How to Prepare Content Before Hiring a Web Designer: A Practical Checklist for Small Businesses
Get organized before you hire a web designer. This practical, step-by-step guide helps small businesses prepare content, assets, and goals so your project runs smoother.
Why preparing content matters
Hiring a web designer is an investment — and the more prepared you are, the faster and more cost-effective the project will be. Whether you’re a surf school in Maui, a cafe in Lisbon, or a creative studio in Shoreditch, having your content ready speeds up design decisions and helps the site reflect your brand from day one.
Below is a friendly, actionable guide to get your content ship-shape before you hand it over to your designer.
Start with the big picture
Before diving into pages and paragraphs, clarify a few fundamentals:
Purpose: What do you want the website to do? (Sell products, showcase portfolio, capture leads, book appointments)
Audience: Who are your ideal customers? Think geography (Maui locals, Berlin creatives, Rio entrepreneurs), age, interests.
Primary CTA: What single action should most visitors take? (Book, buy, join, contact)
Tone and style: Casual and playful, luxurious and refined, or warm and community-focused?
Write 2–3 sentences for each item — these will help your designer and copywriter stay aligned.
Create a simple sitemap (page list)
Map out the pages you want. A clear sitemap is one of the most helpful things you can give a designer.
Typical pages for small businesses:
Home
About / Our Story
Services / What We Do
Portfolio / Gallery / Work
Shop (if you sell products)
Blog / Journal
Contact / Bookings
Legal pages: Privacy Policy, Terms
Tip: Label pages as “required” or “optional” so the designer knows what to prioritize.
Page-by-page content: what to prepare
For each page, prepare the following where possible:
Page headline: One short, benefit-focused headline.
Subhead: 1–2 supporting lines that clarify the headline.
Body copy: Short paragraphs or bullet points describing services, features, or stories.
Primary CTA: What should the user do on this page?
Supporting elements: Testimonials, FAQs, case studies, pricing, and legal notes.
Examples:
Home: hero headline, 3 benefits, trust signals (clients or press...