Create a website in Switzerland: 7 key steps
Create a website in Switzerland: 7 key steps
Creating a website in Switzerland is an essential step for any business wishing to gain visibility. With 75% of web traffic generated on mobile and a marked preference for domains ending in .ch, it is crucial to meet local expectations. Here are the key steps to succeed:
- Define your goals and your audience: Identify your needs (showcase site, e-commerce, etc.) and adapt your content to different Swiss languages and cultures.
- Choose a domain name: Prefer a .ch extension to strengthen your local credibility.
- Build your site: Choose a DIY builder or a professional agency according to your customization and SEO needs.
- Structure and design the layout: Ensure clear navigation, optimized for mobile, and comply with accessibility standards.
- Write effective content: Adapt your texts to local languages and integrate relevant keywords for SEO.
- Optimize SEO: Work on local SEO (regional keywords) and technical SEO (loading speed, hreflang tags).
- Launch and maintain your site: Test all features before launch and perform regular updates.
Why follow these steps? Swiss companies investing in a professional website experience an increase of 40% to 200% in inquiries in just six months. By following this guide, you will establish a solid foundation for a successful and sustainable online presence.
The 7 steps to create a professional website in Switzerland
Step 1: Define your goals and know your audience
Define what your site should achieve
Before thinking about design or creating content, it is essential to clarify your site's goals. For example, a showcase site for a fiduciary in Geneva will have different needs than an online store specializing in Swiss watches. Possible goals include highlighting your products and services, sharing your values, providing key information, facilitating contact with your clients, or reaching an audience beyond your region [3].
If your goal is to generate leads, consider integrating well-designed contact forms and visible calls to action. For an e-commerce site, you will need to provide a secure payment system and efficient stock management. Also, determine whether you are targeting a local audience, such as Geneva or Vaud, or aiming for national exposure. This decision will not only influence your SEO strategy but also your marketing budget.
Identify who will visit your site
Once your goals are defined, focus on your audience. Who are your visitors? Individuals, B2B companies, tourists, or expatriates? In Switzerland, this question is particularly important as your audience may speak French, German, Italian, or English. Create typical profiles considering language, specific expectations, and digital habits. Localization is not just about translating your content; it involves adapting your messages to the cultural and regional specificities of each linguistic community.
For example, a website targeting French-speaking Switzerland will adopt a more formal tone and references tailored to Francophones, while a site for German-speaking Switzerland will favor a more direct approach. To maximize your visibility, plan a multilingual structure with hreflang tags that will optimize your SEO in each linguistic region [3].
Finally, do not forget about accessibility. Adhering to WCAG standards ensures that your site is usable by everyone, including people with disabilities. This not only enhances your credibility but also expands your reach in the Swiss market.
Step 2: Choose and register your domain name
How to choose a good domain name
Once your goals are defined, it's time to select a domain name that reflects your identity while emphasizing your local presence. In Switzerland, opting for a .ch extension is a wise choice. This extension instills trust in Swiss users and highlights your proximity to the Swiss market [1].
For effectiveness, your domain name should be short, easy to remember, and simple to type, even on a mobile keyboard. Multilingual dimension is also essential in a country like Switzerland: ensure your name works well in French, German, and Italian, without the risk of misunderstanding. For example, a domain like "swissfiducie.ch" easily passes in all three main languages, whereas a wordplay too specific to French might be misunderstood elsewhere.
Before finalizing your choice, verify that the name complies with Swiss commercial regulations and data protection laws (LPD/GDPR). In terms of cost, a .ch domain usually amounts to CHF 20.– to CHF 30.– per year [1], a modest expense to strengthen your online credibility.
How to register your domain
To register a .ch domain, you need to go through a Swiss registrar or a local web agency [1][3]. Start by checking the availability of your name using the tools provided by these registrars. Once you find the name, do not wait too long to register it, as a competitor could reserve it before you.
Many hosting providers in Switzerland include a free .ch domain for the first year if you subscribe to a professional hosting package, often priced around CHF 135.– per year. These packages generally include an SSL certificate, which simplifies technical management and reduces your initial costs [1].
Keep in mind that your domain must be renewed annually to maintain your online presence and avoid any interruptions. Once your domain is secured, you will have laid a solid foundation to proceed with the technical steps of your web project.
Step 3: Choose how to build your website
DIY Builders vs. Professional Development
Once your domain is secured, it's time to decide how to build your website. You have two main options: use an online builder like Wix or Squarespace for simple projects, or entrust this task to a professional agency such as , specialized in tailor-made solutions.
