What to Prepare Before Starting a Website Project
A little preparation can make your website project easier to scope, build, and review. Start with these business essentials.
Rootscratch ·
A website project moves more smoothly when the basic business information is ready before design begins.
Choose the main goal
Do you want more inquiries, a place to explain your services, or a portfolio you can share with potential clients? Choose the action visitors should take, then build the content around it.
If you have several goals, decide which one matters most for the first release. This makes it easier to prioritize pages and review whether the proposed design supports your business.
Gather your content
Prepare your business name, contact details, service descriptions, logo files, and any photographs you have permission to use. If you already have a website, note which content is still accurate and what needs updating.
A useful preparation checklist includes:
- Your business introduction and service descriptions.
- Current contact details and service locations.
- Logo files and any existing brand guidelines.
- Approved photographs and project examples.
- A list of pages or features you expect to need.
- Details of your current domain and hosting provider, without sharing passwords in the brief.
Explain your design references
Reference websites can help communicate your preferences. Explain what you like about each one—its navigation, typography, page structure, or use of images. Specific notes are easier to work with than a request to copy an entire site.
Decide how feedback will work
Identify who will review the work and approve the content. A clear point of contact makes feedback easier to resolve. Gather comments into a single list so decisions and revisions can be tracked.
You do not need every detail finalized before reaching out. A short brief covering your goals, available materials, preferred timeline, and budget range is a useful starting point.
Start a conversation with Rootscratch when you are ready to discuss the brief. If you are still deciding what to build, read website or web application: which does your business need?.
Our web development service explains the scope, delivery stages, and factors that affect an estimate.