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Website projects often stall for reasons that have nothing to do with design. The designer is waiting on text, photos, a login nobody can find, or a decision about what the site is actually for. We go through each of those in why website projects stall and how to unblock them.
An hour or two of preparation before you hire anyone fixes most of that. You’ll get more accurate quotes, a faster project and a site that does what you need. Work through this checklist and keep everything in one shared folder.
1. Goals: what the site has to do
Write down, in plain language, what a successful website looks like for your business. Be specific.
- The main action you want visitors to take. Call, book online, request a quote, buy a product, visit the shop.
- Who your customers are. Visitors planning a trip? Locals? Second-home owners? Businesses?
- The questions you answer over and over. Parking, pricing, cancellation policy, whether you take walk-ins. These become content.
- What’s not working now. If you have a site, list what frustrates you or your customers about it.
Do this: “Visitors should be able to see tour times and book from their phone in under a minute.”
Not this: “We want a modern site that stands out.”
If you’re not sure what a website can realistically do for the business, how a website drives growth is a good place to start.
2. Pages: a rough sitemap
You don’t need a finished structure, just a list. A typical small-business site might include:
- Home
- A page for each main service or product line
- About (your story, your team)
- Pricing or “how it works”
- Frequently asked questions
- Contact, with address, hours and a map if customers visit you
- Booking, shop or menu, depending on your business
For each page, jot one line about what it needs to say. If you serve several towns, such as Sedona, Cottonwood and Flagstaff, note that too. It affects how the site is structured, and our guide to ranking in multiple cities explains how to do it without thin, copy-paste pages.
3. Content: text you already have and text you need
Gather what exists:
- Text from your current website
- Brochures, menus, rate sheets, service descriptions
- Your Google Business Profile description and categories
- Real customer reviews you have permission to use
Then decide who will write the rest. If it’s you, start now; it usually takes longer than people expect, and writing website copy that converts will help. If you want the designer to write it, say so up front so it’s included in the quote.
4. Photos and video
Make a folder of every usable image:
- Your storefront, interior, team, products and work in progress
- Photos of your service in action, such as a tour, a treatment room or a finished project
- Your logo, ideally in its original vector format (an SVG, AI, EPS or PDF file) rather than a small JPG
- Any video you own
Check two things for each file: that you have the rights to use it, and that it’s the original, full-size version, not one copied from Facebook or a text message.
If most of what you have is stock or low quality, flag it early. A short photo shoot may be worth planning into the project, and Sedona’s light changes a lot through the day, so timing matters.
5. Logins and accounts
This is the step people skip, and it’s a common source of delays. List every account connected to your web presence, who owns it and whether you can log in:
| Account | What it controls | Who should own it |
|---|---|---|
| Domain registrar | Your domain name and where it points | Your business |
| Hosting | Where the current site lives | Your business, or clearly documented |
| Website admin (WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, Shopify or similar) | Pages, settings and users | Your business, with an admin login |
| Business email | Your email, often tied to the domain | Your business |
| Google Business Profile | Your listing in Maps and local search | Your business |
| Google Search Console and Google Analytics | Search and visitor data | Your business |
| Booking, reservation or point-of-sale tools | Bookings, payments, availability | Your business |
| Email marketing | Your newsletter and customer list | Your business |
| Social media accounts | Profiles you want linked from the site | Your business |
If a former designer or employee holds any of these, start recovering access now. It can take time. Ownership should end up with your business, not with whoever happened to set it up. If you’re unsure what your current host provides, or whether it’s worth moving, see our guide to choosing web hosting.
6. Competitors and examples
Pick three to five websites and note what you like and dislike about each. Include:
- Two or three direct competitors in your area
- One or two sites from outside your industry that you find easy to use
Be specific: “Their booking button is always visible on mobile” is more useful than “I like their vibe.” Look at them on your phone, since that’s where many of your customers will see yours.
7. Practical details
A few last items that shape the project:
- Budget range. You don’t have to share it, but a range helps a designer suggest what’s realistic. Our guide to what drives website cost explains what moves the number.
- Deadlines that matter. A season opening, an event, a lease date. Tell the designer early; if timing is tight, build in buffer, especially ahead of the spring and fall rushes. See preparing your website for peak season.
- Who decides. One person should have final say on approvals.
- Who will maintain the site. You, a staff member or the designer. This affects the platform choice.
With this folder ready, you can hand a designer a clear picture of your business on day one and compare proposals on equal terms. It’s the same information any web design project needs on day one.
8. If you’re replacing an existing site
Add these before you start:
- A list of your current pages and which ones bring in traffic. Search Console shows this.
- Any URLs printed on signs, cards or packaging
- Forms, integrations or tracking codes that need to carry over
Protecting what already ranks is its own process; we cover it in how to redesign without losing your Google rankings, and if you’d rather hand that part off, see our website redesign service.
How to plan your website project, step by step
Write down your goals
Describe what a successful site does for your business and the main action visitors should take. You're done when it fits in a sentence or two.
Sketch a rough page list
List the pages you expect, with one line on what each needs to say. Note any towns or areas you serve.
Collect existing content
Pull text from your current site, brochures, menus and your Google Business Profile into one folder, then decide who writes the rest.
Gather photos and your logo
Save original, full-size images you have rights to use, plus your logo in a vector format if you have it. Flag gaps early.
List every account and login
Record each account, who owns it and whether you can log in. Start recovering any access held by a former designer or employee now.
Note example sites
Pick a few competitor and non-competitor sites and write specific notes on what works on a phone and what doesn't.
Agree budget, dates and a decision-maker
Settle a budget range, the deadlines that matter and the one person who approves work. If redesigning, add an inventory of your current pages.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to prepare for a website project?
The planning itself is often a few focused sessions, but some parts can drag. Writing new text usually takes longer than owners expect, and recovering a login held by a former designer or employee can take a while. Start with those two, since they're the most common causes of delay once a project is underway.
Do I need a finished sitemap before talking to a designer?
No. A rough list of pages with one line about what each should say is plenty. A good designer will help refine the structure, merge pages that overlap and suggest any that are missing. What they can't do is guess your goals, so the written goals matter more than a polished sitemap.
What if most of my photos are stock or low quality?
Say so early. It's better to plan a short photo shoot into the project than to discover the gap at the end. Real photos of your place, team and work tend to build more trust than stock images. Our guide to real photos versus stock photos includes a practical shot list.
Should I share my budget with a web designer?
You don't have to, but sharing a range usually leads to a more useful proposal. It lets the designer suggest what's realistic, such as which features to build now and which to leave for later, instead of quoting something that doesn't fit. It also makes it easier to compare proposals on equal terms.
Who should own my website accounts?
Your business should. Register the domain, hosting, Google Business Profile, Search Console, Analytics and booking tools under an email address your business controls. Designers and staff can be added as users with the access they need, but they shouldn't be the only owners. That way nobody leaving can lock you out.
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