Website Content Checklist: What to Prepare Before a New Website

A website content checklist helps you prepare the information a designer needs before building your site. When text, images and page goals are organized early, the project becomes easier to review. You can spend more time explaining your business clearly and less time searching for missing details during the build.

Begin your website content checklist with page goals

List the pages your visitors need and describe the purpose of each one. A homepage introduces the business, a service page explains a specific offer and a contact page helps someone enquire. Keep the list focused on real visitor needs.

Write one sentence describing the main question each page answers. For example, a service page might answer: “Is this the right service for my situation, and how do I ask about it?” That sentence gives your content a clear direction.

Prepare a useful business introduction

Describe what you do, who you help and the area or market you serve. Use words a new customer will understand. A short, specific explanation usually communicates more than a broad slogan about quality or success.

For the About page, collect information about your approach, relevant experience and the people behind the business. Check factual details with the team before publishing them. Do not add achievements, qualifications or testimonials that you cannot support.

Organize details for each service

For every main service, explain the problem it addresses, what is included and what happens next. Note the information you need from the customer before work can begin. If the service has important limits, make those clear.

A website project service page could explain discovery, page planning, design review and launch checks. Use examples that reflect your actual process. If prices depend on the work, describe the factors customers should discuss rather than inventing a fixed quote.

Gather images you can publish

Collect approved photographs, logos and relevant project images in one folder. Use descriptive filenames and note where each image belongs. Keep the original files available so the designer can choose suitable display sizes.

Confirm permission for people, customer work and third-party assets. Give informative images a short description of what they show. A filename alone is not a useful description for a visitor who cannot see the image.

Write clear headings and next steps

Use headings that describe the information in the section. Keep paragraphs focused and explain unfamiliar terms when they matter. A reader should be able to scan the page and understand its structure before reading every sentence.

Choose a relevant action for each page, such as requesting information or viewing a related guide. The W3C guidance on writing for accessibility provides useful principles for headings, link wording and clear instructions.

Confirm contact details and practical information

Check phone numbers, email addresses, location information and opening hours. Decide which enquiry methods the team will monitor. If a form is planned, identify the fields you need and what the visitor should see after submitting it.

Review any policies or important business terms with the responsible person before launch. Keep a record of who approves the final text and who will maintain it when details change.

Keep one organized content file

• Page name and purpose.
• Main heading and approved text.
• Service details and customer questions.
• Images and their descriptions.
• Related pages to link to.
• Main action or contact method.
• Approval status and content owner.

Mark uncertain information clearly rather than presenting it as final. This helps the designer distinguish approved material from notes that still need a decision.

Review before the design stage

Read the content as if you were visiting the business for the first time. Remove repetition and check that the offer, process and next step are understandable. Ask a colleague to identify questions the draft leaves unanswered.

This website content checklist supports our small business website design guide. Once the build is ready, use the WordPress launch checklist for the final review. Explore the WordPress learning module to practise turning organized content into a working website.