How to prepare for your new website: a simple checklist

The biggest cause of website delays isn’t design or code — it’s waiting for content. A bit of preparation before you start makes the whole project quicker, cheaper and far less stressful. Here’s what to think about and gather.

1. Know what the website is for

Before anything else, be clear on the one main thing you want visitors to do. Call you? Book online? Buy a product? Request a quote? Everything on the site should nudge people towards that action.

It also helps to write down:

• Who your ideal customers are and what they usually ask you
• What makes you different from competitors
• How you’ll measure success — more calls, more bookings, fewer “what are your prices?” emails

2. Plan your pages

A simple list is fine. Most small business sites need something like:

• Home
• A page for each main service or product type
• About (people buy from people — include a photo)
• Reviews or examples of your work
• FAQ
• Contact
• Privacy policy (see what your website legally needs)

3. Gather your words

You know your business better than anyone. Even rough notes are a great starting point — a developer or copywriter can shape them into clear pages. Useful things to jot down:

• What each service includes, who it’s for and roughly what it costs
• The questions customers ask most often (these make brilliant FAQ and blog content)
• Your story — how you started and why you do what you do
• Customer testimonials you have permission to use

4. Collect photos and branding

• Your logo — ideally the original high-resolution file (SVG, PDF or a large PNG), not a screenshot.
• Brand colours and fonts, if you have them.
• Real photos of you, your team, your premises and your work. Genuine photos build far more trust than stock images. A modern phone in good daylight is often good enough; a professional shoot is even better.
• Only use images you have the rights to. Grabbing pictures from Google can lead to copyright claims.

5. Sort out access and logins

If you already have a domain name, website, email or Google Business Profile, find out where they’re registered and make sure you can log in. It’s surprisingly common for a previous web designer or old employee to hold the keys. Our guide to domains, hosting and email explains what each one is.

Never email passwords in plain text — your developer can usually be added as a user instead, or you can share details securely.

6. Look at websites you like

Collect a few websites you like (and dislike) — they don’t need to be in your industry. Note what you like about each: the layout, the colours, how easy it is to book. It’s the fastest way to communicate taste.

7. Be realistic about time

Set aside a little time each week during the project to answer questions and give feedback. Quick, clear feedback keeps things moving; a single person making decisions avoids “design by committee”.

The checklist

1. The main action you want visitors to take
2. A list of pages
3. Notes or text for each page, plus FAQs and testimonials
4. Logo files, brand colours and real photos
5. Logins for your domain, current website, email and Google profile
6. A few example websites you like
7. A rough deadline and budget

Don’t worry if you haven’t got everything — that’s what the first chat is for. Get in touch and we’ll work through it together.