Start with the business need, not a specification
Explain what the business does, who it serves, why the website is needed, what is wrong now and what customers should achieve. Add known brand assets, content, functionality, budget, preferred launch date and decision-makers.
Missing items need not delay contact. A factual brief and honest unknowns give a developer useful context. Page structure, architecture and design can be established during discovery.
Define the website's main purpose
A website might generate enquiries, sell products, take bookings, publish articles, demonstrate credibility, showcase work, support customers or provide portal access. The primary purpose influences navigation, calls to action, content and functionality.
An enquiry-led professional services site needs clear service information, evidence and contact routes. An online shop needs product discovery, baskets, checkout, payments and order communication. Identify the main outcome before listing desirable features; otherwise unrelated ideas can obscure the journey that matters most.
Describe the people the website must help
Record who customers are, their problems, questions and concerns. Consider common devices and known accessibility needs. This helps determine language, imagery and navigation.
A professional services audience may value clear expertise, process and evidence. A nursery website must reassure parents and make practical information easy to find, while using an appropriate visual character. Probeck's Hospital Day Nursery case study shows bold, playful design combined with readable information and focused feedback functionality.
Gather branding and design assets
Check for logo alternatives, original artwork, colours, fonts, guidelines, icons and photography. SVG logos scale cleanly; high-resolution transparent PNGs can also help. Images copied from email signatures or social profiles may look blurred.
If branding does not exist, say so. Positioning, logo and identity may need a separate stage. Branding presents the business, website design plans the experience, and development creates the working site. See Probeck's Graphic Design & Social Media Support and website cost guide.
Bring useful inspiration, not a design to copy
Share websites you like and dislike, explaining the navigation, colour, type, imagery, animation or mobile behaviour that prompted the reaction. Inspiration establishes preferences; it is not a design to copy.
Inventory the content you have and need
Useful material can include the company story and values; service descriptions; products, prices and variations; team biographies and credentials; testimonials, case studies and accreditations; contact details, locations and opening hours; FAQs, policies and downloads.
It need not be professionally written before starting, but somebody must supply, create or approve it. A quotation might assume finished customer copy, editing, professional copywriting or collaboration. Good copy needs accurate business knowledge and a purpose for each page. Generated wording cannot replace genuine facts and expertise.
Changing content affects layouts and scheduling. Agree ownership early and plan real words alongside design.
Plan photography and media
Identify professional and existing photographs of people, products, premises, facilities and completed work, plus any useful video. Confirm image quality, permission and who appears in each photograph. Authentic imagery often communicates a business more effectively than generic stock, although suitable stock can fill genuine gaps.
Professional photography, video, image editing or sourcing may be separate work. Confirm whether the customer supplies media or the project includes creating or licensing it.
Prepare a rough page list
A starting list might include Home, About, Services, individual service pages, Case Studies, Testimonials, Blog or Knowledge Centre, Pricing, FAQs, Contact and legal information. It is a discussion aid, not a fixed sitemap. A designer may consolidate, divide or reorder pages so visitors can find information more easily.
Twenty pages do not necessarily need twenty designs. Reusable service, article or case-study templates can make publishing consistent and manageable. Career Corner, for example, uses a reusable WordPress blog template so new posts inherit established styling.
Explain what visitors and staff need to do
Raise contact and conditional forms, bookings, payments, e-commerce, accounts, blogs, portals, CRM and email-marketing connections, downloads, search, filters, calculators or memberships early. The implementation can be worked out later.
Describe the result and rules rather than a database. A booking requirement may involve availability, cancellations, staff allocation and payment. Those details affect scope even when the final software has not been chosen.
Decide who manages the website after launch
Will staff publish articles, add services and manage records? How many editors need access? Or will a developer make occasional changes? Also identify who handles hosting, backups, updates and technical support.
