What should you prepare before building a website?

You do not need a finished marketing document before starting a website. A few organised notes can explain what you offer, who you help and what a customer should do next.

The seven groups below form a working preparation checklist. Put them in one document and keep images in a clearly named folder. Mark anything uncertain as “to confirm” so it does not become an accidental promise on the finished page.

1. What should someone know about your business?

Write down your public business name, what you do, who you serve and where you work. Then choose the main job your website should do.

“Pottery workshops for beginners in Hamilton” gives a clearer starting point than “creative experiences for everyone”. Add whether customers visit a studio, you travel to them or the service happens online.

Australia's business.gov.au website guide recommends defining website goals in relation to your business plans and target customers. A practical goal might be helping visitors understand your workshops and request a group session.

Include a short introduction to the person or team behind the business. Note relevant experience you can support with facts. Our About page guide explains how to turn those notes into a useful introduction.

2. Which service details and prices should you gather?

List your main services and explain what each includes, who it suits and how a customer gets started. Use the words customers normally use.

For each service, note the usual scope, important exclusions and any requirements the customer needs to know. A workshop description might need its length, group size, what materials are provided and how dates are arranged.

Add your current price, a meaningful range or the information needed for a quote. Include the currency and what the price covers. If a price still needs a decision, flag it clearly in your notes.

Collect a few questions people ask before buying, with factual answers. Existing emails and conversations can help you remember them. Remove customer names and private details before putting examples in the shared brief.

3. How should customers contact you or take the next step?

Prepare the contact details you want published and choose the main action visitors should take: call, send an enquiry or follow an existing booking link.

Check the email address that will receive enquiries and who will monitor it. Confirm your phone number, opening hours and public location or service area. Distinguish a customer-facing address from an address you use only for administration.

Explain what happens after someone contacts you. For example, the studio owner might reply to confirm group size and suitable dates before sending a quote.

If you need online payments, live availability or customer accounts, list those requirements early and check whether the proposed service supports them. Features such as these affect the project scope.

4. Which photos, logos and examples should you collect?

Gather clear original images that show your people, work, products or premises, plus your current logo if you have one. Label what each file shows and where you think it might be useful.

Keep original photo files alongside your notes so suitable sizes can be prepared for the website. Include any publication permissions and required credits. Set aside images whose permission is still uncertain.

Add a short explanation of why each useful photo matters. W3C's guidance on informative images explains that a text alternative should convey the image's relevant meaning. A note such as “the workspace used for beginner classes” gives the writer useful context.

Collect genuine project examples or approved customer comments if available. If the business is new, use an honest introduction and real work samples you can explain. Keep illustrative images clearly separate from evidence of completed customer work.

5. What should you explain about the website style you like?

Save a link to a website you like and describe the specific features that appeal to you. A short explanation is more useful than “make it modern”.

You might like the calm colours, large photographs, simple menu or clear service descriptions. Also note anything that feels wrong for your customers, such as small text or distracting movement.

Include existing colours, logo files and any brand guidance you already use. There is no need to invent a full design system for the brief. A reference communicates preferences; your own business facts and materials should shape the finished site.

Green Kauri's Websites service starts with a website style you like and a few questions about your business. We help with the words, structure, design and launch steps.

6. What existing website and domain information is useful?

Record any website address you already use, where its domain is managed and who can approve changes. A domain is the address people type to reach your website.

Note whether your business email uses that domain. List existing booking links or other tools the new site needs to point to. This helps identify what must keep working during the change.

Keep passwords out of the content document. Confirm who holds access and arrange any necessary permissions separately. If you have not chosen a domain, record that as an open decision.

If you already have a website and your main goal is better search visibility, Green Kauri's xEO Optimisation service can review and improve the existing site. Include its URL and your concerns when discussing the next step.

7. Who will check the draft and confirm missing details?

Choose one person to collect feedback and confirm business facts. List any unresolved decisions, who can answer them and when you expect an answer.

That list might include a new service price, permission to use a photograph or the email address for enquiries. Give each item a clear status so the person building the site knows what is ready to use.

Share your preferred launch date and explain any fixed reason behind it, such as an opening event. Agree a realistic schedule with your provider, including time for you to review the draft.

Ask the reviewer to check the business name, services, prices, contact details and intended next step before focusing on small wording preferences. Keep feedback together so changes are easy to follow.

What could a short website brief look like?

A brief can be a short set of labelled notes. Here is a fictional example for an independent pottery tutor; it illustrates the level of detail to gather.

What can wait until you have a first draft?

Final headlines, detailed page layouts and small design choices can develop from the first draft. Begin with facts, useful materials and clearly marked gaps.

Your main offer and contact route need to be clear enough to guide the work. Confirm unresolved customer-facing information before publication. Once a draft exists, our small-business website checklist can help you review the finished pages.