Project planning

What to send your website designer before the project starts

Prepare a useful website brief with business details, approved images, services, enquiry requirements and clear ownership expectations.

DigiEntrepreneurss editorial team · Published 24 October 2026 · 2 min read

Illustrative business owner and designer reviewing a website project

AI-generated illustrative models and website concepts; not client work.

Explain the decision your visitor needs to make

Start with your business type, ideal customer and the action the website should support. “Get more business” is too broad to guide a design. “Help brides see reception looks and send their event details” gives the designer a useful direction. For a clinic, the task might be helping visitors locate the practice and understand how appointment requests work.

Gather approved business facts

Prepare the correct trading name, phone number, email, service area and any confirmed address or opening hours. List the services you want to promote and the common questions customers ask. Note which information can be published and which requires approval. If several people are involved, choose one person to consolidate feedback so the designer receives a consistent direction.

Supply images with context and permission

Send selected photographs and explain what each one shows. Identify which work belongs in which portfolio category. Include the original logo and any brand colours you want to preserve. Do not assume an image found online can be reused. For clinical or customer photographs, confirm permissions before sharing them for publication. Clearly mark website screenshots as examples, not results or testimonials.

Agree on scope and ongoing costs

Confirm whether the quote covers pages or sections, copywriting, image preparation, enquiry forms and search setup. List revision rounds and distinguish a small correction from new functionality. Ask about first-year domain or hosting allowances and the separate renewal cost. Confirm payment stages and access arrangements in writing. A design preview is a way to review direction, not an agreement that the entire website is free.

Prepare a practical acceptance review

Before launch, test the site on a phone, check every contact link and review the final service wording. Verify that the form explains its next step and that package conditions remain readable. Ask for website files or administration access as agreed, together with basic editing instructions. Save the quotation and handover notes. This preparation helps both sides make decisions with fewer avoidable misunderstandings.