What Actually Makes Website Projects Succeed
Most website projects go over timeline and budget because of missing information, not poor execution.
You start building, realize your messaging isn't clear, stop to figure it out, restart, realize your services have changed, adjust, discover you need testimonials, scramble to collect them.
The meter runs the whole time.
The projects that run efficiently have most of this information ready before anyone starts designing.
Not because someone made you fill out a questionnaire.
Because you actually knew these things about your business.
What You Actually Need
Some of this is essential. Some just makes things faster. Here's how to tell the difference.
Essential (Projects stall without these)
Clear documentation of what you offer
If you can't articulate your services in a simple list, the website project will expose that problem expensively. Write down what you currently offer, who it's for, and basic pricing or packaging structure if you have it.
This isn't about polished copy. It's about knowing what you're selling and to whom. If that's unclear, fix it before paying someone to guess.
2–3 examples of your actual work
Brief descriptions of real client projects. What problem existed, what you did, what changed. These don't need to be formal case studies. Notes work fine.
Without these, any messaging about your value is theoretical. With them, the site can show rather than tell.
Who you're actually trying to reach
"B2B companies" isn't specific enough.
"Series A SaaS companies with 20–50 employees needing RevOps help" is.
The more specific you can be, the less time gets wasted on generic messaging that doesn't resonate with anyone.
What makes you different
Why do clients choose you over alternatives? Why do they stay? You don't need perfect positioning language. But you need honest answers.
If you genuinely don't know, that's a positioning problem that a website project will make visible but won't solve.
Helpful (Projects run smoother with these)
Client testimonials or feedback
A few quotes from emails or conversations. Raw client language often works better than polished testimonials anyway. These build trust and validate your claims.
Current analytics
Traffic, top pages, conversion rates, lead sources. Even rough numbers help identify what's working and where to focus. If you don't have this, you're redesigning blind.
Brand assets
Logo, colors, fonts if you have them. If not, a few examples of visual styles that feel right. This keeps things consistent and speeds up design decisions.
Authentic photos
Team photos, workspace, actual client work. Real beats stock. But if you don't have any, you can address this during the project.
What's frustrating you right now
What bothers you about your current site? What confuses prospects? These observations usually reveal the real problems worth solving.
Feature ideas
Write down any functionality you're thinking about. Don't worry about technical feasibility yet. These get sorted into "now" versus "later" during the project.
What Happens Without Preparation
Projects don't fail. They just become more expensive and slower.
You'll spend the first third extracting information that should have been ready.
Discovery calls multiply. Assumptions get made and corrected later. Messaging goes through more rounds. You stop mid-project to collect testimonials or case studies.
The designer or agency gets paid either way. You're the one extending the timeline.
Some preparation is discovering you're not actually ready to redesign yet. That's valuable information. Better to learn it before spending money.
How to Actually Prepare
Create a shared folder or document. Start dropping things in:
Service descriptions
Client examples
Testimonials from emails
Who you're targeting and why
What makes you different
Current analytics if you have them
Photos, brand assets, visual references
What's broken or frustrating right now
This isn't about perfection. It's about having enough context so the project can run efficiently.
If you're stalling on basic questions like "what do we offer?" or "who are we for?" — that's information. You have a clarity problem, not a website problem.
A website project will reveal that gap. It won't fix it.
The Real Test
Can you clearly explain:
What you offer
Who it's for
Why they should choose you
What success looks like
If yes, you're probably ready.
If no, you might need positioning work before design work.
Most people discover they're somewhere in between. That's fine. Just know where the gaps are so you're not surprised when they surface.
The goal isn't to have everything perfect. It's to avoid paying someone to discover problems you could have identified yourself.
