How to prepare content before ordering a website
Most website projects do not get delayed by design or development. They get delayed because content is not ready. Preparing the right materials in advance is the single biggest thing a client can do to ship a site on time and on budget.
Texts: what to write before kickoff
A clear one-paragraph description of what you sell and to whom. Even if the agency will polish it, you have to write the first version.
A list of your services or products with short descriptions. Two to four sentences each is enough at this stage.
An about-us draft. Who you are, when the company started, why it exists. Real, not generic.
Contact details: phone, email, address, business hours, social profiles. Decide which to show publicly.
Visuals: photos, logos, brand
Real photos of your team, office, products, or work. Phone photos in good light beat polished stock images. Allocate a day for photography if you do not have anything.
A logo file in vector format (SVG or AI), not just a low-resolution PNG pulled from a social profile.
Brand colours and fonts if you already use them. If not, decide whether you want the agency to propose them.
Examples of your past work, projects, or results, with permission to publish them.
Structure: pages and journey
A list of pages you want. Start simple: home, services, about, contact. Add only the pages you have a reason for.
The action you want visitors to take. A call, a form, a purchase, a booking. Every page should drive toward it.
A short list of frequently asked questions. These often become section headings, FAQ blocks, or trust-building content.
References and direction
Three to five websites you like and three to five you actively dislike. Note what works and what does not. Specific feedback gives a designer something to work with.
One sentence on the impression you want the site to leave: trustworthy, modern, friendly, technical, premium. Pick the closest two, not all of them.
Any rules you must follow: industry regulations, brand guidelines, parent-company restrictions.
Decisions that cannot wait
Languages. Estonian only, plus Russian, plus English. Each language roughly doubles content work, so the answer matters.
Domain. Register it before development starts, ideally before design. Late changes cost time and SEO.
Who will own and update the site after launch. If you want to edit it yourself, that affects the platform choice.
Budget for ongoing work. Maintenance, content updates, SEO. Plan it now, not after the invoice for launch arrives.
The honest shortcut
If preparing all of the above feels like a project of its own, ask the agency to include a content workshop in the first phase. A few hours of structured interviews can replace weeks of solo writing for many small businesses.
Either way, the principle holds: content drives the build. The clearer your materials going in, the faster, cheaper, and better the site comes out.
FAQ
Can the agency write the content for me?+
Most can, often at 20-50 EUR per page. You still have to provide the facts, the offers, and the voice. Nobody writes a credible about-us page from a blank slate.
Do I need professional photos?+
Not always. Good phone photos in natural light work for many sites. For premium positioning or product-heavy sites, professional photography is worth the investment.
How long does content preparation actually take?+
For a small business site, 5-15 hours of focused work spread over 1-2 weeks. Much faster than trying to write it under deadline pressure mid-project.