1. Set a useful goal
Decide what the website needs to do.
Before thinking about colours or software, write down the main action you want a visitor to take. A business may want quotation requests. A charity may need volunteers or donations. A club might want new members, concert audiences or a reliable place to publish dates.
Choose one primary goal and a few supporting goals. This keeps the structure focused and makes design decisions much easier.
2. Plan the pages
Most small websites need fewer pages than you think.
- A home page that says who you are, what you do and what to do next
- Clear service, activity or programme information
- An about page that builds trust
- Proof such as projects, testimonials, performances, results or supporters
- A simple contact page with the details people actually need
- Privacy and any other essential legal information
Extra pages should earn their place. A concise, well-organised website is more useful than a large one filled with repeated or outdated content.
3. Gather the content
Prepare the raw ingredients—not polished marketing copy.
Collect a plain-English description of the organisation, the services or activities, the areas served, contact details, useful photographs, upcoming dates, genuine testimonials and the questions people ask most often. A designer can help turn those ingredients into a clear page structure and refine the wording.
For charities and community groups, also gather your registered details where applicable, safeguarding or accessibility information, funder acknowledgements and the practical information a new member or visitor would need.
4. Understand the price
Cost follows scope, not an arbitrary page count.
The main cost drivers are the amount of original design and content work, special forms or features, integration with other systems, photography or copywriting, and whether an old website must be migrated carefully. A complete website of up to four pages costs £350; larger or more involved projects are quoted individually. Nemesis website prices include a domain, SSL security and the first year of hosting.
Ask for a written scope showing what is included, what you need to supply and what would count as additional work. That is more useful than comparing headline prices alone.
5. Clarify the practical setup
Know what happens to the domain, hosting and updates.
Before work starts, clarify who controls the domain name, where the site will be hosted, what the ongoing costs are, how backups and security updates are handled, and how future changes will be made. With Nemesis, the first year of hosting is included and the yearly renewal cost is shown in the quotation. Keep important account details in a safe place controlled by your organisation.
6. Build in search foundations
SEO starts with clarity.
Useful page titles, clear headings, sensible site structure, quick loading, mobile usability and accurate local information all help search engines understand a website. Connect the finished site to Google Search Console and submit a sitemap. Ongoing SEO may be worthwhile in a competitive market, but it is not automatically necessary for every organisation.
7. Choose the right developer
Ask questions that reveal how the project will work.
- Who will I deal with day to day?
- Can I see relevant live work?
- How will the scope, feedback and quotation be agreed?
- What must our organisation supply?
- What checks happen before launch?
- What support is available afterwards?
You should feel comfortable asking basic questions and receive answers you understand. A good working relationship matters just as much as the software being used.