In today’s digital landscape, a modern, fast, and business-driven website is not a luxury — it’s a necessity. Whether you’re building your company’s online presence from scratch or replacing an outdated site, the development process can seem overwhelming at first. But once you understand the logical steps, everything becomes clearer, more structured, and far more efficient.
In this article, we walk you through the complete website development process — from early planning to the moment your new site goes live. We go beyond the technical elements and show you what makes a website truly effective, user-friendly, and visible in Google.
1. Step: Strategy & Planning — The Foundation of a Successful Website
Every professional website begins long before the first line of code is written. The planning phase determines whether the project moves smoothly, efficiently, and without unnecessary revisions.
Key questions to answer during planning:
✔ Target audience & user journeys
Who will visit your site? What actions should they take? Request a quote? Book an appointment? Read your blog?
✔ Required features
Will the website include a webshop? Booking system? Blog? Custom calculators? These decisions shape the entire build.
✔ Keyword & competitor research
Great content and strong website structure rely on understanding what people search for. This step lays the foundation for long-term SEO success.
✔ Content strategy
Every page needs a purpose. Service pages convert, blog posts educate, and information pages build trust — all with different layout and SEO needs.
By the end of the planning phase, wireframes and a complete structure are finalized, setting the stage for an organized and predictable development process.
2. Step: UX/UI Design — Where First Impressions Are Formed
Visitors decide within seconds whether they stay on your website or leave. That’s why UX/UI design is not just about aesthetics — it directly impacts conversions and user engagement.
What defines great design?
- clean, intuitive layouts
- mobile-first design
- clear visual hierarchy
- fast loading and smooth interaction
- a professional, cohesive brand look
A well-crafted design not only looks good — it actively guides users toward the goal you want them to reach.
3. Step: Development — Bringing the Design to Life
Once the design is ready, the website begins to take shape in the form of a working system.
What happens during development?
✔ Website structure & page building
With platforms like WordPress (our preferred system at PurplePie), we build a stable, responsive foundation for all functional and content needs.
✔ Feature implementation
Forms, booking systems, blogs, webshops — every functional element is integrated here.
✔ Speed optimization & clean code
A slow website hurts both SEO and user experience. During development we ensure:
- proper caching
- optimized images and scripts
- no unnecessary plugins
- mobile-optimized structure
✔ Security & backups
HTTPS, secure password management, anti-spam solutions, and automatic backups all contribute to a safe, reliable website.
4. Step: Content Creation — The Heart of Your Website
Even the most beautiful website is ineffective without strong content. Your content is what Google indexes — and what your customers read.
Essential content for a new website:
- service page copy
- about page
- contact page
- SEO-friendly blog posts
- product descriptions (if you run a webshop)
Every text is created based on keyword research, so your site starts gaining organic visibility from day one.
5. Step: Testing — Ensuring Everything Works Perfectly
Before publishing, every element of the website must be tested thoroughly.
What we test:
- mobile & tablet compatibility
- page speed & Core Web Vitals
- buttons, forms, and navigation
- internal links
- imagery and layout consistency
- GDPR & cookie compliance
- SEO titles, descriptions, alt texts
- user-flow clarity
This phase ensures that the live website works flawlessly and delivers great user experience across all devices.
6. Step: Launch — Going Live
Launching a website is a complex process — not just hitting “publish”.
✔ Domain & hosting setup
✔ SSL certificate activation
✔ Redirects and URL structure check
✔ Google Analytics & Search Console integration
✔ Submitting the XML sitemap to Google
These tasks ensure your new website becomes visible and indexable in search engines right from the start.
7. Step: Ongoing Care — Because a Website Is Never Truly “Finished”
A website is a living system. After launch, continuous maintenance is essential.
- regular updates
- backups
- security checks
- speed optimization
- adding fresh content
- ongoing SEO improvements
Skipping this phase often leads to declining rankings, slower pages, and security issues over time.
Final Thoughts: Great Websites Are Built, Not Born
A high-performing website is the result of thoughtful planning, strategic design, professional development, and consistent content creation. When all these elements work together, the result is a fast, secure, user-friendly website that supports your business goals and stands out in Google.
If you want your next website to check all these boxes, we’d be happy to help.