What to prepare before building a website: a checklist

In a web project the most common delay is not technical: it is content that never arrives. Copy to write, photos to choose, logins to dig up. With this checklist you arrive at the first conversation with clear ideas, and the site goes live sooner.

1. One goal

Write in one line what visitors should do: call you, ask for a quote, book, buy. Every page will be built to lead there. If you have three goals, pick the main one.

2. Who you are talking to

Describe your best customers: who they are, what they look for, which doubts they have before contacting you. The answers to those doubts become the copy of the site.

3. Sites you like, and why

Collect three or four sites you like, even from other industries, and note what convinces you: the colours, the order of the information, the tone. Add one site you dislike: it helps as much as the good examples.

4. The copy

Prepare at least a draft of who you are, what you offer, how you work and how to reach you. It does not need to be perfect: it needs the information. If writing is not your thing, say so early, because it is work that belongs in the quote.

Use your customers' words, not your industry's jargon. They are the same words they type into Google.

5. Photos and logo

• Your own photos: of your work, your place, your people. They tell your story better than stock images.
• Every photo must be yours or licensed for web use.
• The logo in a vector format (SVG, PDF or AI), not just a small image taken from social media.

6. Domain and email

If you already have a domain, find out who manages it and recover the logins. If you do not, choose one that is short and easy to spell out on the phone. Either way it must be registered in your name, not in the name of whoever builds the site.

7. Logins

Prepare a list, to share securely:

• domain and current hosting control panel;
• your business profile on Google;
• analytics and tools already in use;
• social accounts and services to connect, such as newsletters or bookings.

8. Legal requirements

They depend on your country. In the EU:

• Privacy notice: needed if the site collects personal data, even through a simple contact form, under the GDPR.
• Cookies: if you use tools that track visitors, you need their consent first, under the ePrivacy Directive. A site without tracking can do without a banner.
• Accessibility: since 28 June 2025 it is mandatory for online stores selling to consumers, under the European Accessibility Act. Microenterprises are exempt. For everyone else it is still a good choice. The details are in the guide on website accessibility.
• Company details: some countries require them on the site. In Italy, for example, the VAT number must appear on the home page.

9. Timeline and budget

Give a date by which you want to be online, if there is a specific reason: an opening, a trade fair, a campaign. And a maximum figure, even a rough one: it helps me suggest the right solution instead of the biggest one.

10. Who will update it

Decide who will change texts, prices and photos after launch: you, a colleague or whoever built the site. It changes how the site should be built.

With this checklist ready, the first conversation is for deciding, not for gathering information. To understand how much to invest, read how much a website costs.