What to Prepare Before Building a Website: A Content Checklist

The fastest way to get a website live is to have your content ready before the designer starts. Use this checklist to gather everything in one go, whoever builds your site.

Tip: put everything in one shared folder, with one sub-folder per page.

1. Business basics

• Business name exactly as you want it shown.
• Phone number, WhatsApp number and email address.
• Address and a Google Maps link, if customers visit you.
• Opening hours, including public holidays if they differ.
• Social media links.
• SSM registration number, if you want it in the footer.

2. Brand files

Send the best versions you have:

• Logo in high resolution, ideally as SVG, PDF or AI, or a large PNG with a transparent background.
• Brand colours (colour codes if you have them).
• Fonts, if your brand uses specific ones.

No logo yet? A designer can create one, or start with a clean text logo. See logo vs brand identity.

3. Text for each page

Write in plain language, the way you would explain things to a customer in person. For a typical small business site:

• Home: what you do, who it is for and why choose you, in a few short lines.
• About: your story, experience and the people behind the business.
• Services or products: a short description, what is included and the price or "from" price for each.
• FAQ: the five to ten questions customers ask you most.
• Contact: how and when to reach you.

4. Photos

• Real photos of your team, premises, products or work. They build more trust than stock photos.
• Landscape photos for large banners, at least 2000 pixels wide.
• Original files, not screenshots or images saved from WhatsApp, which are compressed.
• Name files clearly, for example about-team.jpg.

5. Proof

• Customer reviews or testimonials, with permission to use names.
• Logos of clients you have worked with, if allowed.
• Before-and-after photos or case studies.
• Certifications, awards or memberships.

6. For online stores

Stores need a bit more:

• A product list with names, prices, descriptions, variations and weights.
• Product photos on a plain background, named after each product.
• Shipping, returns and privacy policies.
• A business bank account for payment gateway payouts.

7. Access and accounts

• Login for your existing domain, if you already own one.
• Your current hosting details, if you are replacing an old site.
• Google Business Profile access, if you have one.

Not sure what a domain or hosting is? Read domain, hosting and business email explained.