The most common reason a web project runs late has nothing to do with design or development. It's missing content. Texts that haven't been written, photos that need to be hunted down, business details that arrive in pieces over weeks. A project scoped for six weeks quietly becomes three months.
This article is the practical guide we send every client before a project kicks off. It shows what to prepare, which page needs what, and how to get it done without turning it into a second job. You don't need to be a writer or a photographer — you need to know what we're looking for and why it matters.
Texts: what to write for each page
Every page on your website has a job to do, and the text needs to match that job. Your homepage doesn't describe everything you offer — it answers one question: what's in it for the visitor? Your services page explains what the client actually gets, not just what you do. Your About page builds trust. Your contact page removes obstacles.
For each page, answer three questions: who is this page for, what does that person want to know, and what should they do after reading it? You don't need polished copy — rough notes and bullet points are a perfectly good starting point. We can edit and shape the material, but we can't invent it.
This matters most for services: be specific. 'We deliver high-quality solutions' tells a visitor nothing. 'We install and service commercial HVAC systems across the South East, with same-day call-outs available' — that's something a person can act on.
Photos: your own images always win
Stock photography is a safe option, but it's rarely a good one. Visitors pick up on generic office scenes and stock smiles faster than you might think. Real photos of your space, your team, your work in progress create a level of trust that stock simply can't replicate.
A recent smartphone in decent natural light is enough to get started. Shoot horizontal, keep it uncluttered, take several shots of each scene. If you can spare half a day with a local photographer, the investment is almost always worth it — the difference it makes to the final site is significant.
When real photos genuinely aren't an option, we choose stock that feels less like stock: specific situations rather than posed smiles, colours that match your brand identity. But it's always a compromise, and it's better to know that upfront.
- Your premises or location (inside and outside)
- A portrait of the owner or team — no studio required
- Your service or product shown in use
- Your logo in vector format (SVG, AI, or EPS)
Business details we always need
This sounds simple, but it's where projects lose days. We need your legal business name, registered address, phone number, email address, opening hours, and links to any social media profiles. If you have multiple locations, each one separately.
Beyond the basics, gather anything that builds credibility: when you were founded, key milestones, client testimonials, relevant certifications or accreditations, notable projects or clients you can name. Having all of this in one document before we start saves a surprising amount of back-and-forth.
Look at the competition — but not to copy them
We ask every client to send us three to five websites they like — from any industry, not necessarily direct competitors. What interests us is what you respond to: the navigation, the colour palette, the way services are laid out, how much text is on the page. This tells us more about your taste than an hour of conversation.
At the same time, look honestly at your direct competitors. What do they do well? What's missing? Where do you genuinely differ? That difference is the core of your content. If you can't articulate what sets you apart, a first-time visitor certainly won't figure it out on their own.
How to organise everything in practice
Create one shared folder — Google Drive, Dropbox, it doesn't matter — and put everything in it: texts as Word or Google documents, photos in a clearly labelled subfolder, business details in a single reference document. When everything is in one place, the project can move without friction.
Realistically, most clients don't have everything ready on day one, and that's fine. What helps is a clear list of what's missing and a realistic date for when it will arrive. Projects stall when content trickles in over weeks — not because it wasn't perfect on the first day.
If all of this sounds like a lot of work, there's good news: we can develop a good part of the content together in a focused working session. But even for that, we need a starting point — and that starting point is you and your knowledge of your business.