Starting a business

New business website checklist: getting online in NZ

By Sorted Web · 7 October 2026

A new business website needs to make your offer understandable and give interested customers a working next step. This checklist helps you prepare the details before paying for a build or spending evenings in a website editor.

Start with the job your website needs to do

Before choosing a platform or a page count, finish this sentence: “Customers should use my website to…” The answer might be check your services, ask for a quote, book an appointment or buy a product.

Then write down who you help, where you work, what you offer and what customers usually need to know. This becomes the brief for your pages and contact path.

Keep your domain and business accounts organised

Record the domain registrar, renewal date and account owner. Use an account you control, with recovery details you can access. If a provider connects the domain, agree what access they need and retain a record of the arrangement.

Business email is a separate decision from the website. Decide which inboxes you need, who will reply and what the subscription covers. A new website should not accidentally interrupt an existing inbox.

Sorted Web can help with custom email setup and connecting your online presence. Sorted Web includes domain registration in every website plan. If you are comparing other providers, check their domain arrangements too.

Choose a small set of useful pages

A focused one-page site can work when the offer is simple. It still needs a clear service description, real coverage or visit details, useful proof and contact information.

Separate pages help when customers need different information for different services. Give each page a clear job rather than splitting the same paragraph across several thin pages.

• Home: explain the offer and make the main customer action obvious.
• Services: describe what is included, who it is for and any limits.
• About: say who runs the business using details you can substantiate.
• Contact: provide a working form, phone or email and explain what to send.
• Privacy information: explain how your enquiry and analytics setup handles visitor information.

Do not fill a new business site with invented reviews, project photos from other businesses or unearned credentials. Clear descriptions and genuine details are a sounder starting point.

Decide how enquiries will be handled

A contact button is only the first step. Choose where the message goes, who checks it and which details help that person reply.

For a quote, job type and location may matter. For an appointment, a booking link may be more useful than a long form. Ask for enough information to assess the enquiry without turning the first contact into an application.

Write a confirmation message that explains what happened. Only state a reply timeframe you can meet. Keep an alternative email or phone contact visible in case someone cannot use the form.

See form and booking setup for help connecting the customer action to the way you work.

Prepare the website for search and local discovery

Use descriptive page titles, useful service headings and links between related pages. Put accurate business and area information where customers need it. Add public pages to a sitemap and check that they are accessible to search engines.

Google’s SEO Starter Guide explains the foundations. A new site may take time to be discovered and assessed; launch does not guarantee a particular position.

Consider a Google Business Profile only if the business meets Google’s eligibility and representation rules. Do not create a pretend shopfront or an address where customers cannot visit. A website and an eligible local profile have different roles.

Compare the website scope and running costs

Sorted Web’s published plans are Starter at $79/month, Growth at $129/month and Plus at $179/month, with no setup fee. Hosting, SSL, support and management are included. The pricing page explains the page and update scope.

Sorted Web includes domain registration, customer ownership and no lock-in contract. Before starting, confirm any booking subscriptions or extra content you need. The website cost guide provides a consistent way to compare quotes. If you want to build it yourself, use the builder comparison to test your requirements.

Run a practical launch check

• Check the business name, services, coverage, opening hours and contact details.
• Read every page on a phone and a desktop screen.
• Use the menu and main action with a keyboard.
• Test enquiry delivery and confirmation through an agreed test, without confusing it with a real lead.
• Check domain and email operation before and after launch.
• Confirm who can update the site and how renewals will be handled.
• Keep a baseline of search visibility and real enquiries so future changes can be assessed.

The website can grow with the business. Begin with accurate, useful content and a working enquiry path, then add pages when customers need more detail.