Most website projects that drag on aren’t slow because of design or code. They stall while everyone waits on a login, a photo or a decision. I’ve been building websites for local businesses in Sumter since 2009, and the projects that go smoothest are the ones where the owner gathered a few things before we started.
Here’s what I ask every client to pull together. You don’t need all of it on day one, but the more you have, the faster your new site goes live and the better it works once it does.
1. Your logins and who owns them
Track down the login for your domain name (where you bought yoursite.com) and your current hosting, if you have a site already. If a past web person or a relative set these up, find out whose name and email they’re under. A domain registered to someone who isn’t you is the most common delay I run into, and it’s a real risk to your business.
Also grab access to your Google Business Profile, any social media accounts and your email marketing tool if you use one. We’ll connect them to the new site.
2. Your logo and brand colors
Send the best version of your logo you can find. A large PNG or a vector file (AI, EPS, SVG or PDF) is ideal. A blurry screenshot from Facebook works in a pinch, but it will look soft on a modern phone screen. If you have brand colors or fonts you already use on signs, trucks or business cards, note those too.
3. Real photos
Photos of your actual team, your shop, your trucks and your finished work do more for trust than any stock image. They don’t need to be professional. Recent phone photos in good light are fine. Aim for a handful per service you offer, plus a few of you and your team.
4. A clear list of services and where you work
Write down every service you want to be found for, in the words your customers use. “Water heater replacement” beats “plumbing solutions.” Then list the towns and counties you serve. This list becomes your page structure and drives your local SEO, so it’s worth an hour of your time.
5. Your best reviews
Pick five or six of your favorite customer reviews from Google or Facebook. We’ll feature them where they help people decide. If you don’t have many reviews yet, my post on how to respond to Google reviews covers how to start building them.
6. The questions customers always ask
What do people ask on the phone before they hire you? How much does it cost, how soon can you come out, do you serve my area, are you licensed? Write down the top ten. Answering those clearly on your site saves you phone time and helps you show up when people ask Google or an AI tool the same question.
7. What you want the site to do
Decide what a win looks like. More phone calls? Quote requests? Online orders? Event signups? A site built for calls looks different from one built to sell products online or serve a church congregation. If you’re not sure, my post on what a website is supposed to do is a good place to start.
Don’t forget what happens after launch
A website needs updates, backups and someone keeping an eye on it. Before you start, decide who will handle that. We offer hosting and website care plans so you don’t have to think about it, but whoever does it, have a plan.
Free tools to get a head start
While you’re gathering everything, a few of our free resources can help:
- The Google Business Profile setup guide walks you through getting listed and verified on Google Search and Maps.
- The local business schema generator creates the code that tells Google your name, address, hours and service area.
- A free website audit shows what’s working on your current site and what to carry over.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need everything on this list before I contact a web designer?
No. Reach out whenever you’re ready. A good designer will help you fill in the gaps. Having your logins and service list ready just means we can move faster.
Can I use stock photos?
You can, and sometimes we use a few for backgrounds. But real photos of your business build more trust, especially for local service companies where people want to know who is showing up at their house.
What if my old web person has my domain?
Ask them to transfer it into an account in your name, or to add you as the owner. If they won’t respond, the registrar usually has a process to prove ownership. We help clients with this all the time.
How long does a new website take?
It depends on the size of the site and how quickly content comes together. The pieces on this list are usually what decides the timeline. Our pricing page lays out what each website plan includes.
Ready to start? Get in touch or see how we approach web design in Sumter, SC.