Small Business Website Planning Checklist

Use this checklist to get organized before you build or rebuild your website. It will save you time, money, and back-and-forth no matter who builds your site.

1. Goals

What is the one main action you want visitors to take? (Call, book, request a quote, visit, buy)
Who is your ideal customer, and what are they searching for?
What questions do customers ask you most often?
What makes you different from your top three competitors?

2. Business basics

Official business name, exactly as you want it to appear
Phone number and email address for inquiries
Physical address, or the list of cities you serve
Business hours
Licenses, certifications, insurance, and memberships worth mentioning

3. Pages

4. Content and photos

A short description of each service
Your story: how and why you started
Three to five customer reviews you have permission to use
Photos of your work, your team, and your location (phone photos are fine if they’re clear and well lit)
Your logo, in the highest-quality file you have

5. Domain and accounts

Do you have a domain? Is it registered in your name?
Do you have a Google Business Profile? Do you have the login?
Do you have a professional email address (like you@yourbusiness.com)?

6. Getting found

List the top five to ten phrases customers might search to find you
List the cities, suburbs, or neighborhoods you want to be found in
Note any directories that matter in your industry (like Houzz, Avvo, or Yelp)

7. Questions to ask any web designer

What exactly is included in the price?
Who writes the content?
What will I pay every month or year after launch?
Who owns the website, domain, and hosting accounts?
How many revisions are included?
What happens if I want to leave?
How long will it take?

Want us to handle all of this? Most of this checklist is exactly what we cover in our discovery interview. Book a free consultation and we’ll take it from there, for a flat $1,500.