How SiteLift began
My mom needed a website for her business, and the ones she tried to make herself weren’t cutting it. The tools were frustrating, and nothing looked the way she wanted.
I didn’t know a ton, but I offered to help. Together, me and my Dad figured it out and got something up that actually worked.
That one project taught me a lot. Mainly that most people don’t want to mess with websites — and weirdly, I really enjoyed it.
After that, I started helping other people. First friends, then local businesses, then actual clients.
What started as a favor turned into something real, SiteLift.
Early Days
I was always the kid people came to when something didn’t work.
Setting up the family computer, fixing a friend’s phone, helping my grandma print something – I loved being the one who could figure it out.
It wasn’t websites yet, but it was the same feeling: helping people I cared about with something that felt hard to them.
Pieter de Bruijn at his desk surrounded by tech
The first real project
My Mom was starting a business and needed a website.
She didn’t ask me to build it – she just needed help figuring it out.
But I could see she was frustrated, so I offered to take it on.
I spent that spring break making her a site that felt right – simple, clean, and functional.
It wasn’t perfect, but she loved it, and I realized I loved making websites.
Pieter de Bruijn at the Yoast office in the Netherlands.
SiteLift launches
After a few more sites for friends and family, this started to feel bigger than just a favor.
That’s when my Dad said, “You should call it SiteLift.”
It stuck.
From the beginning, the idea was simple: one person, one process, one clean result.
With every new project, the work got better – and SiteLift started to feel like something real.
The original SiteLift logo.
The momentum hits
By now, SiteLift wasn’t just growing – it was working.
Referrals picked up. Projects were stacking. I was still in high school, but this had turned into something much bigger.
Now it’s real. And it’s only getting started.
Pieter presenting SiteLift at 1 Million Cups in Des Moines.
What’s next
The goal isn’t to get big – it’s to get better.
Smarter systems, better support, and a process that stays simple no matter who we’re helping.
SiteLift was built on care and clarity – and that’s exactly how it’ll grow.
Pieter speaking at an event.