The website checklist for a new business in Malta

Getting a business online doesn’t have to be a project

If you’re starting a business in Malta, the website tends to sit at the bottom of a long list. That’s understandable, but it’s also where most customers will look you up before they call. Here’s what you actually need, in a sensible order.

1. A name and a domain

Your domain is your web address, and it’s worth a little thought. Keep it short and easy to say out loud. Avoid hyphens and odd spellings that people will get wrong. Use your business name where you can, and check the matching social media names are free too.

A .com.mt address tells customers you’re a Maltese business, while a .com is easier to say abroad. Plenty of businesses register both and point them at the same site. Check what’s available before you print business cards, not after. We can register a domain for you, including .com.mt.

2. Email on that domain

Once you have the domain, set up addresses like info@ and your own name@. It looks more professional than a free webmail address, and it stays with the business if someone leaves. More on that in our guide to email on your own domain.

3. The pages you really need

You don’t need twenty pages. A typical five does the job for most small businesses:

• A homepage that says what you do and who it’s for
• An about page, so people know who they’re dealing with and why to trust you
• Your services or products, in plain language
• A contact page with a form that reaches you, plus your address, phone and map
• One page for whatever matters most in your line of work: a gallery, prices, or your menu

You can add more later. A good five pages usually does more for you than a large site nobody finishes.

4. Being found on Google

Nobody can promise first place, but you can get the basics right: clear page titles, a site that’s quick on a phone, and the same business details everywhere. If you serve customers locally, set up a Google Business Profile as well. We cover what matters on our SEO page.

5. Somewhere reliable to host it

Hosting is where the site actually lives. You want it to be secure (an SSL certificate, so the address starts with https), reasonably fast, and looked after by someone who’ll answer when something breaks. The first year of hosting is included with our website packages, so it’s one thing less to organise.

What it costs and how long it takes

Two ways to do it with us. Business Starter is the quick route: a website built for your type of business, a domain, hosting and two business email addresses from €30 a month (€360 a year upfront, or €35 a month on a 12-month commitment). We send a free preview of the site before you pay anything.

If you want something bigger, the Starter package is from €600 as a one-off: up to five pages, live in one to two weeks, with the first year of hosting included. Anything extra is quoted and agreed in writing first. The full numbers are in our guide to website costs in Malta.

Mistakes we see a lot

• Leaving the domain registered in a friend’s or a freelancer’s name
• Waiting for the perfect text before starting. A rough draft is fine, we can tidy it together.
• Skipping the contact form test. Send yourself an enquiry before you launch.
• Paying for hosting, domain and email from three different places, then forgetting which renews when