Your first business website: what to prepare before design starts

It is easy to debate button colours before deciding what a website visitor should actually do. A workshop may need appointments, a studio may need project enquiries and a shop may need orders. Choose one primary action first.

Describe the offer plainly

Explain what you do, who it is for and what the customer receives. Concrete services and limitations are more useful than sweeping claims. If pricing depends on the task, explain which information you need to prepare an estimate.

Collect photos, a description of the process, answers to common questions and genuine examples of work. Do not replace missing case studies with invented testimonials. A clear collaboration process gives a new business something credible to show.

Map the journey beyond the page

Write down each step: the visitor reads the offer, sends an enquiry, receives confirmation and hears from an employee. Assign responsibility. Check where the request arrives and what happens when that employee is unavailable.

For customers across several CIS countries, consider language, time zones and contact methods separately. The messenger or phone-number format familiar to your team may not suit every visitor.

Separate essentials from later additions

A complete customer journey matters more than a long navigation menu. Make two lists: what is required to accept an enquiry and what can wait. Identify who will maintain the content of each proposed feature.

A ready-made starting point is easier to evaluate once the structure is clear. YourSite is a CreativeGroup project; CreativeMedia belongs to the same group. Compare suitable options on editing, ownership of materials and required integrations, as well as appearance.

Test the whole process

Use a phone to find the service and submit a genuine test enquiry. Check that an employee receives it, rather than stopping at the success message. Ask someone outside the project to repeat the journey without instructions.

Before launch, use our guides to checking a form and investigating website speed.