What to prepare before ordering a website
Most delays on a website are not caused by development. They come from questions nobody answered at the start, and then everyone waits. A rough list is enough. Nobody expects a finished brief.
Here is what is useful to have before the first conversation, even as notes. If something is missing, we can fill it in on the call. The list is there so the call is about your company, not about hunting for the domain password.
1. What the site should do
Write one or two sentences: “The site should bring requests for X from Y.” Everything else — structure, design, texts — follows from this.
2. Who it is for
Describe your typical client: who they are, what they worry about, what they want to know before contacting you. If you have several groups, list them.
3. A rough list of pages
Services, prices, about, contacts, maybe cases or a blog. It does not need to be final — we will refine it together — but a draft saves a lot of time.
4. Texts and images
- What you already have: old site, brochures, presentations, photos.
- What is missing and who will prepare it.
- Logo and brand colours, if they exist.
5. Examples you like
Two or three sites you like and one you do not, with a note on why. This says more about taste than any description.
6. Access details
Domain registrar, current hosting, email and the old site admin, if there is one. Finding these at the end often delays the launch.
7. Budget and deadline
Even an approximate range helps to suggest a solution that fits, instead of an ideal one that does not.
If something on the list is missing, that is fine. We can go through it together in the first conversation.