What Should You Prepare Before a Website Project Starts?

Before a website project starts, you need three things ready: decisions (what the site is for, who it serves, what you sell and where), materials (brand files, written content, photos, and testimonials you have the right to use), and access (who controls the domain, DNS, email, and the tools the site will connect to). You also need to know who approves the work. Your provider can help organize these details, but your business needs to confirm they are accurate.

Keep a clear record for photos, testimonials, and the domain. Each has its own section below, followed by a checklist you can print.

1. Business goals and how you will know the site is working

"More customers" is a fine starting point, but a designer needs something more specific to make decisions. Try finishing these sentences:

• The main thing I want a visitor to do is... (call, request an estimate, book, buy, visit the shop).
• The site is working if... (for example, estimate requests arrive with the details we need).
• The biggest problem with how things work now is...

Write down what you will measure, even if it is simple, like counting form submissions each month. Goals shape which pages you need, which features are worth paying for, and what gets tested before launch.

2. Audience and the questions they ask

Describe your best customers in plain words: who they are, what they are trying to solve, and what makes them hesitate. Then list the questions they ask before they hire you. Pull these from real sources: emails, phone calls, quote requests, and reviews. That list becomes the backbone of your service pages and FAQ.

3. Services and service areas

Write the exact list of services you want on the site, in the order that matters to your business. For each one, note what it includes, what it does not, who it suits, and any starting price or pricing approach you are comfortable publishing.

List the areas you actually serve. Be honest. A service area you cannot reliably cover creates bad leads, and a page that exists only to rank in a town you do not serve can resemble the patterns Google's spam policies call doorway abuse.

4. Brand basics

Gather what you already have:

• Logo files, ideally the original vector file (AI, EPS, SVG, or PDF) and not just a small PNG.
• Brand colors and fonts, if they are defined.
• Any brand guide, even an informal one.
• Examples of websites you like and dislike, with a note on why.

If you do not have a logo or brand yet, say so up front. Ask whether branding is part of the project or a separate job.

5. Content: who writes it and who approves it

Unresolved content decisions can delay a project. Decide early who is writing each page: you, someone on your team, or a writer. Ask your provider directly whether writing is included, because proposals differ. Wild Logic's guide to web design pricing suggests checking "who supplies content" when you compare proposals, and notes that content preparation is one of the things that changes the work.

If you are replacing an existing site, list the pages, downloads, and text you want to keep. Wild Logic's website redesign guide recommends bringing "the current URL, a list of known problems, and the tasks the replacement site must support."

6. Photos and image rights

Collect clear photos of your real team, work, and location where appropriate. For each image, record the source and the permission or license you are relying on. Keep the original files and any relevant agreement together. If permission is unclear, set the image aside until it is confirmed, rather than assuming a downloadable file is free to reuse.

7. Testimonials and reviews

Gather genuine customer comments with their original source, the name the customer wants shown, and permission to publish. Also note whether the person has a family, business, or other connection to you, or received anything in exchange for their comment. Do not invent quotes or insert placeholder testimonials. If you are unsure whether a connection needs to be disclosed, or who holds the rights to a quote, get advice before you publish it.

8. Credentials, licenses, and policies

Gather proof for any credentials, memberships, or awards you want to mention. Have the responsible person confirm the wording and whether anything has expired. Collect the policies and disclosures your business uses, written or reviewed by the right person; a designer should not have to invent them.

9. Domain, DNS, and email access

Confirm the account arrangements early. Before the project starts, find out:

• Who the registrant is. Confirm the registrant and account details with your registrar.
• When it renews and who pays. Record the renewal date, billing contact, and a recovery route. ICANN’s renewal guidance explains the risk of losing an expired domain.
• Where DNS is hosted. The company that holds your domain and the company that runs your DNS can be different. DNS controls where your website and your email go, so changes need care.
• Who provides your email. List the email provider and any service that sends email for you (booking confirmations, newsletters, invoices). A website move should not break email.

How to share access safely: give your provider their own user account where the service allows it, rather than your personal login. Turn on multifactor authentication. CISA advises businesses to "require multifactor authentication (MFA) wherever possible," starting with privileged, administrative, and remote-access users (CISA, Require Multifactor Authentication). Do not email passwords or put them in a contact form. Wild Logic's contact page asks visitors not to include "passwords, access codes, or other secrets."

The website ownership checklist goes deeper on recording who owns each account.

10. Tools and integrations

List every tool the website needs to work with: booking or scheduling, CRM, payments, email marketing, field-service software, chat, and analytics. For each, note who owns the account, the plan level, and who should receive the leads or notifications. Integrations are often priced and scoped separately, so an early list helps prevent surprises.

11. Decision makers and approvals

Name one person who gives final approval. Everyone else with a say (a partner, a manager, a spouse who co-owns the business) should give input before design starts, not after the site is built.

Agree with your provider on feedback, approval, and the process for changes. Write down who can approve decisions and how unresolved questions will be handled.

Client preparation checklist

Next step

Start with the first five rows. They give you a concrete starting point for a conversation with your provider. If you want to see how your page and feature choices turn into a scoped estimate, you can configure a site in Build Your Site without sharing an email address, and keep the ownership checklist handy for the account questions.