Most of a website project runs on our side. But a handful of things can only come from you, and when they’re ready early, the whole thing moves faster and needs a lot less back-and-forth. None of it is hard to pull together. Here’s what actually helps before we start.
If you’ve read our timeline guide, you know content is almost always the thing that drags a project out. A lot of this list is about avoiding exactly that.
A clear idea of what the site is for
You don’t need a spec. You just need to know the main job: are you after phone calls, bookings, online sales, or just looking credible when someone searches your name? Pick the one thing the site has to do well. Everything else is secondary, and knowing that one thing shapes every decision after it.
Your content, or a heads-up that you need help with it
This is the big one. Words and images take the longest to gather, and a finished site can sit there for weeks waiting on them. If you’ve got your copy ready, great. If writing isn’t your thing, just tell us up front and we’ll write it with you. The thing that actually slows projects down is when nobody notices the content is missing until the build is already done.
Photos, your logo, and any brand bits
If you have a logo, brand colors, or real photos of your work, your team, or your space, dig them out. Real photos almost always beat stock - they make a small business feel like an actual place run by actual people. If you don’t have any of this yet, that’s fine too. Just say so, and we’ll plan around it.
A couple of sites you like (and a couple you don’t)
Send two or three websites you think look good, and tell us what you like about them - the layout, the tone, the colors, whatever caught your eye. A couple you dislike is just as helpful. This saves a lot of guessing and gets us to the right look far quicker than trying to describe it in words.
A rough sense of your pages
You don’t need a sitemap. Just a rough list: home, about, services, contact, maybe a blog. If you’re not sure, we’ll work it out together. But if you already know you need something specific, like a booking page or a portfolio, tell us early so it’s part of the plan from day one.
One person who can make decisions
Pick someone on your side who can give feedback and sign things off. Projects slow down most when notes come from five people who don’t quite agree with each other. You can still gather everyone’s opinions - just funnel them through one person, and the whole thing keeps moving.
Access to your domain and whatever already exists
If you already own a domain, find the login. If there’s an existing site, host, or analytics account, knowing what’s there helps us plan the move and avoid surprises at launch. You don’t need to transfer anything yet. Just knowing it exists is enough.
A rough budget and timeline in mind
You don’t have to share a number, but having a range in your head helps us suggest the right scope. If you’re not sure what’s realistic, our cost breakdown and timeline guide both lay it out honestly.
And if you don’t have all of this, no problem
Nobody turns up with a perfect folder of everything above, and you don’t need to. The more you have ready, the faster we go, but a big part of our job is helping you fill in the gaps. Even half of this is a solid start.
When you’re ready, tell us about your project or run a quick estimate, and we’ll take it from there.