To create a professional website step by step, follow seven stages: 1) define your goal and audience, 2) register a domain name, 3) choose hosting, 4) pick a platform (WordPress, Wix, or custom), 5) build content and design, 6) optimize for SEO, 7) launch and measure. Budget 5,000 to 15,000 FCFA per year for a domain and from 0 to 1,500,000 FCFA for the build, depending on whether you do it yourself or hire an agency.
This guide walks through each step for a Senegalese entrepreneur starting from scratch, jargon-free, with real FCFA costs.
Step 1: define your goal and audience
Before any code, answer one question: what is this website for? A showcase site that reassures, a site that drives WhatsApp calls, or a store that takes payments are not built the same way.
Write, in one sentence, the main action you want from a visitor: "book an appointment", "request a quote", "buy a product". That action becomes your primary button, repeated on every page.
Then define your audience: a Dakar restaurant does not speak like an accounting firm in Thies. Note age, language (French, Wolof), and dominant device (90 percent mobile in Senegal).
Step 2: register a domain name
The domain is your address, for example mycompany.com. Choose it short, easy to spell over the phone, ideally without hyphens. A .com inspires more trust than a free subdomain like mycompany.wixsite.com.
Where to buy: Namecheap, Hostinger, or OVH accept Visa cards. Expect 5,000 to 15,000 FCFA per year for a .com. The .sn extension is managed by Nic Senegal and costs more (around 25,000 to 40,000 FCFA per year) but strengthens local presence.
Check availability directly on the registrar site. If your exact name is taken, add your city or trade: terangarestaurant-dakar.com.
Step 3: choose hosting
Hosting is the "land" where your files live. For a showcase site, shared hosting is enough: Hostinger, PlanetHoster, or a local provider. Budget: 30,000 to 90,000 FCFA per year.
Three criteria matter in Senegal:
- Speed: pick a European datacenter (low latency) or a CDN to serve fast over 3G and 4G.
- Free SSL certificate: the https padlock is mandatory for trust and SEO. Most hosts provide it via Let's Encrypt.
- Automatic backups: essential so you never lose everything.
Domain and hosting separate or bundled?
Many hosts include a free domain the first year. Handy, but note the renewal date to avoid a surprise outage.
Step 4: choose a platform
Three main options depending on your time and budget.
WordPress: the world's most popular. Flexible, thousands of themes, ideal if you want a blog. Requires some learning. Cost: domain plus hosting only if you build it yourself.
Wix or Shopify: all-in-one, drag and drop, no code. Wix for a showcase, Shopify for a store. Monthly subscription in foreign currency (10 to 30 dollars a month), so watch the FCFA exchange rate.
Custom (agency): a site coded specifically for you, fast and unique. That is what we do at Kolonell with Next.js. Agency budget in Senegal: 400,000 to 1,500,000 FCFA for a showcase, depending on complexity.
Step 5: build content and design
Design follows one rule: clear, fast, mobile-first. Structure every page like this:
- A headline saying what you do in five words.
- A promise sentence right below.
- A visible action button (often WhatsApp in Senegal).
- Proof: real photos, customer reviews, partner logos.
Write for a busy reader. Short paragraphs, subheadings, lists. Replace stock photos with your real ones: a visitor instantly recognizes a copy-paste site.
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Minimum pages for a showcase site: Home, About, Services, Contact. Add a blog if you target SEO.
Step 6: optimize basic SEO
SEO lets Google find you. The foundations to lay from day one:
- Title and description unique per page, with your keyword and city.
- Readable URLs: mycompany.com/services rather than /page?id=42.
- Compressed images with alt text describing the image.
- Speed: a site loading in under 3 seconds keeps its visitors.
- Google Business Profile linked to the site for local SEO.
Step 7: go live and measure
Before publishing, test on a real entry-level Android phone and on 4G. Check every button, every link, the contact form, and the WhatsApp display.
Then connect Google Search Console and Google Analytics to track visits and keywords. Submit your sitemap.xml. First SEO results usually appear in 4 to 12 weeks.
DIY or agency: how to choose
| Criteria | Yourself | Agency |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | 50,000 to 150,000 FCFA | 400,000 to 1,500,000 FCFA |
| Time | 20 to 60 hours | 3 to 6 weeks |
| Result | Decent | Custom, fast |
| SEO and conversion | Basic | Optimized |
Do it yourself if budget is tight and you have time. Hire an agency if the site must sell seriously and represent a lasting brand.
Mini case: Teranga restaurant, Plateau
Teranga restaurant, in Plateau, Dakar, started from a plain Facebook page. We registered teranga-plateau.com (12,000 FCFA per year), built a Next.js showcase site with menu, real photos, and a WhatsApp button, then created the Google Business Profile. Total cost: 650,000 FCFA. Result in two months: 35 to 40 bookings a month coming directly from the site and Google Maps, versus a handful before.
FAQ
How much does a professional website cost in Senegal in 2026?
Expect 50,000 to 150,000 FCFA per year if you do it yourself (domain, hosting, theme) and 400,000 to 1,500,000 FCFA for a showcase built by an agency, depending on complexity and included SEO.
How long does it take to create a website?
On your own, plan 20 to 60 hours of work spread over a few weeks. With an agency, a professional showcase is usually delivered in 3 to 6 weeks.
Should I get a .com or a .sn domain?
A .com inspires trust everywhere and costs less (5,000 to 15,000 FCFA per year). A .sn strengthens Senegalese identity but costs more (25,000 to 40,000 FCFA per year). Many businesses buy both.
Can I build a site without knowing how to code?
Yes. Wix, Shopify, and WordPress with a theme let you build a site with no code. For a custom, fast, optimized result, an agency is still preferable.
Will my site appear on Google right away?
No. You must submit it through Google Search Console, then wait for indexing. First ranking results usually appear in 4 to 12 weeks.
Let's talk about your project. At Kolonell, we build fast, optimized professional websites for the Senegalese market. Message us on WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
