Website content checklist: what to collect from your client

Goals and audience

Before any copy, agree on what the site is for. It changes which pages you need and what each one should ask the visitor to do.

• The main goal of the site: calls, bookings, quotes, sales or credibility
• Who the ideal visitor is, and what they need to know before they act
• Two or three sites the client likes, and what they like about them
• Competitors the client wants to stand apart from

Brand essentials

Start with the pieces every page depends on. Ask for original files, not screenshots or photos of a sign.

• Logo in SVG, PNG or PDF, plus any light or dark versions
• The exact business name as it should appear, including capitalization
• Brand colors and fonts, if they already exist
• A few words about the tone: formal, friendly, playful or calm

Home page

The home page has one job: tell a visitor what the business does, for whom, and what to do next.

• One or two sentences on what the business does and who it helps
• The main call to action and where it leads (booking, call, quote, shop)
• Three to five real photos of the work, team or place

Services or products

This is where vague answers cost the most time. Ask for each offer separately. The content questionnaire has ready-made wording for these questions.

• Each service or product with a short description
• Who it is for and what is included
• Prices, "from" prices, or a clear note that prices are on request
• Common questions customers ask before buying, with answers

About and team

Clients often skip this section, but it is what makes a small business feel real.

• How the business started and what makes it different
• Team names, roles and a short introduction
• Portrait photos, named after the people in them
• Only credentials, awards and licenses the client can back up

Images

Agree on image quality early, so you do not rebuild pages around blurry photos.

• Original files, not images copied from social media
• At least 2000 pixels wide for full-width photos
• Permission from the people pictured and from the photographer
• File names that say what is in the photo

Search and sharing

A little text written by the client makes search results and shared links much better.

• The towns or areas the business serves
• How customers describe the service in their own words
• A one-sentence description for search results and social sharing

Contact, legal and access

Collect only the details the client wants published, plus the access you need to launch.

• Public email, phone, address, opening hours and social links
• Notices the site must show: privacy, returns, professional disclaimers
• Who controls the domain name and DNS, and how you will get access
• Any existing hosting, email or analytics accounts to keep or move

Before you start building

Check that every item has an owner and a due date, and that you know which items are still missing. A short weekly list of what is outstanding gets more done than a long email thread. See how to get content from clients without chasing for a simple process.

Related guides