Your first business website is easier to plan when you know what it needs to say, not just how you want it to look. The person building it can suggest a structure and design, but they need accurate information about your business. You do not have to deliver polished copy straight away. Start with a website content inventory: materials organised by page, clear sources and a record of questions that still need answers.
1. Define the website’s purpose and page list
Before writing anything, note who you want to reach and what visitors should do: request a quote, book an appointment or work out whether your service meets their needs. Choose one main action, then build the pages around it. A business website does not need a large number of pages to explain an offer clearly.
A useful starting structure might include:
- Home: what you offer, who it is for and what to do next.
- Services: an overview, with separate service pages where useful.
- About: your team, relevant experience and approach to work.
- Projects or portfolio: examples you have permission to publish.
- FAQs and contact: practical answers and ways to start a conversation.
For each page, write one sentence explaining what visitors should learn. Also record your business name, the name used in customer communications and your preferred domain. If you have not chosen a web address, you can check domain availability before adding it to your materials.
2. Prepare the details for each service
Useful business website copy answers specific questions. Instead of opening with “we offer comprehensive, professional solutions”, explain what you actually do and when a customer might need your help. Use the language you hear in customer conversations, and briefly explain any technical terms.
A content brief for each service
- The service name and the problem it addresses.
- The type of customer it is intended for.
- The activities or deliverables it covers.
- What is outside its scope and what requires a separate agreement.
- The information you need to assess an enquiry.
- The stages of the work and factors that can affect the timescale.
- The next action available to the visitor.
For an interior refurbishment business, for example, explain whether you work on homes, commercial premises or both, and whether you provide design, construction or project coordination. Those distinctions tell visitors more than a collection of positive adjectives.
If you already have brochures or sales presentations, share them as reference material, but flag anything that is out of date. Do not expect your website builder to identify the current offer by comparing documents that contradict one another.
3. Gather information that builds trust
Your about page does not need to be a lengthy company history. Explain why the business exists, who carries out the work and what working with you involves. Replace broad claims with details you can verify, such as specialisms, types of projects and individual team responsibilities.
For each portfolio item, prepare a short account of the starting situation, the client’s requirements, your contribution and the outcome you can accurately describe. Publish names, logos, photographs and testimonials only when you have the necessary rights and permissions. Do not turn an informal compliment into an attributed recommendation without confirmation.
Turn recurring questions into useful answers
Collect questions from emails and customer conversations: which areas you cover, how a project begins, what the customer needs to prepare or how changes are requested. Keep the answers brief and make it clear when an individual assessment is needed.
Avoid absolute promises and wording that leaves out important conditions. If the answer depends on the project, explain which details you need before you can give it. This helps visitors understand the process without suggesting that every enquiry will have the same answer.
4. Choose photographs and brand assets
A folder containing hundreds of images is not necessarily a useful set of website materials. Choose photographs that support your planned pages: team photographs for the about page, completed work for the portfolio and images of your activities for service pages. Keep the original files rather than relying on screenshots or copies downloaded from messaging apps.
- Logo: a vector version, if available, and a version with a transparent background.
- Colours and fonts: your brand guidelines or existing choices, along with relevant licence information.
- Photographs: clear files with descriptive names and notes explaining what they show.
- Usage rights: image sources, licences and relevant permissions for publication.
- Visual preferences: example websites and an explanation of what you like about them.
Do not publish images simply because you found them online. If you use stock photographs, check their licence and do not present them as pictures of your own team or projects.
Explain what can be cropped and what needs to remain visible. Provide accurate context for image descriptions too. Alternative text should communicate relevant information about an image rather than repeat keywords unnaturally.
5. Check contact details and practical information
Prepare a single document containing your legal business name, relevant registration details, the address you can publish, an email address for enquiries and opening hours where applicable. Include only contact channels you actually monitor, and distinguish a registered address from a location where customers can visit.
If you want a contact form, identify what you need to know at the start of a conversation. Ask only for necessary information, decide who receives submissions and agree what visitors should see after sending a message. A field for describing the enquiry may be more useful than a long list of compulsory questions.
Discuss requirements for privacy information, cookies and any contractual terms separately. These depend on your activities and the website’s features; copying another company’s wording may not reflect what your business does. Seek appropriate professional advice when you need clarification.
6. Hand over organised materials and identify the gaps
Create a folder for each page, containing its copy, suggested images and related notes. Keep approved materials separate from work in progress. In a central document, record the website structure, the person responsible for content approval and any unresolved questions.
- Name files by page and subject rather than “final_new_latest”.
- Mark confirmed information and claims that still need checking.
- Match each photograph to the relevant page or service.
- Agree who checks the copy, contact details and publication rights.
- Review the materials once they are in the page layout, including on a phone.
Keep technical decisions separate. Choosing web hosting, or WordPress hosting if the website will use that platform, should be based on the project’s requirements. Do not put account passwords in the document containing your copy and photographs.
Start with one practical task: list your pages and record the main message, required information and available materials for each one. Anything missing becomes a task to complete rather than a reason to hold up the entire project. This gives your website builder a clear foundation to work from.
