How to prepare before ordering a website: a checklist for your first call with a developer

The best websites aren’t made by the most expensive developers — they’re made for well-prepared clients. If you know what you want before the first call, you get a more accurate quote, avoid surcharges halfway through, and launch weeks sooner. Below is a checklist worth having in hand when you order a website.

In short: prepare the site’s goal, a list of pages, a draft of the content, photos and logo, access to your domain, 2–3 example sites you like, and a budget range and deadline. Not everything has to be finished — but everything should be thought through.

1. Goal: what is the site for?

This is the most important question, and surprisingly often skipped. A website can:

• generate enquiries (form, phone) — then contact buttons and trust are key,
• sell — then you need an online store, not a website,
• build credibility — clients will look at it after a call or a referral, so case studies and references matter,
• attract traffic from Google — then you plan service pages, location pages and a blog from day one.

One main goal is enough. A site that tries to do everything at once usually does nothing well.

2. Scope: which pages and features?

Write down a list of pages, even a rough one: home, services (separate or together?), about, case studies, pricing, contact, blog. Then the features that genuinely affect the price:

• forms other than contact (e.g. sign-ups, bookings),
• a second language version,
• integrations: booking system, CRM, newsletter, payments,
• an admin panel for editing content yourself.

Each of these is a specific line in the quote — you’ll find indicative figures in our pricing.

3. Content: the copy is your knowledge

A developer will build the site, but doesn’t know as well as you what makes you better than the competition. Prepare at least a draft:

• who you are and how long you’ve been in business,
• exactly what you offer and in which area,
• who your service is for — and who it isn’t for,
• your customers’ most common questions — great material for an FAQ section,
• contact details, opening hours, company number, address.

If you don’t want to write, ask about copywriting before signing the contract. Missing content is the most common reason a technically finished site waits weeks to go live.

4. Photos, logo and materials

• a logo in vector format (SVG, PDF, AI) — not a screenshot from Facebook,
• photos of your work, team and premises. Good-quality real photos from a phone often work better than stock,
• colours and fonts, if you have a visual identity,
• customer testimonials and logos of companies you’ve worked with (with their permission).

5. Domain, hosting and access

Check whether you already have a domain and whose name it’s registered under. If a friend or a previous agency set it up years ago, regaining access can take weeks — better to start with that. The same goes for company email: moving the website must not interrupt your mail.

6. Inspiration

Show 2–3 sites you like and say why: the colours, the layout, the way the offer is presented, the simplicity. Competitors’ sites help too — including the ones you want to stand apart from.

7. Budget and deadline

Give a budget range, even a wide one. Without it a developer quotes in the dark: either overshooting or proposing something too modest. Also say when the site needs to be live and why (an opening, a trade fair, a campaign) — that decides whether we start with a minimal version and grow it later.

If you’re not sure how much to set aside, see what a web application costs for larger projects, and if you’d rather start without paying up front, read about a website on subscription.

A checklist to copy

• The site’s main goal in one sentence
• A list of pages and required features
• A content draft, or a decision on copywriting
• Vector logo, photos, colours
• Domain: does it exist and who has access
• 2–3 inspirations with a note on what you like
• Budget range and launch date

You don’t need everything to start the conversation. The easiest way is to answer a few questions in our estimate configurator — in 60 seconds you’ll get an indicative figure, and we’ll work out the rest together.