01 / PURPOSE
Choose the action that matters.
“A more professional website” is a useful starting point, but a project needs a more specific job. Decide what a visitor should be able to understand and do before they leave.
- Service business: understand whether you handle their problem, see the areas you cover and request an estimate.
- Restaurant or hospitality business: find current menus, hours and location information, then reserve or plan a visit.
- Manufacturer or supplier: compare capabilities and specifications, then submit the information needed for a useful quote.
Write your one-sentence brief.
“We help [customer] with [service]. Our website should help them [action], and our team will handle inquiries through [person or system].”
Then list what must be ready for launch and what can follow later. An online store, customer portal, booking system or multi-location structure changes the scope considerably.
02 / MATERIALS
Bring the information customers ask for.
Collect your service list, the questions you hear before a sale, actual service areas, contact details and examples you have permission to share. Original photographs, useful explanations and specific project details can do more than a large volume of generic copy.
- Explain who each service is for, what it involves and the next step.
- Identify who will write, review and keep each page current.
- Separate completed customer work from concepts or demonstrations. Use customer quotes only with permission and accurate attribution.
- Provide access to existing domains and tools through their invitation features. Do not send passwords in a project form.
Our portfolio concepts show different design and interaction approaches. Use them to discuss what suits your business, rather than assuming every project needs the same features.
03 / EXISTING WEBSITES
A redesign starts with what is already working.
Before replacing pages, inventory their URLs and review available search and inquiry data. A page that looks dated may still answer an important question or bring in customers.
- List existing pages and decide which to keep, improve, combine or retire.
- Keep useful URLs where possible. Map necessary changes to the closest relevant replacement rather than redirecting everything to the homepage.
- Check important documents, images, forms and external integrations as well as navigation links.
- Retain a recoverable version of the existing site and agree who can approve the switch.
- After launch, verify redirects, key pages, search access and actual inquiry delivery.
04 / DISCOVERY
Make your services understandable and findable.
Give important services clear pages, useful headings and relevant internal links. For a business serving several communities, explain the real coverage and what customers in those areas can expect. A city name on a page does not establish an office there.
For example, a business serving Pensacola, Milton and Pace may begin with a strong service page that explains its coverage. A separate location page earns its place when it provides distinct information, such as a real location, local work or specific service arrangements.
Technical checks should cover crawl access, indexability, canonical URLs, sitemaps and mobile usability. Search Console can help establish what Google is discovering and how search traffic changes. Rankings also depend on competition and signals beyond the website, so launch checks are the beginning of ongoing search work.
For AI search experiences, the same useful, accessible content matters. Clearly identify your business, show original work and keep facts consistent. There is no special markup that guarantees an AI recommendation.
Further reading: Google’s helpful-content guidance and Google’s guidance for AI search experiences.
05 / PROJECT SCOPE
Compare what a proposal actually includes.
Two prices may cover very different responsibilities. Ask for clear answers before deciding whether proposals are comparable.
| Discuss | Get clear on |
|---|---|
| Pages & content | Which pages are included, who supplies copy and photography, and what happens when content changes. |
| Tools & integrations | Forms, bookings, payments, email delivery and any systems the site must connect to. |
| Ownership & access | Who controls the domain, hosting, website accounts and source or export access; any licenses or transfer limitations. |
| Budget & approvals | Included work, third-party fees, payment stages, review points and how scope changes are agreed. |
| After launch | Maintenance responsibilities, update requests, backups, support arrangements and recurring costs. |
| Measurement | What counts as a received inquiry, how duplicates and tests are excluded, and who reviews the results. |
06 / LAUNCH
Test the path from a visit to a real conversation.
- Read the important pages on a phone and a desktop. Check that the offer, contact options and next step are clear.
- Use a keyboard to check navigation and forms. Review labels, focus visibility and error messages.
- Submit a test inquiry and confirm it reaches the correct inbox. A success message alone is not enough.
- Call the published number from another phone and check how unanswered calls are handled.
- Verify page titles, canonical URLs, indexing instructions, sitemap entries, redirects and broken links.
- Agree who monitors inquiries and what information should be reviewed after launch.
Measure the difference between a visit, a submitted form, a received inquiry and a useful customer conversation. Those are separate stages, and each tells you something different.
Bring what you have.
You do not need every answer to start a conversation. Share your business, your current website if you have one, and what you want the next version to do better.