Most business websites don’t fail because of the design. They fail because nobody decided what the site was for, the content arrived months late, or it launched and was never touched again. The good news is that all three are easy to avoid if you plan before anyone opens a design tool.

This guide walks through how to make a business website in Malta, step by step, whether you build it yourself or work with a designer. It ends with a checklist of what to prepare, so the project starts quickly and finishes on time.

Step 1: Decide what the website is for

Write one sentence that describes the job of the site. For example: ‘Get quote requests from homeowners in the north of Malta’ or ‘Let tourists book a table in two clicks’. That sentence decides almost everything else: which pages you need, what goes at the top of the home page and how you will measure success.

Then pick the one action you want visitors to take: call, message you on WhatsApp, fill in a form, book or buy. Every page should lead to it.

Step 2: Choose and register your domain name

Your domain is your address online, such as yourbusiness.com.mt or yourbusiness.com. Keep it short, easy to spell when said out loud, and close to your business name. A Maltese domain (.mt or .com.mt) tells customers you are local. These are managed by NIC (Malta) and registered through an accredited registrar, and the name usually has to match your business or trademark name.

Step 3: Pick a platform

There are three common routes:

  • A website builder (such as Wix or Squarespace): you design and write it yourself using templates, and pay a monthly subscription. Quick for a simple site, but you depend on the builder’s limits.
  • WordPress: the most widely used website software. Flexible, with full ownership of your site, and easy to edit once it’s set up well. It needs hosting and regular updates.
  • A shop platform if you sell online: Shopify (hosted, monthly plan) or WooCommerce (a shop added to WordPress). We build on both; the choice depends on how you’ll run the shop. Our e-commerce service explains the difference.

Step 4: Plan your pages

A typical small business website in Malta needs fewer pages than people expect. Start with these and add only what earns its place:

  • Home: what you do, for whom and where, in one screen, with your main call to action.
  • A page for each main service or product range, so each can be found on Google for its own search.
  • About: who is behind the business, why customers can trust you.
  • Work or reviews: projects, photos, testimonials.
  • Contact: form, email, WhatsApp, address and opening hours, a map if customers visit you.
  • Legal pages: privacy policy, cookie policy, and terms if you sell online.
  • Blog or guides, only if someone will keep writing them.

Sketch this as a simple list or tree. It becomes your menu, and it shows the designer the size of the job.

Step 5: Prepare the content

Content is the step that holds up most website projects. Start it first, not last. For each page, write down the questions customers ask you on the phone or in the shop, then answer them in plain words. Short sentences and clear headings work better than long paragraphs about your company history.

Use your own photos wherever you can: your team, your premises, your work. Real photos build more trust than stock images, and customers in a small market like Malta often recognise the place or the people.

Step 6: Design and build

  • Design for phones first. Most visitors will see your site on a mobile, so check every page there before desktop.
  • Keep it fast. Compress images, avoid heavy sliders and auto-playing video, and choose decent hosting.
  • Make the next step obvious on every page: a clear button, not a link hidden in the footer.
  • Use your brand consistently: logo, colours and fonts. If you don’t have these yet, sort them first (branding).
  • Build on a private test address and keep it hidden from Google until launch.

A few rules apply to almost every business website in Malta. This is general information, not legal advice, so check anything specific to your sector with your lawyer or accountant.

  • Business details: Malta’s Electronic Commerce Act asks online service providers to show their name, geographic address, contact details including an email address, and their company registration details where they have them.
  • Privacy policy: if your forms collect names, emails or phone numbers, GDPR applies. Explain what you collect and why. Malta’s regulator is the Information and Data Protection Commissioner.
  • Cookie consent: analytics and advertising cookies need the visitor’s consent before they load, with a real option to say no.
  • Accessibility: since June 2025 the European Accessibility Act applies to many online shops and services, with an exemption for the smallest service businesses. Even where it doesn’t apply, readable text, good contrast and image descriptions help every visitor.
  • Selling online: clear prices, delivery terms, returns and terms and conditions.

Step 8: Test, then launch

  1. Read every page on a phone, a tablet and a computer.
  2. Send every form and check the emails actually arrive, including in spam folders.
  3. Click every link and button, including WhatsApp and email links.
  4. Check page titles and descriptions: they are what people see on Google.
  5. If you are replacing an old site, redirect every old page address to its new one.
  6. Switch off the setting that hides the site from Google. Forgetting it is a common launch mistake.
  7. Make sure backups are running before the first visitor arrives.

Step 9: Get found, and keep it working

A new website doesn’t bring visitors by itself. In the first week:

  • Add the site to Google Search Console and submit your sitemap, so Google finds every page.
  • Link it from your Google Business Profile, which is often what people in Malta see first when they search for a local business.
  • Update your social profiles and directory listings with the new address.
  • Set up analytics to count visits and enquiries, with cookie consent in place.

After that, the site needs looking after: software and plugin updates, backups, and fresh content when your services, team or opening hours change. Over time, SEO helps more of the right people find you.

What to prepare before you talk to a web designer

With this list ready, a designer can quote accurately and start sooner. For a deeper look at what changes the quote, read our guide to what affects the cost of a website, or tell us about your project.

Build it yourself or hire a designer?

If you have the time, a simple site with a few pages can be built on a website builder by a patient owner. It makes sense when the website is a digital business card rather than a source of customers. If the site needs to bring in enquiries or sales, look good next to established competitors, be found on Google and stay secure for years, a professional build saves time and usually earns its cost back. Either way, the steps above are the same: only who does them changes.

FAQ

Making a website: common questions

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How do I make a website for my business?

Decide what the site is for, register a domain in your business’s name, choose a platform, plan the pages, prepare the content, then design, build and test it before launch. After launch, add it to Google Search Console and your Google Business Profile and keep it updated.

How long does it take to make a business website?

It depends mostly on the size of the site, the features it needs and how quickly the content is ready. Waiting for text and photos is the most common cause of delay, so prepare them before design starts.

Do I need a .com.mt domain for a Maltese business?

No, but a .mt or .com.mt domain signals that you are local. Many businesses register both the Maltese domain and the .com version and point one to the other.

What do I need to prepare before building a website?

The purpose of the site, the main action visitors should take, a list of pages, your logo and brand colours, your text and photos, logins for your domain and hosting, examples of sites you like, the features you need and a target launch date.

Can I update the website myself after launch?

On most platforms, yes. Ask for the site to be set up so you can edit text, images and blog posts safely, and for a short training session at handover. Leave software updates and backups to someone who does them regularly.