website design brief with Puro Design.

CREATE YOUR WEB DESIGN BRIEF

Step 5 | Plan your website structure/sitemap

Map out the pages your website will include and how they connect. A simple sitemap helps organise your content, improve user flow, and guide the design and build process.

Step 6 | Choose a suitable & reputable website platform

Your website platform is the foundation of your site, and there are many options to choose from, such as WordPress, Squarespace, Shopify and Wix.

  • WordPress: Overall the most flexible & scalable and the choice for over 40% of all websites. Best for business sites, content-heavy sites, custom functionality, SEO, and it is self-hosted.
  • Squarespace: A fully-hosted DIY website with design simplicity.
  • Shopify: Built specifically for selling online, with unmatched checkout, inventory, shipping, POS, speed and security. Also fully-hosted.
  • WooCommerce: Built specifically for WordPress as a self-hosted eCommerce platform. It is more flexible, more customisable, and often cheaper long‑term, but requires more technical management than Shopify.
  • Wix: Simple, fully-hosted website for beginners who want drag‑and‑drop freedom.

WordPress and WooCommerce are our preferred choices for building customised websites.

Step 7 | Choose suitable email & website hosting

Reliable hosting keeps your website fast, secure, and accessible. You will only need to organise this if you are using a self-hosted platform. A professional hosting plan also allows you to host email accounts, or manage the DNS to redirect them to external email platforms such as Office 365 or Gmail. Puro Design provides self-managed hosting solutions to take care of speed, security, backups, and updates.

Step 8 | Choose your online payment gateway (eCommerce only)

If you plan to take payments online, you’ll need a secure payment gateway such as Stripe, PayPal, Square, or WooCommerce Payments. This allows customers to pay safely and smoothly through your website.

Step 9 | Write your own content or hire a copywriter

Clear, engaging content helps visitors understand who you are, what you offer, and how to take action. Every page needs purposeful copy that reflects your brand and supports your goals. If you’re not confident in writing your own content, you can hire a professional copywriter.

Step 10 | Source your images & media

High‑quality images and media elevate your website instantly. Use professional photography or carefully selected stock images that match your brand and support your message.

Australian privacy laws require a Privacy Policy if your website collects any personal information, even through a simple contact form. If you market to UK or EU residents, you’ll also need a GDPR‑compliant Privacy Policy.

Most online businesses should have:

  • Privacy Policy: explains how personal information is collected and used.
  • Website Disclaimer: protects your copyright and limits liability.
  • Terms & Conditions: outlines how you do business, including delivery, returns, and refunds.
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Step 11 | Design, build & launch your website

With your content, images, structure, and hosting ready, your web developer, or you if self-building, can design, build, and launch your website. This includes layout, functionality, integrations, testing, and final deployment.

Step 13 | Submit your website to Google

This is the only search engine you must submit your site to. Google holds 90% of search market share worldwide. Submitting your site:

  • speeds up indexing
  • gives you performance data
  • alerts you to issues

While not essential, it is also recommended to submit your site to Bing.

Step 14 | Plan your Online Marketing Strategy

A website is only the beginning. Creating a marketing plan to drive traffic, build visibility, and attract customers through SEO, social media, email marketing, and ongoing content is essential for the success of your website.

Ready to start your website project?

Building a website is a big project, but you don’t have to tackle it alone. If you’re ready to get started, you can create your website design brief with Puro Design and map out exactly what you need, or simply reach out and we’ll guide you through every step. Either way, you’ll be on the right path to a professional, strategic website that supports your business.

CREATE YOUR DESIGN BRIEF
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