Launching a business website doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. With the right tools, you can take your idea from concept to a live, lead-generating machine that actually grows your business. Below, I’ll walk you through the exact stack I use and recommend—broken into four simple stages: prep, development, going live, and SEO.
Getting Started
Before you write a single line of copy, code, or drag a widget onto a page, you need a solid foundation. Think of this stage as pouring the concrete before you build the house. Here’s the tech stack I use to quickly get started.
A Local Business Profile
Even before your site goes live, make sure your Google Business Profile (GBP) is claimed and verified. This is the first place people will see your business when they search locally. Having it set up from day one means your website and GBP can start working together to get you found.
Flexible Website Hosting
When it comes to hosting, I recommend Cloudways. It’s reliable, fast, and gives you flexibility without requiring you to be a server engineer. You can scale as you grow and manage multiple websites in one place, which is perfect if you plan to run more than just your main business site.
Picking the domain that's right for you.
For domains, I usually go with Namecheap. It’s affordable, straightforward, and doesn’t try to upsell you with a million things you don’t need. A lot of people also like GoDaddy for domains and even hosting—but personally, I find the interface a little clunky and harder to navigate compared to Namecheap. Keep your domain here, and then connect it to Cloudways for hosting—simple as that.
Development
Now the fun part—actually building your website. This is where design meets function.
The Perfect Platform
WordPress is my go-to platform. It’s flexible, widely supported, and easy to customize. Whether you want a simple brochure site or something more advanced, WordPress has the ecosystem to grow with your business. Other popular options include Wix (I’d rate Wix a 3/10) and Webflow (which I haven’t used).
There are a mix of good e-commerce sites.
WordPress Plugin Builders
To design quickly and beautifully, I use Elementor. It’s a drag-and-drop builder that lets you create a professional look without needing to code every element from scratch. And when you do know some code, Elementor doesn’t get in your way—you can still fine-tune things.
The Perfect Platform
WordPress is my go-to platform. It’s flexible, widely supported, and easy to customize. Whether you want a simple brochure site or something more advanced, WordPress has the ecosystem to grow with your business. Other popular options include Wix (I’d rate Wix a 3/10) and Webflow (which I haven’t used).
Ecommerce Options
Shopify is the all-in-one option. It’s quick to set up, easy to manage, and comes with built-in hosting. For SEO, it covers the basics well—you can edit titles, meta descriptions, and alt tags—but it’s not quite as flexible as WordPress when you want to customize deeply. The upside is speed: you can launch a professional store without much technical work.
Pairing WordPress with WooCommerce gives you far more control over SEO. You can install plugins like Rank Math or Yoast, customize URL structures, and integrate almost any tool. The tradeoff is setup time—you’re in charge of hosting, security, and updates. But if you want total control and advanced SEO, this combo is hard to beat.
BigCommerce sits somewhere in between. It’s a hosted platform like Shopify but gives you more room to scale if you plan on handling thousands of SKUs. It has solid SEO features baked in and integrates well with enterprise-level systems. For many mid-sized businesses, it hits the sweet spot between simplicity and flexibility.
The Key Takeaway
No matter which platform you choose, the real key is the same:
-
Reduce clicks — fewer steps between product page and checkout means higher conversions.
-
Prioritize UX — clear navigation, fast load times, and mobile-friendly design build trust.
-
Streamline payments — the easier it is to pay, the more sales you’ll capture.
Bonus Plugins that I love!
The Admin Site Enhancements (ASE) plugin is one of those behind-the-scenes tools that makes managing WordPress a whole lot smoother. It lets you clean up the dashboard, add handy shortcuts, improve the editor experience, and generally cut down on the little annoyances that slow you down. Think of it as a productivity booster for the back end of your site—you’ll spend less time digging through menus and more time actually building.
I usually disable these plugins: caching, spam protection, etc.
Analytics and Growth
Once the site looks great, you’re not done—you need to make sure it’s visible and track how people interact with it.
Google offers a triage of tools that will work perfectly (and are free!) for most of your needs.
Google Search Console is like your website’s direct line to Google. It tells you if your pages are being indexed, flags any errors, and gives you insight into how you’re showing up in search results. It’s free and absolutely essential.
Google Analytics to track traffic, user behavior, and conversions. You’ll see where people are coming from, how long they’re staying, and what’s working (or not working). Over time, this data is gold for making better business decisions.
I like to use Looker Studio to create track analytics all in one place, but that’s a topic for another time.
Search Engine Optimization
While many small businesses use their website as digital business card—it can also be a growth engine. To really maximize results, you’ll want the right SEO tools in place.
If you’re serious about SEO, Ahrefs is the tool. It helps you research keywords, analyze competitors, and track your backlinks. It’s like having an X-ray vision for your industry online. They have a free Google Extension if you’re just wanting to get started.
For local businesses, I recommend LocalDominator. It helps manage local rankings, monitor map pack performance, and spot opportunities to show up in front of nearby customers. Local SEO is often overlooked, but it’s one of the fastest ways to bring in new leads.
Other Business Tools
This is a quick list of everything I use.
GoHighLevel – CRM, booking calendar, and text message automations.
Fiverr – If I run into any sort of hiccup, I can usually find an affordable expert here to answer my questions and get me pointed in the right way.
Prep
Before you write a single line of copy, code, or drag a widget onto a page, you need a solid foundation. Think of this stage as pouring the concrete before you build the house. Here’s the tech stack I use to quickly get started.
