I would honestly say that the pre-work required to get a website up and running, is even more intensive than completing a branding project. Yes, there's the user experience and strategy, but there's also a general tick list you'll need to have completed, or at least considered before the design of your gorgeous new site can begin. Let's break it down...

Your website copy

What is copy? Copy essentially means the written text. So this post that you’re reading right now is copy.

Your options here are to hire a copywriter or write it yourself. But now you’re staring at a blank word document wondering what to write! Don’t panic, it happens to everyone.

Outline the pages you’re going to need: homepage, about, services, portfolio, product pages, COVID policy etc. Then lay the pages out and start breaking down in headers what you want to include on each one. From there, start filling in where you have the information or find inspiration, and don't feel compelled to complete one bit before moving onto the next, you'll be surprised about how quickly it fills up.

It worth noting to keep SEO (search engine optimisation) in mind - this is when Google crawls your site looking for words that makes your site relevant to what people are searching. So make sure to include key words and phrases that compliment your brand and industry.

Now this might sound daft, but I’ve met loads of energetic people whose writing sounds so robotic. Write as if you’re speaking to someone, it really feels more personable, it will make you more relatable to customers and build trust much easier.

Quality imagery

When it comes to your website photographic content, you have a few options:

• Take photos yourself, or get a friend/family member to take them: This way it’s completely free and you have images of yourself on the website. Please just make sure they’re high quality with decent editing with a consistent look and feel.
• Hire a photographer: Obviously there will be a cost involved with this, but it will give you beautiful, consistent results and definitely a great investment.
• Use stock imagery: You can really get some beautiful stock imagery for your website (even for free), just please make sure to check the licence before sending them over. Some of my favourites are: Unsplash, Pexels, Pixabay, Creative Market, Moyo Studio.

TIP: If you sell physical products, make sure that your photo composition and backgrounds all look consistent. I’ve found rawbackdrops.com that make beautiful photo backgrounds for a really affordable price.

Your website domain

Your web domain is the URL (www. address) of your website. Some web hosting platforms include a free domain, some don't, so it's worth asking your designer. However, it's good practice to check before hand on sites like Godaddy or 123Reg to see what's available in relation to your business name.

Email marketing

I will always advocate doing email marketing for your business and it's something I encourage all my clients to do. It can save you a lot of time and energy to set up an account before hand, or at least know which email marketing provider you want to go with as this can save a lot of time when integrating your subscribe form to your website.

Check out my post on email marketing and why I use/recommend Flodesk.

Finding the right designer for you

This might feel like a needle in a hay stack situation but there are some tips to consider that may help:

• Referral: Word of mouth is generally a great way to go with any service. The things I would urge you to keep in mind: What business do you have, what's are your values, who are your customers and what do you want out of your site? If the person who recommended the designer sits in line with these things too, it could be a good choice. A great designer for one person, isn't always perfect for someone else.
• Google search: I wouldn't go as vague as to type into Google 'website designer' as there are literally thousands. Narrow it down by searching web designer + a specific website platform your interested in or web designer + your sector - you're more likely to be matched with someone who's aligned with your needs.
• Social Media: Apply the same methods as above, but use hashtags. I also recommend trying Instagram - web designers are visual people and it'll be like looking at a mini portfolio or their work.

Obviously the more prep you can do, the better and it really is a dream to any designers ears that you will have looked into these! If you're stuck with some/all of these points, at least it's useful to have them in mind to ask about when your enquire about working with someone. Any designer should be more than happy to help.