A website project moves more smoothly when the important decisions are written down before the first layout is designed. You do not need polished copy or a folder full of professional photographs to start. You do need a clear account of what you offer and what a visitor should do next.
Here is a practical starting brief for a local business. It also works for a creator, club or organisation: change the enquiry goal to the action that matters to you.
Start with one useful action
Write down the main action you want a visitor to take. That could be requesting a quote, asking about availability or viewing your work. Avoid treating every action as equally important on every page.
For example, a trades website may need an enquiry about a particular job. A beauty studio may need a visitor to choose a treatment before making a booking request. An online shop needs enough product information for someone to decide whether to buy. These are different journeys, so the content should reflect them.
Gather the facts before the sales copy
Create a simple document with the information you would want a new customer to know:
- Your trading name and public contact details.
- The services or products you actually provide.
- The areas you cover, or how online delivery works.
- Opening hours and realistic response expectations.
- What is included, what is excluded and how quotations work.
- Genuine examples, qualifications and reviews you have permission to publish.
Flag anything you still need to confirm. An unfinished fact is easier to resolve than a confident statement that has already gone live.
Give each image a job
A photograph can show a completed project, explain a product or introduce the person a customer will speak to. Add a short note describing what it shows and which page it belongs on. Keep the original files so the website version can be prepared at a suitable size.
Do not use a fictional demo's images as evidence of your own work. On Vertygo's Demos page, the businesses are clearly labelled as examples. A real business portfolio should be just as clear about what it represents.
Agree the first version
Separate launch requirements from ideas for later. A short, complete site can be more useful than a larger one with missing content. Ask your designer to turn the brief into an agreed page list and check how updates will be handled after launch.
Before signing off, read the website as a new visitor: can you tell what is offered, where it is available and how to take the next step?
Further reading
Google's SEO Starter Guide explains why useful, original and clearly organised content matters. Search visibility is a reason to make the brief accurate; it is not a replacement for answering customers' questions.