A new website is one of the most important investments your business can make. For potential customers, it’s often the first impression of your business. For returning customers, it’s a reliable source of your products and services.
Too often, businesses jump straight into the build and design phase when launching a new website project — and that’s where projects go over budget, miss deadlines, or fail to deliver results.
Whether you’re launching a brand-new site or completely rebuilding your current one, here are four components you should put down on paper first.
1. Get Clear on Your Goals (Not Just Your Wishlist)
Before you talk to a web designer or developer, ask yourself: What do I actually need this website to do?
It sounds simple, but most business owners come to the table with a wishlist of features — new colors, new services pages, maybe a blog — without connecting those features to a concrete business goal.
Start by asking the bigger questions:
- Are you trying to generate more leads from organic search?
- Do you need to better communicate a new service or product offering?
- Is your current site losing customers because it’s slow or hard to navigate?
- Are you trying to establish credibility in a new market?
Your answers will shape every decision made throughout the project. When your team and your web partner are aligned on the why behind the build, it’s much easier to prioritize features, control scope, and measure success after launch.
SPARK TIP: Set 2 to 3 measurable goals for your website before the project kicks off. For example: “Increase contact form submissions by 20%.” Use these goals to give your project and team a clear focus and direction.
2. Know Your Audience and What They Need From You
Your website isn’t for you — it’s for your customers. That’s an easy thing to say and a hard thing to actually design around.
One of the most common mistakes businesses make is building a website that reflects their perspective instead of their customer’s. What happens? A site that looks great to your internal team but doesn’t resonate with the people it’s meant to serve.
Before your project begins, take time to define:
- Who your ideal customer is. What industry are they in? What problems are they trying to solve? How can you help them?
- What they’re looking for when they land on your site. Are they researching? Comparing options? Ready to buy?
- What objections or hesitations they might have. Your site should proactively address these.
When you understand who you’re talking to, your messaging becomes sharper, your calls-to-action become more compelling, and your website actually converts.
3. Audit What You Already Have
If you’re rebuilding an existing site, you don’t have to start from scratch completely. There’s likely more from your current site worth keeping than you realize.
A simple audit before your project begins can save you significant time and money. Here’s what to look at:
- Content: Which pages should you keep that are performing well in search? Which ones are outdated or missing entirely?
- SEO: What keywords are you currently ranking for? Your new site should be built to protect and build on that foundation, not blow it up.
- Traffic Analytics: Where are visitors dropping off? Which pages have the highest bounce rates?
- Branding: Does your current branding and messaging still reflect who you are today? If your services or target market have shifted, now is the time to update your story.
If you need help with an audit, ask your web design partner to help analyze these areas before any design or development work starts.
Reach out to see how the SPARK process can improve your website →
4. Start Gathering Assets for Your Website
Think of a great website as a skillful assembly of pieces that come together to tell a persuasive story. The earlier you start collecting these components, the smoother your project will go.
- Copy. The written words on your site are arguably its most important element. Strong copy tells a cohesive brand story that connects with your audience and converts, without feeling like a sales pitch.
- A clear list of your services or products. A website refresh is a great opportunity to clarify and organize your offerings so visitors immediately understand what you do and who you serve.
- Photos. Authentic photos of your team, facilities, or completed projects build far more trust than generic stock images.
- Video. Whether it’s a company overview or a client testimonial, video can make your website stand out from others.
- Intake forms. Map out what information you need to collect from visitors (contact forms, quote requests, surveys) so they can be built into the site from the start.
- Your logo and brand assets. Have clean, high-resolution logo files and any existing brand guidelines ready to share with your design team.
- Testimonials. If you don’t have any testimonials ready, reach out to your customers and get their approval so they’re ready by the time the site goes live.
- Proof Points. Numbers like years in business, clients served, or projects completed can build instant credibility with new visitors.
You don’t need everything perfectly polished before your project begins. But the more you can pull together upfront, the faster your project will move and the better your end result will be.
Free downloadable checklist of things you should do to prepare for a website project →
Ready to Build a Website That Actually Works for Your Business?
A successful website project starts long before the first design is drawn. By getting clear on your goals, knowing your audience, auditing what you have, and gathering your assets, you give your project the foundation it needs to deliver real results.
At SPARK, we guide businesses through every step of this process, from strategy and design to development and launch. Reach out today to learn more!
