Website checklist: what to prepare before you order a website

Short answer: before you order a website, prepare a clear goal, a list of pages, the texts, your photos and logo, and access to your domain and email. Examples you like, legal details and a few search keywords help too. Once the content is ready, most B63 sites go live 7–10 days later.

Before you order a website, prepare the essentials: a clear goal, a list of pages, the texts for those pages, your photos and logo, and access to your domain. Examples you like, legal details, contact channels and a few search keywords make the project faster and the result better. At B63 a site typically goes live 7–10 days after we receive your content, so your preparation is what really sets the timeline.

Print this page or copy the lists into a document, and tick items off as you go.

1. Goals: what should the website do?

A website that tries to do everything usually does nothing well. Decide its main job first.

• The main goal: phone calls, enquiries, bookings, online sales or showing your work
• The one action you want visitors to take on most pages
• How you will tell it is working, for example more form enquiries or more orders
• Anything the site must connect to: a booking system, a newsletter tool, a courier or a payment provider

2. Audience: who is it for?

• Who your typical customers are and what they need to know before they contact you
• The questions they ask most often by phone or email (these become your FAQ)
• Which languages the site needs; each extra language means another full set of texts
• How they will find and use the site: many people will only ever see it on a phone

3. Pages and sitemap

List the pages before anyone designs anything. A typical small-business site has:

• Home
• Services, ideally one page per main service rather than one long page
• About
• Portfolio, projects or references
• Prices, or at least “from” prices
• FAQ
• Contact
• Privacy policy and cookie policy
• Blog or news (optional, and only if someone will actually write for it)

For an online store, add product categories, product pages, delivery information, returns, and terms and conditions. Mark which pages you need for launch and which can come later. A smaller site that goes live beats a perfect plan that keeps waiting.

4. Texts

Texts tend to take longer than anything else, so start with them.

• A draft for every launch page, written the way you would explain things to a customer
• A clear home page headline: what you do, for whom, and where
• Service descriptions that answer “what is included”, “how long does it take” and “what does it cost”
• For shops: product names, prices, descriptions, variants such as size or colour, and weights for shipping
• One person who approves the final wording

Plain text in a document is fine. Do not worry about formatting; worry about being specific.

5. Photos and images

• Your own photos where possible: premises, team, products, finished work
• The original, full-size files, not screenshots or images saved from social media
• The right to use every image. Photos found on Google or on competitors’ sites are not free to use. Keep the licence for stock photos, and confirm that you may use a photographer’s work online
• Permission from people who can be recognised in your photos, including your staff

Photos of real work carry a site. The Respect 4 website for a construction and renovation company is built around a project gallery and a phone-callback form.

6. Logo and brand

• Your logo in a vector format (SVG, AI, EPS or PDF), or at least a large PNG with a transparent background
• Brand colours, ideally as HEX codes, and fonts if you have them
• Existing brochures, business cards or signage, so the site matches them
• If you do not have a logo yet, decide whether to launch with a simple text logo or to get one designed first

7. Domain and email

• If you already own a domain, find out where it is registered and who has the login
• Check it is registered in your name or your company’s name, not a former supplier’s
• If you need a new one: short, easy to spell and easy to say over the phone, with an ending that suits your market
• List existing email addresses on the domain, so they keep working when the site moves
• If you are replacing an old site: access to its hosting and a list of its most visited pages, so old addresses can be redirected and you keep your search traffic

On the B63 care plan, domain renewal is included; with a one-time build you renew it yourself. Our comparison of the two options explains the difference.

8. Examples you like

• Three to five websites you like, with a note on what exactly you like: layout, colours, tone or a specific feature
• One or two you dislike, and why
• Your main competitors’ sites, so yours can stand apart from them

9. Legal pages: privacy, GDPR and cookies

We are not lawyers, and if your business handles sensitive data you should get legal advice. Most business websites in the EU need at least the following:

• Your full legal company name, registered address and company registration number
• A privacy policy explaining what personal data the site collects (through forms, orders or a newsletter), why, how long you keep it and which services process it
• A cookie notice if you use analytics, advertising pixels or other non-essential cookies
• For online stores: terms and conditions, delivery terms and a returns policy that reflects EU consumers’ right of withdrawal

10. Contact channels

• Phone numbers, and the hours when you answer them
• The email address for enquiries, and who should receive form submissions
• Your address, a map pin and opening hours, if customers visit you
• Messaging apps you actually use, such as Viber or WhatsApp, and the social profiles you keep active
• Your Google Business Profile, if you have one; its details should match the website

11. SEO keywords

• Five to ten phrases a customer would type to find you, usually a service plus a place, such as “dentist Sofia centre”
• The main phrase for each service page
• The questions customers ask before buying, so the site can answer them

You do not need an SEO report to start. You need to know how your customers describe what they want. For more, see our SEO and speed service.

What we need from you to launch in 7–10 days

The 7–10 day timeline starts when we receive your content. To keep it there, send us:

1. Final texts for every page in the launch sitemap
2. Photos and logo files in the formats described above
3. Domain access, or a decision to register a new domain
4. Contact and legal details for the contact page, the footer and the privacy policy
5. One decision-maker who can answer questions and approve the design quickly
6. Feedback in one round, collected from everyone involved rather than sent piece by piece

Complete content, sent in one go, is what makes a fast launch possible. After launch, the site needs regular care; our guide to what website maintenance includes explains what that means.

FAQ

Do I need everything ready before I contact a web studio?

No. You can get in touch with just a goal and a rough list of pages. But the launch timeline starts when the content is complete, so the sooner you gather it, the sooner the site goes live.

Can I launch with fewer pages and add more later?

Yes, and it is often the smarter move. Launch with the pages that matter most, then add services, projects or articles once the site is live.

What if I do not have good photos?

Launch with the best photos you have and plan a proper photo session later, or use licensed stock images for general visuals. For your team and your premises, real photos work better: customers want to see who they will be dealing with.

Do I really need a privacy policy for a small website?

If the site collects any personal data, such as a contact form, an order or a newsletter sign-up, GDPR requires you to tell visitors what you collect and why. In practice, almost every business website needs one.

Ticked off most of this list? Then you are ready. Have a look at how we design and build websites and at our pricing, or send us what you have so far. Even an unfinished list is a good place to start the conversation.