These answers influence the editing approach and may affect whether WordPress, bespoke code or another platform fits. Neither is universally better. Use the WordPress versus bespoke guide and discuss ongoing care through Website Maintenance & Support.
If replacing a website, identify what must be protected
Gather important URLs, blogs, downloads, analytics, Search Console access, forms, integrations, redirects and any customer data within scope. Mark useful content and obsolete material. Flag pages supporting advertising campaigns or known organic search visibility.
You do not need to perform a complete SEO audit yourself. The development team can assess the evidence, but it needs to know what matters before content or URLs change. The redesign versus rebuild guide covers this decision in detail.
Identify account ownership and technical access
The registrar controls the domain. DNS directs it to websites, email and other services. Hosting runs the site, while administration controls an existing CMS. Identify Analytics, Search Console, payment, CRM, booking and marketing accounts.
Record who owns and controls each account, but do not email passwords in a brief. Use delegated users or an agreed secure method when access is required. DNS changes must be planned carefully because incorrect changes can disrupt business email as well as the website.
Prepare privacy and legal information
Identify personal data collected through forms, mailing lists, analytics, cookies and connected services. Gather current privacy information, terms, e-commerce policies and industry-specific disclosures where relevant. Requirements vary between businesses and websites.
A developer can implement agreed controls and publish supplied information, but the business must ensure the underlying legal and operational facts are accurate. Obtain appropriate legal advice where necessary.
Discuss budget, timing and decisions
An approximate investment range helps establish realistic options. Consider branding, design, development, content, photography, integrations, hosting, maintenance and marketing. Separate project and ongoing expenditure, using the website cost guide for detail.
Explain fixed deadlines such as an opening, campaign or contract ending, and distinguish them from preferences. Content, approvals, integrations and testing affect scheduling.
Name a main contact and final decision-maker, plus necessary reviewers. Multiple departments may contribute, but a clear approval route limits conflicting feedback.
A fictional preparation example
A local professional services company wants to replace its outdated five-page site. It already has an established logo, service descriptions, testimonials, a domain and professional photography. It still needs a new design, clearer calls to action, revised service copy, confirmation of domain control and a decision about who updates the site.
That is enough to begin. The developer can see which assets are usable, which responsibilities need quoting and which decisions belong in discovery. The company has not attempted to design the website or write a technical specification.
Common preparation problems to avoid
- Agree branding before final visual design.
- Confirm whether copywriting, photography and content entry are included.
- Find original logo files and usable images rather than low-resolution copies.
- Identify domain control and existing email before planning DNS changes.
- Raise major functionality before designs and quotations are finalised.
- Consolidate stakeholder feedback through an agreed decision-maker.
- Protect time for testing and approval.
- Identify valuable existing pages before migration.
- Check whether hosting and maintenance are included or separate.
These prompts are not reasons to postpone contact. Record unknowns and resolve them with the developer.
Website project preparation FAQs
Do I need a logo before starting?
No, but branding must be considered before final website design. Existing assets can be reviewed, or separate identity work can be scoped.
Do I need to write all the content myself?
No. Agree whether you supply finished copy, receive editing support, appoint a copywriter or develop it collaboratively.
Do I need hosting before commissioning a website?
No. Explain any current arrangement and required ownership. Hosting can be assessed alongside the website and ongoing support.
Can a developer help decide which pages are needed?
Yes. Bring likely subjects and customer questions. Discovery can turn them into a suitable hierarchy and reusable templates.
What commonly delays a website project?
Unready content, missing access, late functionality, slow approvals and conflicting feedback commonly affect scheduling. Agree responsibilities and review time early.
Preparation is about clarity, not having every answer
Gather available facts, assets and constraints, then identify gaps. Final designs, complete copy and technical architecture are not prerequisites.
Use the questions to ask a website developer, then discuss the requirement through Probeck's Website Design & Development, Bespoke WordPress Websites or Bespoke Website Development services. The objective is a shared understanding of the business, customers and important decisions before work is committed.