What to prepare before a website redesign.

Explain your business as you would to a customer.

Write down what you do, who normally buys from you, and where you work. Note your most important services and anything you would like to do more of.

Use your own words. The plain explanation you give over the phone is often more useful than a formal company description.

Choose the next step that matters most.

What would you like someone to do after visiting? Ask for a quote, call the office, arrange a consultation, or find your location? Different services may need different routes, but it helps to know the main one.

Bring examples of the enquiries you want more of. You can remove names and personal details. It’s the shape of the enquiry that matters.

Gather what you already have.

Don’t send passwords in an email or a contact form. Access can be arranged safely when the project needs it.

• Your logo files and any existing brand guidelines.
• An up-to-date list of services, locations, and contact details.
• Real photographs of your work, team, premises, or products, if you have them.
• Customer feedback or project examples you have permission to share.
• A note of who manages your domain, hosting, and business email.

Know who will make the decisions.

Choose one person to gather feedback and approve the work. Other people can contribute, but a single point of contact makes it easier to resolve conflicting comments.

If there’s a deadline, such as an event, a new service or a seasonal rush, mention it at the beginning. The same goes for a budget you need to work within.

Leave room for the things you don’t know yet.

It’s fine not to know how many pages you need or which system should run the site. Those decisions should follow from what your business and customers need.

The first conversation is a chance to work that out together. A useful brief can be a page of notes.