Ask anyone who builds websites what holds a project up, and almost nobody says the design. It is the content. The words, the photos, the list of services, the bits only you know. A build that could take a few weeks stretches into months, not because anything is difficult, but because the content is still sitting in someone’s head. The good news is that getting ready is mostly a gathering job, and it is far less work than it sounds once you know what to collect.
Start with the list of pages
Before you write a word, write down the pages your site needs. Most small business sites are simpler than owners expect: a home page, a page for each service you actually want enquiries about, an about page, a contact page, and somewhere for news or articles if you plan to publish them. Resist the urge to give every small variation of a service its own page. One clear page that answers a customer’s question beats four thin ones that repeat each other.
Describe each page in a sentence
For every page on that list, write one sentence saying what it is for and who it is for. “This page is for someone comparing quotes who wants to know what is included.” That single sentence does more to shape a page than three paragraphs of polished prose, and it makes it obvious when a page has no real job and should be cut.
Write the way you talk
The most common mistake is reaching for a formal voice that sounds nothing like you. Customers can tell. If you would explain something to a customer standing in front of you in plain words, write it that way. Say what you do, who you do it for, what it costs if you are comfortable saying so, and what happens next. A useful trick is to record yourself answering a customer’s question out loud, then tidy up the transcript. It reads better than anything written from a blank page.
Gather the photos early
Photos take longer to sort out than anything else, so start on them first. What is worth having:
- Your actual work. Real jobs, real premises, real vehicles. Nothing builds trust faster, and nothing replaces it.
- Your people. A real face on the about page beats a stock photo of strangers in a boardroom every time.
- Landscape shots as well as portrait. Wide images suit banners and headers; tall ones rarely do.
- The biggest versions you have. Straight off the camera or phone is ideal. A photo can be made smaller without harm, but it cannot be made bigger.
- A logo file if you have one. The original file from whoever designed it, not a copy pulled off your old website.
Round up the details that are easy to forget
Small things, and every one of them holds up a page if it is missing: your business name exactly as you want it written, your phone number, the email address enquiries should go to, your postal or street address, your ABN if you show it, your opening hours, the areas you serve, and links to any social media accounts you actually keep up to date. Gather them in one document and you will save yourself a fortnight of back-and-forth.
Ask for testimonials before you need them
If you want customer reviews on the site, ask for them now rather than at the end. People take a while to reply, and the wording has to be theirs. A short honest line from a real customer, used with their permission, is worth more than a page of adjectives about yourself. Never write them on a customer’s behalf: in Australia, fabricated reviews are illegal, and search engines penalise sites that carry them.
What if you do not have it all?
Then say so, and start anyway. A site can go live with the pages that are ready and grow from there. It is far better to publish something honest and complete about half your services than to wait a year for the perfect version of everything. Gaps are easy to fill later. A stalled project is much harder to restart.
Want a hand with it?
JezNorthWeb designs, builds, manages and promotes websites for businesses across the Northern Rivers and beyond, and helping owners shape their content is part of the job rather than something you have to solve alone before you call. Contact us to arrange a free consultation about your website.
