What Every Small Business Needs Before Building a Website

Building a website is an exciting step for any small business, but jumping in without proper preparation can lead to delays, frustration, and unnecessary costs. The good news? With the right preparation, your web design process can be smooth, efficient, and result in a website that truly serves your business goals.

This guide walks you through everything you need to have ready before starting your website project. Whether you're working with a designer or building it yourself, this checklist will save you time and money while ensuring better results.

Your website needs to reflect your brand consistently. Before starting, gather these essential brand assets:

• Logo files in multiple formats (PNG with transparent background, SVG if available)
• Brand colors with exact hex codes (e.g., #7C3AED for purple)
• Font choices for headings and body text
• Any existing brand guidelines or style documents
• High-quality photos of your products, services, or team
• Your business tagline or mission statement

If you don't have a formal brand identity yet, that's okay. At minimum, you should have a logo and a clear idea of the colors and style that represent your business. Many web designers can help develop these elements as part of the website project.

Content is the foundation of your website. Having your content ready (or at least outlined) before design begins will significantly speed up the process.

Essential content to prepare:

• About page: Your business story, values, and what makes you different
• Services/Products: Clear descriptions of what you offer
• Contact information: Phone, email, physical address, business hours
• Testimonials or reviews from satisfied customers
• Frequently asked questions your customers ask
• Any certifications, awards, or credentials
• Social media links and profiles

For product or service descriptions, focus on benefits rather than just features. Explain how you solve your customers' problems, not just what you do.

Before building your website, you'll need to make some technical decisions and gather necessary information:

• Domain name: Choose and register your website address (e.g., yourbusiness.co.za)
• Email addresses: Decide if you want professional email (info@yourbusiness.co.za)
• Hosting preferences: Discuss hosting options with your designer
• Existing accounts: Gather login details for any existing social media or business accounts
• Analytics: Consider if you want Google Analytics or other tracking tools
• Third-party integrations: List any tools you need to connect (booking systems, payment gateways, etc.)

If you're working with a web designer, they can guide you through these decisions and often handle the technical setup for you. The key is to discuss these requirements early in the process.

Being clear about your budget and timeline expectations helps ensure a smooth project. Here's what to consider:

Typical website costs in South Africa (2024):

Remember that your timeline depends on how quickly you can provide feedback and content. A project that should take 3 weeks can stretch to 2 months if there are delays in communication or content delivery.

Before starting your website, clearly define what you want it to achieve. This helps guide design decisions and ensures your website serves your business needs.

Key questions to answer:

• What is the primary purpose of your website? (Generate leads, sell products, provide information, build credibility)
• Who is your target audience? (Demographics, needs, pain points)
• What action do you want visitors to take? (Contact you, make a purchase, book a consultation)
• What makes you different from competitors?
• What websites do you admire and why?
• What features are essential vs. nice-to-have?

Having clear answers to these questions will help your designer create a website that's not just beautiful, but strategically designed to achieve your business goals.

Proper preparation is the foundation of a successful website project. By gathering your brand assets, preparing your content, understanding technical requirements, setting clear budgets and timelines, and defining your goals, you're setting yourself up for a smooth and efficient web design process.

Remember, you don't need to have everything perfect before starting. A good web designer will guide you through the process and help fill in any gaps. The key is to start with a solid foundation and clear communication.

If you have questions about preparing for your website project or want to discuss your specific needs, we're here to help. Schedule a free consultation to explore how we can bring your vision to life.