DIY builders often attract with their low initial cost. They are convenient for simple projects, but their customization capabilities remain limited, especially in terms of multilingual SEO. For example, effectively managing hreflang tags can become a real headache. On the other hand, agencies like EWM integrate these elements from the design phase. In addition, DIY builders quickly show their limitations when it comes to complex integrations or scalability, which can hinder the growth of your site.
On the other hand, turning to a professional agency represents a higher initial investment but offers a sustainable and adaptable solution. For example, EWM designs sites that evolve with your business, focusing on essential elements such as technical SEO, mobile optimization, and advanced features from the start [3].
| Criterion | DIY Builder | Professional Agency (EWM) |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Cost | Low to moderate | Higher |
| Customization | Limited to templates | Custom |
| SEO | Basic | Advanced (technical and local) |
| Scalability | Quick technical limits | Modular and scalable architecture [3] |
| Multilingualism | Complex to manage | Complete management (hreflang, localization) |
| Required Time | High (learning + creation) | Low (agency takes care of everything) |
When to call in professionals
The table above highlights the major differences between these two approaches. But in which cases does a professional agency become essential?
If your project involves managing multiple languages with optimized SEO for each Swiss linguistic region, DIY builders quickly reach their limits. Similarly, if your site requires complex integrations such as booking systems, databases, or third-party APIs, or advanced e-commerce features, the expertise of an agency becomes essential [3].
“When both elements [website creation and marketing] are thought out and created from the start, the results multiply almost automatically.” - Webgeneve [3]
An integrated approach, combining site strategy and marketing, can transform your results. For example, professional SEO and optimized design can lead to an increase of 40% to 200% in inquiries in the first six months [1]. For a Swiss business aiming for sustainable growth, opting for a professional solution like EWM ensures a solid technical foundation, a smooth user experience, and the ability to evolve according to your business goals.
Step 4: Plan the structure and design of your site
Essential pages for a Swiss business site
For a professional site in Switzerland, certain pages are essential, especially to meet legal requirements and local expectations. In addition to classic pages like the Home, Services, and Contact, you must include a Legal Notice (Impressum) page and a Privacy Policy. These must comply with the new Swiss data protection law (nLPD) and GDPR.
The About page is also crucial. It should reflect your local presence: tell the story of your company highlighting its connection to the region, share your Swiss values, and add photos of your team. These elements enhance trust and proximity, aspects highly valued by Swiss users, who place great importance on transparency and authenticity [3].
Once these pages are defined, ensure they are designed to offer an optimal user experience on all devices.
Mobile design and clear navigation
Having well-structured pages is not enough: their navigation must also be intuitive, especially on mobile. In Switzerland, the majority of online visits come from smartphones [1]. Swiss users appreciate simplicity and clarity: a design that is too complex or overloaded can deter 70% of visitors [1].
To ensure smooth navigation, opt for a simple structure where each page is accessible in 1 to 2 clicks at most. Limit your main menu to seven items to avoid overwhelming your visitors [1]. On mobile, prioritize hamburger menus with clearly visible and easy-to-use buttons.
Also consider the multicultural aspect of Switzerland. It is not just about translating your content but also adapting the interface and user experience to the sensitivities of the different linguistic regions. Finally, loading speed is crucial: a site that takes more than 3 seconds to load risks losing 40% of its visitors [1]. To improve local performance, consider Swiss hosting, such as that offered by Infomaniak.
Step 5: Write effective content
Plan and write your content
Once your site is structured and designed, it's time to focus on writing content that captures your audience's attention while meeting search engine requirements.
Start by choosing a tone that matches your audience's expectations. Do your visitors prefer a formal and professional style or a friendly and warm approach? Once this tone is defined, ensure it remains consistent across your site to reinforce your message.
Keywords play a crucial role here. Identify the terms potential customers use to find you and naturally integrate them into your titles, subtitles, and paragraphs. If your business is in Switzerland, consider including keywords in multiple languages based on your region. For example, a company based in Geneva could optimize its content for "web agency Geneva" and "agence web Genève" to reach a broader audience.
Each page of your site should have a clear objective: encourage appointment scheduling, document downloads, or filling out a contact form. To improve readability, favor short sentences and well-spaced paragraphs, especially for mobile users. Well-structured writing also facilitates translation and content adaptation in multiple languages, an essential asset in the Swiss market.
Managing multilingualism
In Switzerland, offering a multilingual site is not an option, it is imperative to meet your customer's needs. However, it is not just about translating word for word. Localization