12 Things to Prepare Before Getting a Website Built

The longest wait in a website project usually doesn't happen while code is being written. It happens while someone looks for the logo file, writes the about page, or tries to remember the domain password. In our experience, a site that's quick to build can stretch by weeks because of missing content.

If you gather the 12 items below before your first meeting, the quote gets clearer and the project moves without stalling. They don't all have to be complete. Even knowing what's missing helps.

Brand assets

1. Your logo in vector format: SVG, AI, EPS or PDF. A small JPG sent over WhatsApp looks blurry on a big screen. Ask whoever designed your logo for the original file; if it doesn't exist, it may need to be redrawn, which is good to know up front.

2. Colours and typeface. If you have a brand guideline, great. If not, the colours on your business card or shop sign are enough to start.

Copy and images

This section is often where most delays come from.

3. A list of services or products, with two or three sentences on each and, if possible, a price or price range.

4. An about text. How long you've been in business, who's on the team, what you do differently. It doesn't have to be polished; bullet notes are fine, and the agency can shape them. Make sure every fact you include (years, certificates, figures) is accurate and can be documented.

5. Frequently asked questions. Which questions do you hear most on the phone? Write down five with their answers. This can be one of the most-read parts of the site.

6. Photos. Your premises, your team, examples of your work. Phone photos taken in daylight are usually good enough. Use stock photos only to fill gaps, and only ones with a suitable licence.

7. References and reviews. Customer reviews you have permission to use, client logos you're allowed to show, and any certificates or credentials. In regulated professions such as healthcare and law, using reviews and references may be restricted; check your professional body's current rules.

We explained how to prepare website copy step by step in a separate post; start there if you're staring at a blank page.

Technical access

8. Your domain panel. Which company did you buy the domain from, whose name is the account in, who has the password? A common situation: the domain was bought years ago by an acquaintance who can no longer be reached.

9. Hosting and email. If you have an existing site, the hosting account details. Which service runs your company email (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, your host's email)? This is essential so email doesn't break when the site moves.

10. Google accounts. If a Google Business Profile, Search Console or Analytics has been set up before, which email address is it tied to?

Goals and examples

11. The one main result you want from the site. Phone calls, form enquiries, online sales, bookings? “All of them” blurs the design. Pick one and make the rest secondary. That answer also decides what gets measured: if you don't know how many enquiries arrive each month, you can't know whether the site is working.

12. Examples you like and dislike. Three to five sites from competitors or other industries. Don't just send links, though; write what you like about them: “Simple price table”, “Phone number visible on the first screen”, “Too much motion, tiring”. These examples are for ideas; copying another site's text or images creates copyright problems. The examples you dislike guide the work as much as the ones you like.

Why preparation makes such a difference

Because every missing item means a question and a wait. The agency asks, you answer two days later, the answer raises a new question. At Kodyva, the estimated delivery time for a corporate site is 7 to 10 working days, but only when content arrives on time. We broke down how long each stage takes in our post on realistic timelines.

Preparation has another benefit: it makes quotes comparable. An agency that knows the content is ready won't add copywriting to the quote; one that doesn't will either add it or leave it vague. When three agencies receive the same list, the differences between their quotes come from the work itself.

Then there's the question of who decides. Who signs off on the site? In businesses with partners, when the design goes to three people separately and each comes back with different comments, the timeline stretches. Name one approver at the start; the others pass their views to that person.

Think of this list as a folder. Create one called “Website”, drop each item into it, and list what's missing in a note. Walking into the first meeting with that folder makes the meeting noticeably shorter.