You've decided to get a website built. Great. But then your designer asks you to "send over the content and assets" and you're staring at your screen thinking: what does that even mean?
We've seen projects take twice as long because the client wasn't sure what to prepare. Not because they didn't care, but because nobody told them what "ready" looks like.
This post fixes that. Below are the 7 things we ask every client to prepare. For each one we'll explain what it is, why it matters, and show you what good looks like vs. what slows things down.
Use the checklist to track your progress. When all 7 are checked, you're ready to start.
First: what's your job vs. the designer's job?
Most confusion comes from not knowing who does what. Here's the split:
You provide
- Your story and what makes you different.
- Logo and brand colors (if you have them).
- Photos of your business, team, or products.
- The text for each page (or the raw material for it).
- Examples of websites you like.
- Testimonials from customers.
- Domain name and login details.
Your designer handles
- Turning your rough text into copy that sounds professional and sells.
- Designing every page from scratch so it looks good on any screen size.
- Writing the code that makes your site actually work, load fast, and rank on Google.
- Setting up hosting, connecting your domain, SSL certificates, and all the technical infrastructure.
- Optimizing for search engines, AI assistants, and social media previews.
- Testing across browsers and devices so nothing breaks.
- Guiding you through anything you're unsure about.
Don't have everything? That's fine. Most clients don't. But the more you prepare, the faster and smoother your project will be.
1. Your story in 2-3 sentences
What does your business do, and for whom? This becomes the foundation of your entire website. Your designer uses it to write headlines, structure pages, and decide what to emphasize.
Vague
"We are a forward-thinking advisory firm providing innovative solutions for clients looking to optimize their portfolio. We leverage data-driven strategies to deliver sustainable outcomes across multiple asset classes."
Clear
"We're a real estate investment firm in Amsterdam. We help private investors find and manage rental properties in the Randstad. Most of our clients own 2-10 properties and want hands-off management with transparent reporting."
Tip: Explain it like you would to someone at a party who asks "so what do you do?" That version is almost always better than the corporate one.
2. Logo, colors, and fonts
If you already have a logo, send it in the highest quality you have. Ideally a PNG with transparent background, or an SVG file. A tiny screenshot from your Instagram won't work.
Don't have a logo yet? That's not a blocker. Send a few example logos you like, or describe what you're going for, and we'll get one designed for you. But don't let this hold up your project. We can work on the website and the logo in parallel.
Colors and fonts work the same way. If you have brand colors, share them. If you don't, we'll create a color scheme and font pairing that fits your brand. Just tell us the feeling you're going for: professional, playful, luxurious, minimal, bold. We'll translate that into a visual direction that works.
Hard to work with
"My logo is the small image in my email signature. And I think my colors are like a dark green? Or maybe teal?"
Ready to go
"Here's my logo as PNG and SVG. My brand colors are #1e5631 (dark green) and #f5f1eb (cream). I also use Montserrat as my font."
Also fine
"I don't have a logo yet. But I like the style of the Nike swoosh: simple, recognizable, no text. For colors, I want something warm and earthy. Here are 3 logos I like: [links]."
Bottom line: Have it? Send it. Don't have it? Tell us what you like and we'll handle the rest. Either way, this should never delay your project.
3. Photos
Real photos of your business beat stock photos every time. Photos of your space, your team, your products, your work. People want to see what's real.
What works: professional photography is ideal. If that's not in the budget yet, clean well-lit photos from a recent smartphone work too. Just avoid dark, blurry, or heavily filtered images.
Doesn't work
Generic stock photos of people in suits shaking hands. Or dark, pixelated photos from 2019.
Works great
A professional team photo at your office. A headshot taken near a window with natural light. A clean photo of your workspace, storefront, or product.
Tip: Send more than you think you need. It's easier for your designer to pick the best ones than to ask you for more later.
4. Text for your pages
This is the one that trips people up the most. "Write the text for your website" sounds intimidating. So let me make it simple.
You don't need to write perfect copy. You need to write down what you want to say. Your designer will polish it. Think of it as giving them the raw ingredients, not the finished dish.
For each page, just answer these questions:
Homepage
What's the first thing visitors should know? What do you want them to do? (Call you, book something, buy something?)
About
Who are you? Why did you start this business? What makes you different from competitors?
Services
What do you offer? For each service: what is it, who is it for, what does the client get?
Contact
How should people reach you? Phone, email, form, WhatsApp, address?
Tip: Write it in a Google Doc. Don't worry about formatting. Just get the words down. A messy doc with real content is 10x more useful than a blank page.
5. Websites you like (and don't like)
This is one of the most valuable things you can give your designer. Share 3 websites you like and explain what specifically you like about each. The layout? The colors? The vibe? The way the text sounds?
Just as useful: websites you don't like. "I hate how cluttered this feels" or "this looks cheap" tells your designer exactly what to avoid.
Too vague
"I want something modern and clean."
Useful
"I like stripe.com because of the whitespace and how organized it feels. I like aesop.com for the warm, premium vibe. I don't like sites with popups and too many bright colors."
6. Testimonials and social proof
Nothing convinces a new visitor like hearing from someone who already worked with you. If you have Google reviews, LinkedIn recommendations, or happy clients who said nice things in an email or WhatsApp, collect them.
What to collect:
- The quote itself (the exact words they used)
- Their name and business/role
- A photo of them (if they're okay with it)
Don't have testimonials yet? Ask 2-3 past clients today. Most people are happy to help if you send them a specific question like: "What was the biggest result you got from working with me?"
7. Domain name and email
Do you already own a domain name (like yourbusiness.com)? If yes, your designer needs access to connect it to the new website. If not, they can help you pick and buy one.
Things to have ready:
- Your domain name (e.g. yourbusiness.com)
- Where you bought it (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google Domains, etc.)
- Login details for your domain provider
- Do you want a professional email address? (e.g. info@yourbusiness.com)
Don't have a domain yet? No problem. Your designer will help you choose one. Just have an idea of what name you want.
You're ready to start your project.
All 7 items prepared. Your designer will love you for this.
What if I don't have everything?
Start anyway. Most clients don't have all 7 items perfectly ready, and that's completely normal. A good designer will guide you through the gaps.
But here's the truth: the more you prepare, the less back-and-forth, the fewer delays, and the better the result. A project where the client shows up prepared takes half the time of one where we're chasing content for weeks.
Even getting 4 or 5 of these done puts you ahead of 90% of clients.
Not sure if you have enough to get started?
Send what you have. We'll tell you what's ready, what's missing, and how to fill the gaps together.
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