The single most common reason a website launches late is not design or development. It is content: the service descriptions that are “almost ready”, the photos still on someone's phone, the logo that only exists as a blurry image. A designer can build the structure in days, but they cannot invent your business.
Use this checklist before you contact anyone. You do not need everything perfect, and a good studio can help draft text, but knowing what you have and what is missing makes the project faster and the quote more accurate.
The basics about your business
Write down your business name exactly as you want it to appear, your address if customers visit you, your phone and WhatsApp numbers, your email, your opening hours and the areas you serve. Make sure these details match your Google Business Profile and social media accounts. Inconsistent details confuse customers and search engines alike.
Add a short paragraph on who you are: when and why the business started, who it serves and what makes your approach different. Keep it factual. Visitors trust a specific sentence about your work more than a general claim about quality.
Services and the questions customers ask
For each service or product line, write a few plain sentences covering what it is, who it is for, what the customer gets and what the next step is. If you have prices you are happy to publish, include them; if you prefer to quote, say what affects the price. Either way, be consistent.
Then list the questions customers ask you most often, on the phone, in WhatsApp or in person, with your usual answers. These questions are the raw material for a frequently asked questions section, and they often reveal which pages your site actually needs.
If your site will be in English and Arabic, plan for both versions to be written for their readers rather than translated word for word. A sentence that reads naturally in one language can sound stiff or unclear in the other.
Photos, logo and brand files
Photos of your real premises, team and work build more trust than stock images. Gather the clearest ones you have, in their original size rather than copies saved from social media, which are often compressed. If you do use stock photos, make sure they are properly licensed.
Ask whoever designed your logo for the original files, ideally a vector format such as SVG, AI, EPS or a high-resolution PDF, plus versions for light and dark backgrounds. If you have brand colours or fonts, note them. If you do not, that is fine; the designer can propose them.
Only use photos you have the right to use. Images taken from other websites or found through a search engine can lead to takedown requests or claims later, even if they were easy to download.
Proof you can actually show
Real proof is persuasive: examples of past work, client names you have permission to mention, certifications, memberships and reviews you can link to. Collect what you have and confirm permission where it involves other people or businesses.
Do not fill gaps with invented testimonials, made-up numbers or logos of companies you have not worked with. Visitors increasingly notice, and it can create legal and reputational problems. If you are new, a clear description of your process and what customers can expect is honest proof in itself.
Legal pages, accounts and access
Most business sites need a privacy policy, especially if they have contact or booking forms or use analytics. Depending on what you sell, you may also need terms of service, a refund or cancellation policy and delivery information. Rules differ between countries, so if you are unsure, ask a local adviser rather than copying another site's policy.
Finally, list the accounts the site will connect to: your domain registrar, hosting, business email, Google Business Profile, social media pages, and any booking or payment service. Make sure you can log into each one yourself before the project starts, so nobody waits on a forgotten password.
If you have your business details, a few sentences per service, your common questions, original photos and logo files, and access to your accounts, you are ready. Anything missing is simply a line in the scope, either something you will prepare or something the studio drafts for your approval.
At SITELESS the timeline starts once content and assets are received, and we can prepare a draft for you to approve where text is missing. Our how we work page explains what you give and what you get at each stage.
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