How to prepare for building a website: a 7-step checklist
Building a website can take 1 week or stretch out to 3 months. The most common cause of delay isn't development work — it's the client not being prepared: missing text, missing photos, unclear goals. This checklist will help you prepare so the work goes as smoothly and stress-free as possible.
1. A 7-step checklist
1. Define the main goal of your website: What do you want a visitor to do? Call, fill out an inquiry form, download a price list, or buy a product.
2. Write down your list of services: For each service, prepare at least a short description of what it's for and what problems it solves.
3. Gather visual materials: You'll need a logo in vector format (SVG, AI, or high-resolution PNG) and real photos of completed work or your team.
4. Pick 2–3 examples you like: Show the developer websites whose aesthetics, structure, or usability appeal to you.
5. Prepare your contact information: Company registration details, official email, phone number, business hours.
6. Register your domain: If you don't already have one, check availability and register the .lt domain you want in your own name.
7. Set a realistic budget and timeline: Decide by when the website absolutely must launch.
2. Common mistakes that delay projects
Missing text: the most common cause of delay. If there's no text, the developer can't finish the page layout — the design 'hangs' waiting for content. It's best to prepare at least a draft text for each page in advance, even if it gets edited later.
Slow decision-making: if decisions have to be made by a team of several people, or by a manager who's rarely available, every approval stage can drag on for weeks. Appoint one responsible person to make final decisions on text and design.
Vague change requests: instead of 'I'd like it to look better', be specific — 'I'd like a bigger font in the heading' or 'I'd like a different button color'. Specific comments let changes be implemented in one pass instead of five attempts.
3. What to prepare if you need an online store
In addition to the general list, an online store requires you to prepare in advance: a full product list with prices, dimensions, and descriptions, delivery terms and prices for different regions, your return and exchange policy, and information about VAT rates.
Key Takeaways
- Good preparation lets the developer give you a fixed price without later extra fees.
- Real photos always perform better than stock photos bought from image banks.
- Appoint one person responsible for decisions — it speeds up the project many times over.
Viktor Seto
Founder & Lead Developer @ SiteStudio
Passionate about building blazing-fast websites, custom web applications, and business workflow automations. Direct contact with clients without agency overhead.
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