What to Prepare Before Your Website Build: A Checklist for Australian Business Owners

Most delays on a website project have nothing to do with the building itself. They come from waiting: waiting for a logo file, for photos, for a few lines about the business, or for the login to a domain nobody can find. A small amount of preparation before the build starts is the most useful thing a business owner can do to get a site live faster and to a higher standard. Here is the checklist we would hand to any new client.

Why Preparation Speeds Everything Up

A website is built from your material: your brand, your words, your photos and your proof. When that material is ready, the work moves quickly and the finished site reflects your business. When it is missing, pages get filled with placeholder text and generic images that someone has to come back and replace, which is where most projects slow down. The more of this list you have ready, the faster the work moves. If you are wondering how long a build usually takes, our guide to how long it takes to build a website explains what affects the timeline.

1. Your Brand Basics

• Your logo in the best quality you have, ideally a vector file or a large PNG with a transparent background. A screenshot of a logo from social media is rarely good enough.
• Brand colours and fonts, if you have them. Hex codes are ideal, but a brand guide or a business card to match against will do.
• A tagline or one-line description of what you do, if you already use one.

If you do not have a brand yet, say so early. A clean, consistent palette can be built as part of the project, but it is better to know at the start than the middle.

2. Real Photos of Your Business

Photos of your actual work, team, premises and products do more for trust than any stock image. Visitors can usually tell the difference, and a site full of generic photos looks like every other site in your industry. Gather the best images you have, including finished jobs, the team at work and your premises or vehicles. Phone photos are fine when they are well lit, sharp and taken at a decent size. If you photograph customers' homes or people, make sure you have their permission to use the images.

3. The Words

You do not need polished copy, but you do need the raw material. Write down:

• What you do, who it is for and the area you serve.
• Each service or product, with a sentence or two on what is included.
• Your story: how the business started and what makes you different.
• The questions customers ask you most often, and your honest answers.
• Your contact details, opening hours and service areas.

A good test is to write as you would explain the business to a friend. That voice is almost always better than anything that sounds like a brochure.

4. Proof That You Are the Real Thing

People decide whether to contact you based on whether they trust you, so gather the evidence:

• Customer reviews and testimonials, with permission to quote them. Our guide to getting more Google reviews can help if you do not have many yet.
• Your ABN, plus any trade or professional licence numbers.
• Insurance, accreditations, memberships and awards.
• Before and after examples, case studies or a list of recent projects.

5. Accounts and Access

This is the item that causes the most unexpected delays, so find out early who holds what.

• Your domain name. Find out where it is registered and who the registered owner is. Ideally it is registered in your business's name, not a previous web designer's.
• Your current website and hosting, if you have one, so the move can be planned without taking you offline.
• Your Google Business Profile. If you do not have one yet, our guide to setting up your Google Business Profile explains why it matters.
• Analytics and social accounts, such as Google Analytics, Search Console and your business social handles.
• Business email, so nothing breaks when the new site goes live.

6. Your Legal and Trust Pages

If your website collects personal information, even just through an enquiry form, you should have a privacy policy. Whether the Privacy Act applies to your business depends on its size and activities, but the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner explains that Australian Privacy Principle 1 requires a clearly expressed and up-to-date privacy policy published on the entity's website for businesses the Act covers. Even where it does not strictly apply, a clear privacy policy is good practice and builds trust. If you sell products or services online, you may also need terms and conditions. Check your obligations with a qualified adviser, and have your policy text ready or tell us you need one drafted.

7. Decide What You Want Visitors to Do

Every page should push toward one main action, such as calling, requesting a quote or booking. Decide which one matters most, which phone number and email should receive enquiries, and what information you actually need on a contact form. Fewer form fields usually mean more enquiries. Our guide on why every page needs a clear call to action covers how to think about this.

8. If You Already Have a Website

An existing site has value that is easy to lose. Make a list of the pages that currently get visitors or rank on Google, so those addresses can be redirected to their new equivalents. Note what you like and dislike about the current site. And collect two or three websites, in your industry or outside it, that you admire, along with what you like about each. This gives a build far more direction than a general instruction to make it look modern.

What If You Do Not Have Everything?

That is completely normal. Hardly anyone has every item ready, and the point of the list is knowing what is missing early so it can be planned around. Whatever your situation, talk it through at the start. If you are still deciding which package suits your business, our guide to the Foundation, Growth and Bespoke packages sets out what each includes, and it is also worth understanding what the monthly hosting fee covers before you start.

The Quick Checklist

• Logo files, brand colours and fonts
• Real photos of your work, team and premises
• A description of your business and each service
• Your story and your most common customer questions
• Reviews, licence numbers, ABN and accreditations
• Domain, hosting and Google Business Profile access
• A privacy policy, or notes for one to be drafted
• One main goal and the contact details to match
• A list of old pages worth keeping, if you have a current site
• Two or three sites you admire

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need professional photos before the build?

Not necessarily. Clear, well lit photos of your real work and team are often enough, and they usually do more for trust than stock images. Professional photography is worth considering later if your budget allows.

How much written content do I need to provide?

Rough notes are enough. A description of your business, a sentence or two on each service, your story and answers to common customer questions give a build plenty to work with.

What if I do not have a logo?

Tell us at the start. A simple logo or wordmark and a consistent colour palette can be planned into the project, and it is better to decide that early than partway through.

How do I find out who owns my domain name?

Look up the domain in a registrar's lookup tool or ask whoever set it up. Make sure the registered owner is your business, since losing control of a domain can mean losing your website address.

Do I need a privacy policy on my website?

If your site collects personal information, a clear privacy policy is good practice and may be required depending on your business. Check your specific obligations with a qualified adviser.