What to Prepare Before Your Website Update or Redesign
Most of what makes a website project go smoothly happens before you start building. It's not about having everything figured out, it's about gathering enough context so the process runs efficiently and you get better results.
Here's what to prepare and what helps things run smoother. You can compile all of this in a Google Drive folder or shared document.
1. Case Studies and Past Client Work
Having a compilation of 2-3 case studies or past client examples ready helps everyone understand how you deliver value.
What to include:
Brief summary of the project or engagement
What problem needed to be solved
How your service or approach helped them
The outcome or results
These don't need to be polished—notes, screenshots, or quick summaries work fine. The point is to capture what "good work" looks like in your field.
What this helps with: Writing about your services, showcasing your expertise, understanding your client outcomes.
2. Client Testimonials
Your collection of client feedback. They don't need to be perfectly worded. You can refine them during the project. If you don't have many, now is a good time getting them.
What this helps with: Building trust signals, understanding how clients experience your work, capturing real impact.
3. Documentation of Your Services and Offers
Having a clear Google Doc or list of what you currently offer makes the project much smoother.
Sometimes the reason you're updating your website is because you have new services or products. Document what those are, who they're for, and if you have pricing tiers or packages, include those details too.
What to include:
List of current services/products
Who each service is designed for
Pricing (if applicable)
Any packages or service tiers
What this helps with: Site structure, navigation, service page content, calls-to-action.
4. Your Ideal Client Profile
The more specific you can be about who you're trying to reach, the better your site will speak to them.
Instead of "B2B companies," think: "Series A SaaS companies with 20-50 employees who need RevOps help." This level of detail helps with decisions about tone, messaging, and what to emphasize.
What this helps with: Messaging direction, audience-appropriate design choices, what to highlight vs. downplay.
5. What Makes You Different
Being able to articulate what makes you different and who you are for is incredibly valuable.
You don't need a perfectly crafted positioning statement. Just a few honest answers about what you do differently or why clients choose you and stick with you. Even rough thoughts help guide the direction.
What this helps with: Homepage messaging, differentiation, unique value proposition, competitive positioning.
6. Website Analytics
If you already have a website, gather whatever numbers you have: traffic, top pages, conversion rates, lead sources.
Even a quick export from Google Analytics helps identify what's currently working and where improvements will matter most.
What this helps with: Understanding current performance, prioritizing what to fix, measuring before/after.
7. What's Frustrating You Right Now
Write down what bothers you about your current site or what prospects seem confused about.
Maybe it's unclear messaging, clunky navigation, an outdated look, or pages that don't convert. These observations often reveal the deeper problems the redesign should solve.
What this helps with: Identifying real problems to solve, setting priorities, measuring success.
8. Brand Assets
If you have a logo, brand colors, fonts, or visual guidelines, gather them in one place.
What this helps with: Visual consistency, staying aligned with your existing brand, design direction.
9. Features You're Thinking About
If you have ideas about what you want: tools, integrations, specific functionality, write them down. Don't worry about knowing what's realistic or technically possible. These ideas can be sorted into what's essential now versus what can come later.
What this helps with: Setting realistic scope, prioritizing features, planning for future additions.
What If You Don't Have Some of These?
That's normal. Most people don't have everything ready when they start.
The important part is being aware of what's helpful so you can start gathering pieces as you go. A shared Google Drive folder or simple document with these basics saves time and makes the project more productive.
