Starting a business? Your website, logo and Google checklist

Starting a business and not sure what to do first and what can wait? Most beginners spend months polishing a logo and business cards, but don't realise that the first customers come from whether people can find you and trust you. Here is a checklist for your website, brand and Google visibility.

This is not legal or accounting advice. For the company form (OÜ, sole proprietor) and taxes, ask an accountant or use the entrepreneur portal.

1. Test the idea before spending

Talk to at least five potential customers and ask whether they would pay for it. If nobody is interested, even the best website won't help.

2. Register the company

In Estonia you can register a company electronically through the entrepreneur portal. Choose the form (OÜ or sole proprietor) together with an accountant, because it affects taxes and liability.

3. Choose a name and a domain

Check that the name is free (business register, domain, social media). Register an .ee domain in your own name. A short, memorable name matters more than a clever but complicated one.

4. Make a simple logo and brand basics

At the start a logo, two colours, one or two fonts and a clear tone of voice are enough. Don't spend months on a perfect brand, but don't use a generic free template that looks like everyone else's either. See also how to make a memorable logo.

5. Build a one-page website

A new business needs just one well-made page at the start: what you offer, to whom, a price or price range, proof (if you have it) and contact details. You can expand the site later. See how to build a website and what it costs.

6. Create a Google Business Profile

If you offer a local service, the profile helps you be found in Google Search and Maps. Add a description, opening hours, photos and contact details. Then ask your first customers for a review.

7. Set up email on your own domain

An address like name@yourcompany.ee looks more trustworthy than @gmail.com. It's a small detail that affects a customer's first impression.

8. Pick 1–2 social media channels

Don't open five accounts you can't maintain. Choose where your customers really are (for B2B often LinkedIn, for consumers Instagram or Facebook) and post there regularly.

9. Set up analytics and Search Console

Connect the website to Google Search Console and add analytics to see where visitors come from. It is much harder to set up retroactively than at the start.

10. Start looking for customers

A website and a logo won't bring customers on their own. Choose 1–2 channels and do them properly: how to find clients: 9 channels.

What it costs: three typical starter packages

The Launch package was built specifically for new businesses: a logo, simple brand basics, a one-page website and a Google Business Profile setup in one project. All packages are on the pricing page and can be paid in 2–3 instalments.

5 common mistakes of new entrepreneurs

• Spending months on a logo and website before testing whether anyone will buy.
• Registering the domain in the name of the developer or a friend.
• A beautiful website with no clear offer and no contact details.
• Opening five social media accounts and keeping none of them up.
• Not setting up analytics and the Google profile, so you don't know what works.

Frequently asked questions