3 Things You’ll Need to Have Ready Before Your Website is Built

You’re ready to hire a website designer; but first, you have some homework to do.  You will need to set aside some time to get information ready for your designer.  Below are three things that you will need to have ready so that your project can stay on schedule and be launched by your need-by date.

#1 – Determine your budget and need by date

Prices can vary quite a bit among different designers and platforms.  Squarespace website builds are generally more affordable for small business owners.  

Along with the cost of your website build, you’ll have the Squarespace plan and your domain (if you don’t already have one). Squarespace offers four different Squarespace plans, the most popular of which is the Business Plan.  If you purchase your domain from Squarespace, the first year is free and then it’s about $20 a year to renew the domain. 

The Business Plan is recommended for most people unless you are building an eCommerce website.  Because Squarespace is an all-in-one solution, you won’t need to obtain hosting or SSL from a separate provider.  Squarespace keeps it simple for you and the designer.

You’ll also want to discuss your desired completion date for your website.  Once a website project starts, your website should be able to go live within 3-6 weeks depending on the size of your website.  But the timeline will depend on #2 and #3 below.

#2 – Know your website goals and be clear about what you want your website to do.

Your goals and priorities should determine how your website looks and functions. This means that you must know what type of website you want and what it will contain from the start. Your designer will offer suggestions, but ultimately it is your website.

Have some ‘inspiration websites’ ready for your designer.  Doing this helps the designer to better know your style.  Also, point out the things that you like and don’t like on a website.  

Looking at other websites in your niche to see which ones you like and which ones you don’t is a good way to start. Allowing the designer to know which features you want to see and which you don’t want at all on your website will ensure that you get the website you want.

Depending on your website’s goal, you’ll want to write down your business objectives and tailor your marketing to match.  Write your goals down and be as specific as possible.  

Have some questions that you’ll want to answer when writing your content.  What is the most important thing you want visitors to do when they come to your website? Are your services most important, the products that you’re selling or is your goal to collect leads?

#3 – Have Your Content Ready for Each Page:

Decide how many pages you want your website to have and what the goal of each page is.  Do not feel that your website has to have a lot of pages or content.  Some clients worry that they won’t be able to come up with enough information to fill a five or six-page website.  If you’re just starting out, a one or two-page website is a good place to start.  

Even if you want a simple/basic website, you will need to provide the designer with content.  If you aren’t able to write the content, you can hire a copywriter.  You want your website content to explain who you are and what you have to offer.  

If you don’t know what pages you’ll need, below are pages that are fairly standard on all websites.  

• Home
• About
• FAQ
• Product or Service Details
• Contact

As your business grows, your website can be updated and pages added to keep it current.

If you will be using professional photography on your website, have the photos ready for the designer.  Quality stock photos can also be used and should be selected for the pages you’ll have on your website.  Some common free stock photo sites include Pixabay, Pexels and Unsplash.  

Tip: When supplying photos to the designer, name the photos so that the designer knows where to use them.  For example:  about_me_youname or service_socialmediamgmt.

Keep in mind that when selecting photos for your website, quality is crucial! All photos should be high-resolution and complement your website’s overall design.  And never go to Google and use photos you find there. 

You’ll also want to have ready:

• Your brand colors
• Your brand fonts
• Images of you
• Logo – if you have one

If you don’t have brand fonts, the designer can select a couple of fonts for your website.  

Are you ready to invest in your business and have your website designed or redesigned?  Contact Fuhrman Creative today to set up your free consultation.  We will help you design a website that is functional, eye-catching and unique.