How to prepare for a website project

Most website projects do not get stuck on technology but on preparation. Texts arrive late, nobody knows who makes the final decision, feedback comes in five rounds and in the end the goal turns out to be different from what it was at the start. The good news: this is largely preventable. In this article we walk through what you can do as a business owner beforehand to make a website project run smoothly, faster and with less stress.

Start with the goal, not the pages

Many business owners start with the question “which pages do I need?”. A better first question is: what should the website do for my business? Write the goal down in one sentence. For example: “That people in the region find us and send a request for a quote.” Or: “That customers quickly see what we offer and book an appointment.” A sentence like that seems small, but it helps with every choice afterwards.

Make the goal as concrete as possible, without making up numbers you cannot support. It is not about a promise, but about direction. If an idea does not contribute to the goal, it can go or come later.

Who is your visitor?

Think of the people who will really use your website. A few questions help:

• Who is your ideal customer, and who is not?
• Which three questions do you get over and over, by phone or at the counter?
• What does someone look up before getting in touch?
• What do customers hesitate about, and what takes that doubt away?
• Where is your visitor: in Terneuzen, in Zeeland Flanders, or further away?

The answers are gold for the structure of your site. The three questions you keep getting belong on the site or on a frequently asked questions page.

Choose one person who decides

A website project with five decision makers takes five times as long. Appoint one person who decides on behalf of the company and who bundles feedback. That does not have to be the owner, but it should be someone with enough mandate. If you have a partner or team who want to look along, agree when they give their opinion, for example at the moodboard and at the first version, and not at every intermediate step.

Gather your material

This is usually the point where projects slow down. Start early.

Logo and brand identity

Do you have a logo in a usable file, preferably as a vector or a large image with a transparent background? Are there colours or fonts you are tied to? If not, that is fine too: we then settle it in the form of a moodboard. See also our work on Moodboard and brand.

Photos and imagery

Real photos of your business, your team, your work and your surroundings almost always beat stock imagery. You do not need to be a professional photographer to start: clean, sharp photos with good light are already a solid basis. Think of a short list: the shop or workshop, the team, a project in progress, a finished result.

Texts

Do you already have texts, for example from a leaflet, a quote or an old site? Collect them. They do not need to be perfect. It is easier to improve existing text than to start from zero. If you would rather not write yourself, agree beforehand who creates the texts, when they will be ready and who checks them.

Practical details

Company name, address, phone number, email address, opening hours, chamber of commerce details where needed, and links to your social channels. It sounds basic, but it is surprisingly often the last page that is missing at launch.

Look around: what do you like, and why?

Collect three to five sites that appeal to you, including from other industries, and note what you like about them. Is it the colours, the calm, the clarity, the photos? The aim is not to copy, but to put words to your taste. Also note what you do not like. That is at least as useful.

Separate “must have” from “nice to have”

Every project starts with a long list of wishes. Divide it into three groups:

1. Must have at launch. Without this the site does not go live: for example the core pages, contact options and an enquiry form.
2. Nice to have. This comes once the basics are in place: for example a larger blog or extra pages per service.
3. Maybe later. Things that sound fun but are not needed now, such as a web shop or a customer portal.

That way you start small, with a site that works, and expand when there is room. It matches how we work: start with a good foundation and grow along, so costs stay under control. It also helps in the conversation about budget; read more in price on request after an intro call.

Think about what happens after launch

A website is not finished on launch day. Ask yourself beforehand:

• Who changes texts and photos when something changes?
• Who maintains the technology, the security and the updates?
• How do you follow whether the site does what it should?
• Who answers the enquiries that come in, and how quickly?

That last one is often forgotten. A site that produces enquiries needs someone to respond to them. If you want to outsource the technical side, that is possible through maintenance, cancellable monthly. In any case you remain the owner of code and content.

Agree on feedback rules

Feedback is valuable, but it can also stall a project. A few agreements help:

• Collect feedback internally and pass it on as one list.
• Be concrete: “the headline could be shorter” helps more than “it does not feel right yet”.
• Explain what you want to achieve, not only what you want different.
• Agree a period within which you respond, so the planning holds.
• Know how many feedback rounds are included and what happens with extra requests.

What we ask of you, and what you can expect from us

At CUBO Agency every project starts with a free intro call in the evening (18:30 to 20:30). After that we agree the sitemap, stack and planning with you, including clear go-live goals. From you we ask timely input: material, decisions and feedback. From us you can expect that we are clear beforehand about what happens, what it costs and what is included, and that you have one dedicated contact person. The Process page lays out the whole journey.

Checklist for the first conversation

• The goal of the site in one sentence.
• Your ideal customer and the three questions you keep getting.
• One person responsible for decisions and feedback.
• Logo, photos, texts and practical details, or a plan to create them.
• Three to five examples of sites that appeal to you, and why.
• A list of “must have”, “nice to have” and “maybe later”.
• An idea of your budget and your preferred start.
• An idea of who maintains the site after launch.

In conclusion

Good preparation makes a project faster, cheaper and more pleasant for everyone. You do not need to have everything finished before you start: a few clear answers and some material are enough for a good first conversation. Not sure where to begin? Book a free intro call and we will go through it together. You will also get a good picture of the end result in our article website development in Terneuzen.

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