A website is prepared before it is built. In Luxembourg, you also need to think about languages and a few legal requirements. Here are the eight steps, in order, for a website that really brings you enquiries.
1. Set the website’s goal
Before talking about design, decide what the visitor should do: call you, request a quote, book, visit your shop. A website aimed at one clear action is quicker to build and converts better than a website that tries to say everything.
Also note who you are writing for: private customers or businesses, cross-border workers, customers in a specific town. These choices guide everything else.
2. Choose the domain name
.lu is Luxembourg’s extension. It reassures local customers and is registered through a registrar accredited by DNS-LU, the .lu registry. If you also target other countries, register the .com as well.
Choose a short name that is easy to spell out on the phone, without a hyphen if possible, and register it in your company’s name, not in a provider’s.
3. Plan the languages from the start
French, German, English, Luxembourgish: your customers do not all read the same language. Decide early which versions you will publish, because the website’s structure and page addresses depend on it. Our article Which language should you use in Luxembourg? helps you decide.
4. Build the site structure
List the pages before writing them. A solid base for an SME:
- Home: what you do, for whom, where, and the main action.
- One page per service: each one can be found on Google for its own search.
- About: your team, your story, your proof.
- Contact: a short form, phone number, address and opening hours.
5. Gather the texts and photos
This is often the longest step. Clear texts written for your customers, and real photos of your team and your work, are worth more than stock images.
If you have no recent photos, plan a shoot: our photo and video studio is there for exactly that.
6. Meet the legal requirements
A business website in Luxembourg must make it possible to identify who publishes it and must comply with the GDPR. As a minimum, plan for:
- A legal notice: company name, address, a means of contact and, depending on your situation, your Trade and Companies Register number and VAT number.
- A privacy policy: what data you collect, why and for how long.
- A cookie banner: non-essential cookies, such as audience measurement or advertising, wait for the visitor’s consent.
If you are unsure about your specific case, the CNPD publishes clear guides for businesses.
7. Think mobile and Google while building
Most visits happen on a phone: readable text, large enough buttons, a clickable number. For Google, each page has its own title, description and text that clearly names your trade and your town. Link the website to your Google Business Profile, with exactly the same contact details.
8. Go live, then keep the site alive
A website is never finished. After launch, register it in Google Search Console, track the enquiries you receive, and update your opening hours and news. An up-to-date website reassures visitors and Google.
Key takeaways
A clear goal, a domain name in your name, languages decided early, one page per service, real content, legal pages, mobile and Google: this is the method we follow in web design. Good news: with SME Packages Digital, the State can fund up to 70% of the project, subject to conditions and before any work starts.