Quick answer: The best website starts with clarity, not code. Define what you want visitors to do, map their journey from first click to purchase, and get your colours, copy and vibe aligned with your brand before you write a word of website copy. Vet any developer carefully, and always own your domain name outright.
In life, there are moments that change the course of your destiny. For Nick Abregu, a former engineer turned entrepreneur, it was a missed flight that became the catalyst for his journey towards freedom and fulfilment. In a conversation on the Online Business Launchpad Podcast with Trudy Rankin, Nick reflects on his experiences and offers valuable insights for aspiring entrepreneurs.
One key lesson he highlights is the importance of thorough preparation and communication when outsourcing website development. Drawing from his own missteps, Nick emphasises the need for clarity on preferred frameworks and expectations right from the start. By sharing his own blunders, he wants to equip you with the tools to streamline your own website creation process.
What Should You Nail Down Before You Build a Website?
Creating a successful website takes careful planning and a real understanding of your target audience. Whether you're starting from scratch or planning a redesign, these steps will help you align your goals, engage your customers and get the most out of your online presence.
1. Define the website's purpose
Before you get stuck into design and development, work out the main function of your website. Ask yourself: what do I want to achieve here? Is it sales, information, brand awareness or engagement? Your answer shapes the entire structure and layout of the site.
2. Understand the customer journey
To create a smooth user experience, put yourself in your potential customers' shoes. What makes a website hold your attention and prompts you to act? Map the path that takes a visitor from their first click to becoming a paying customer, so you know exactly where the critical touchpoints sit.
3. Tailor content for different audiences
Knowing your audience is essential. Use platforms like Facebook to understand their demographics, interests and behaviour, and talk to friends, family and potential customers directly for feedback. This shapes your site's content, tone and design.
4. Educate and nurture your visitors
Think about where potential customers sit in their buying journey when they land on your site. Are they researching, comparing, or ready to buy? Tailor your content, whether that's a short product description or an in-depth guide, to match that stage and nurture them towards conversion.
How Do You Design a Website That Actually Converts?
First impressions are largely a design call. Research from the Missouri University of Science and Technology found that around 94% of a visitor's snap judgement about a site comes down to design elements like layout, imagery and navigation, not the words on the page (industry benchmark; see CXL, 2026). Nick breaks the design process down into five practical areas.
1. Define website functionality
Know what you want visitors to actually do on your site, whether that's clicking a button, buying something or filling out a form. Every page needs a clear call to action that moves people closer to converting.
2. Understand the power of colour
Colour affects emotion and shapes how people perceive your brand. Choose a primary colour plus complementary secondary and filler colours, and think about the emotions each one carries for your target audience. A consistent colour scheme, including on your call-to-action buttons, makes for a better user experience.
3. Develop the right vibe
The “vibe” of your website is the overall feeling a visitor gets from it. It should match your brand and resonate with your audience. Look at websites you admire and work out why they appeal to you, then study your competitors to see what's working for them.
4. Learn from your competitors
Studying competitors helps you find your own unique selling points. Ask yourself why certain sites engage you and prompt action, then weigh up their strengths and weaknesses so you can position your own brand more effectively.
5. Sell the vibe, not just the features
Features and benefits matter, but how your website makes people feel matters just as much. Speak to the emotional side of what you offer, address your customers' real concerns, and make visitors feel understood and supported throughout their journey. Mobile experience plays into this too: mobile-optimised sites convert at roughly double the rate of ones that aren't, and 53% of mobile visits are abandoned once load time passes three seconds (Backlinko, 2026).
What Website Basics Do Most Business Owners Overlook?
1. Keep your copy simple
Focus on the handful of things you most want customers to know. Rather than trying to write the whole site yourself, start with dot points covering your unique selling proposition, then bring in a copywriter later to add the connective tissue.
2. Get your page length right
There's no single right answer to how long a page should be. Some visitors want a quick scan, others want depth. Nick suggests splitting content into individual pages where you can, especially if you offer multiple services, and always prioritising quality over quantity.
3. Integrate your social media
Social media is now core to most online presences. If your product is visual, embed your Instagram feed or TikTok videos directly on your site. It gives visitors social proof and shows you engaging with real customers, which builds trust.
4. Vet your web design company properly
Price isn't the only thing that matters when choosing a web designer. Look at their past work for modern layouts and check the fonts they use, since dated fonts create a subconscious impression of an outdated brand.
5. Own your domain name
This is the most important piece of advice Nick offers: make sure you own your domain name outright. You can register one through SiteGround (affiliate link) or another domain provider, but never let another company buy it on your behalf. Owning your domain and hosting means you're never at risk of losing access to your own business.
Once your site is live, the next step is turning visitors into subscribers. If you haven't already, our guide on how to host an online challenge to explode your email list is a natural next read, as is our roundup of critical marketing strategies every small business owner should master.
Key Takeaways
- Define your website's purpose and map the customer journey before you touch design.
- Around 94% of a visitor's first impression comes down to design, not copy (industry benchmark).
- A consistent colour scheme and clear calls to action do more for conversions than clever copy alone.
- Mobile speed matters: a mobile-optimised site can convert at roughly double the rate of one that isn't (Backlinko, 2026).
- Vet any web design company on their portfolio and fonts, not just their price.
- Always own your own domain name. Never let a third party buy it on your behalf.
FAQ
What's the most important thing to decide before building a website?
Start with the website's purpose. Decide whether you want it to generate sales, share information, build brand awareness or engage visitors, since that single decision shapes your whole site structure.
How do website colours affect conversions?
Colours shape how visitors feel about your brand before they read a word. A consistent colour scheme, including on your call-to-action buttons, builds trust and can make it easier for visitors to know where to click next.
Should my website have short or long pages?
It depends on your audience. Some visitors want a quick scan, others want detail. A good rule is to split content into separate pages when you offer multiple services, and to prioritise quality information over page length.
Why is it important to own my own domain name?
If you don't own your domain outright, you risk losing access to your website and your business identity if the relationship with your developer or agency turns sour. Registering it yourself, or in your own company's name, protects you.
How do I vet a web design company before hiring them?
Look past the price tag. Review their past work for modern, up-to-date design and pay attention to the fonts they use, since outdated fonts can make even a new site feel dated.
So, whether you're embarking on a new website journey or seeking to revamp an existing one, keep these tips in mind. Happy website building!