Let me be honest with you.
I’ve seen it happen more times than I can count : someone books a web designer, gets excited, and then… the project stalls. Weeks go by. Everyone’s frustrated. The site never launches.
Not because the designer was bad. Not because the client didn’t care.
But because they started before they were ready.
So before you invest in a website – whether it’s with me or anyone else – here’s what you actually need to have in place. Consider this your honest pre-flight checklist!
#1. A logo (or at least a clear visual direction)
Your web designer is not your brand designer.
These are two different skills, two different jobs. A web designer takes your existing visual identity and builds something around it. Without a logo, there’s no starting point – no colours, no fonts, no visual language to work with.
The good news? You don’t need to spend thousands on a brand designer before you can have a website.
Some options to get started :
- Canva – free, intuitive, and surprisingly powerful for simple logos
- Looka – AI-generated logos that actually look professional
- Coolors – to find a colour palette that feels like you
- Google Fonts – free typography that works beautifully on any site
Even a simple, clean logo is enough to get started. Done beats perfect here.
#2. Professional photos – or at least decent ones
This one is non-negotiable if you want a website that converts.
Stock photos are fine as a filler. But nothing builds trust like real photos of you, your work, or your products. People buy from people – and they want to see who they’re dealing with.
If you’re not ready for a professional shoot yet :
- Unsplash – free, high-quality lifestyle and business photos
- Pexels – same vibe, also free
- Ivory Mix – beautiful, feminine stock photos made specifically for entrepreneurs
And when you are ready for a real shoot – even a half-day session with a local photographer can completely transform your site. It’s one of the best investments you’ll make.
#3. Your content – yes, the actual words
This is the one that surprises people the most.
A web designer designs. They don’t write your about page, your service descriptions, or your homepage copy. That’s your job – or your copywriter’s.
Before starting a project, you’ll need at minimum :
- A short description of what you do and who you help
- Your main offer(s) explained clearly
- An about page – who you are, why you do what you do
- Any other content specific to your pages
It doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t have to be polished. But it needs to exist.
Not sure where to start ?
- Use ChatGPT to draft a first version – then make it sound like you
- Write like you talk – conversational, clear, no jargon
- Focus on your client, not on yourself
Pro tip : the clearer your content, the faster your project will move – and the happier you’ll be with the result.
#4. A clear idea of what you actually need
You don’t need to know everything about web design. That’s literally what you’re hiring someone for.
But you do need to know :
- What pages your site needs (home, about, services, contact – at minimum)
- What you want people to DO on your site (book a call? buy a product? apply for your service?)
- What feeling you want your site to give (professional? warm? bold? minimal?)
The clearer you are on these three things, the smoother the whole process will be.
No endless back-and-forth. No « I’ll know it when I see it. » Just clarity – which, funny enough, is exactly what a good website delivers too.
Ready? Here’s what happens next.
If you’ve ticked all four boxes – amazing. You’re exactly the kind of client I love working with.
The Clarity Sprint is a focused, 7 to 10 business day WordPress website design service, built for people who are ready to move forward without the drama. One project at a time. 100% async. A beginning and an end.
> Apply for the Clarity Sprint <
And if you’re not quite there yet — no stress. Bookmark this article, get your ducks in a row, and come back when you’re ready. I’ll be here!