The single biggest reason website projects get delayed isn't design or development — it's content. Your web designer is ready to build, but they're waiting for your homepage text, your team photos, your service descriptions, and that 'About Us' story you've been meaning to write for three weeks.

This checklist gives you everything you need to prepare before your website project begins. Get this sorted upfront and your site will launch faster, look better, and perform from day one.

Homepage Content

Your homepage sets the tone for the entire site. You'll need a headline that immediately tells visitors what you do and who you do it for — not a clever tagline, but a clear statement of value. A supporting paragraph (2-3 sentences) expanding on what makes you different. Your main services or offerings summarised in short, clear descriptions. A call to action — what do you want visitors to do? Contact you? Get a quote? Book a consultation? And social proof such as client logos, testimonials, or a key statistic about your business.

About Page Content

The About page is consistently one of the most visited pages on any business website. You'll need your company story — when you started, why you started, and what drives you. Your mission or values (keep it genuine, not corporate waffle). Team information including names, roles, short bios, and professional photos for key team members. Any qualifications, certifications, or awards worth mentioning. And your company registration details if you're a limited company. For detailed guidance, see our About Us page guide.

Service or Product Pages

Each service you offer should have its own page. For each one, prepare a clear description of what the service involves and who it's for. The benefits to the customer (not just features). Your process — what happens when someone engages you? Pricing information if you're comfortable sharing it (even ranges help). Relevant testimonials or case studies from clients who've used this specific service. And a call to action specific to that service.

If you sell products rather than services, you'll need product names, descriptions, specifications, pricing, and high-quality product photography. See our product photography guide for tips on getting great images.

Contact Information

This seems obvious but it's surprising how often businesses don't have this fully prepared. You'll need your physical address (essential for local SEO), phone number(s), email address(es), opening hours, directions or parking information if relevant, and details of any multiple locations. Decide what fields you want on your contact form — name, email, phone, and message is standard, but you might want a dropdown for enquiry type or service interest.

Images and Visual Content

Poor images are one of the quickest ways to make a new website look cheap. Here's what you should prepare:

• Professional team photos — Consistent style, good lighting, appropriate backgrounds. These make a huge difference to how professional your site looks.
• Office or premises photos — Show your workspace, shopfront, or work environment.
• Product or project photos — High-resolution images of your products, completed projects, or work in progress.
• Your logo in high-resolution format (ideally SVG or PNG with transparent background, plus a version that works on dark backgrounds).
• Brand assets — Brand colours (hex codes), fonts, and any brand guidelines you have.

Avoid relying heavily on stock photography — it looks generic and doesn't build trust. Invest in a professional photographer for a half-day shoot before your website project begins. The cost (€300-600) is small compared to the impact on your site's credibility.

Legal and Compliance Pages

Irish websites have specific legal requirements. Your web designer may help with templates, but you should prepare:

• Privacy Policy — Required by GDPR. Explains what personal data you collect, how you use it, and users' rights.
• Cookie Policy — Details the cookies your site uses and gives visitors control over non-essential cookies.
• Terms and Conditions — Particularly important if you sell online or take bookings through your site.
• Returns/Refund Policy — Required if you sell products online.
• Business registration details — Company name, CRO number, registered address, and VAT number if applicable.

It's worth having a solicitor review these documents, particularly your privacy policy and terms and conditions. Template policies are a starting point, but may not cover your specific situation adequately. For a full pre-launch review, see our website launch checklist.

SEO Preparation

Preparing for SEO before your site is built saves significant time and effort later. Here's what to have ready:

Target keywords for each page — what terms do you want to rank for? Even basic keyword research before the build helps ensure pages are structured and written to target the right searches. Your web designer or an SEO specialist can help with this.

Google Business Profile — if you don't have one, set it up before launch. If you do, make sure the information matches what will be on your new website. Existing analytics access — if you have Google Analytics or Search Console on your current site, make sure your designer has access to preserve tracking data. For more on SEO foundations, read our SEO for new websites guide.

Blog or Resources Content

If your new site will include a blog or resources section, it's worth launching with at least 3-5 quality articles already published. This gives the blog section substance from day one and starts building your SEO footprint immediately. Plan your initial topics around questions your customers frequently ask — these make the best starting content because they're genuinely useful and reflect real search intent.

Social Media and External Links

Prepare a list of all your social media profiles (LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, etc.) with the correct URLs. If you have profiles on industry directories, review sites, or professional bodies, gather those links too. Your designer will need these for footer links, social icons, and potentially embedded feeds.

Third-Party Integrations

Think about what external tools your website needs to connect with and prepare the relevant access details: email marketing platform (Mailchimp, etc.), booking or scheduling system, live chat tool, payment processor, accounting software, CRM system, and analytics tools. Your web designer will need either login access or API keys to set these up, so having them ready avoids delays.

The Content Preparation Timeline

Ideally, start preparing content 2-4 weeks before your web design project kicks off. Here's a practical timeline:

Week 1: Gather all existing content, logos, and brand assets. Book a photographer if needed. Outline your service pages and start drafting. Week 2: Write first drafts of all page content. Collect testimonials from clients. Prepare legal pages. Week 3: Review and refine all content. Get team photos taken. Prepare SEO keywords and meta descriptions. Week 4: Final review of all content. Organise everything in a shared folder for your designer.

If writing isn't your strength, consider hiring a professional copywriter. Good web copywriting costs €50-150 per page but makes an enormous difference to how your site performs. See our website copywriting guide for more on this.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much content does a website need before launching?

For most businesses, a minimum of 5-7 pages is standard: homepage, about page, 2-3 service pages, and contact. Add a blog or resources section if your content strategy includes it. You don't need dozens of pages to launch — focus on quality over quantity. For more detailed planning, see our web design brief template which walks through content planning.

Should I write my own website content or hire a copywriter?

If writing is comfortable for you and you have deep knowledge of your industry, you can write it yourself — authenticity matters. However, professional web copywriters understand how to write for both humans and search engines, and they often deliver better results. A hybrid approach works well: you provide the information and expertise, and a copywriter refines it for clarity, engagement, and SEO. See our AI content writing guide for information on using AI as a writing assistant.

Can my web designer write the content for me?

Some web design agencies offer copywriting as part of their packages, either in-house or through partner copywriters. It's worth asking, as professional copywriters who understand web content and SEO will produce better results than trying to write it yourself if writing isn't your strength. Expect to pay extra for this service, typically €50-150 per page.