Ask any studio what delays a website and the answer is the same: waiting for content. The design and code are the predictable part. Here is what to have ready, in rough order of importance.
1. One clear goal
Decide what a visitor should do: call, book, request a quote, buy, or just trust you enough to visit. A site with one main goal is easier to design, cheaper to build and converts better than one trying to do everything.
2. Your list of pages
Most business sites need: Home, About, one page per service, Contact, and sometimes a gallery or portfolio. Write the list down, even roughly. Page count is one of the biggest drivers of price — try the website cost calculator to see how.
3. Your text
The words on the site are your job or a separate copywriting job, not part of "design". At minimum, gather:
- What you do, who for, and where.
- What each service includes, and roughly what it costs.
- Your story in a few honest paragraphs.
- Answers to the five questions customers ask most.
4. Photos and logo
Good photographs of your real premises, team and work lift a site more than any template. If you don't have them, tell the studio early — a studio should be able to tell you exactly what to shoot. Send your logo as a vector file (SVG, AI or PDF) if you have one.
5. Examples you like (and dislike)
Collect three to five sites you admire and say why. Collect one or two you dislike. This shortens the first conversation more than any brief.
6. Accounts and access
You should own your domain, hosting, analytics and Google Business Profile, as we explain in what you should own when someone builds your website. If you already have a domain, find out where it's registered and who has the login.
7. A budget and a date
Say what you can spend and when you need the site live. A good studio will tell you what fits — see the packages and live demos on our pricing page — or tell you honestly that it doesn't.
Ready to start? Send us the brief and you'll get a fixed quote, in writing, before any work begins.