How to plan a business website: a practical checklist

Start with what the website must achieve

Write down the two or three outcomes that matter most. For most service businesses these are qualified enquiries, fewer repetitive questions to staff, and credibility with prospects who check you out before a meeting. Every later decision, from page list to design, should support these outcomes.

Know who will visit and why

List your main visitor groups, such as prospective clients, existing clients, job applicants and partners. For each, note what they want to find and what you want them to do next. This becomes your navigation and your calls to action.

Draft the page list before thinking about design

• Home: what you do, who for, and the next step
• One page per main service, answering that buyer's questions
• About, team and approach pages that build trust with real information
• Industries or sectors, if your buyers think that way
• Contact with a short, accessible enquiry form
• Privacy policy and terms

Collect content early

Content is the most common reason website projects slow down. Gather service descriptions, team details, photos and any approved client feedback before design starts. Where content does not exist, plan who will write it.

Decide where enquiries go

Agree whether form submissions go to an inbox, a CRM or both, who responds, and how quickly. A good form asks only for the information your team needs to reply well.

Design for phones first

Many visitors arrive on a phone. Check that menus, buttons and forms are easy to use on a small screen, then adapt the layout for larger screens rather than squeezing a desktop page.

Build in accessibility and search basics

Clear headings, descriptive links, readable contrast, text alternatives for images, fast loading and a unique title and description for each page help both people and search engines.

Plan the launch

Map old URLs to new ones, test forms on real devices, connect search console and analytics, and train whoever will update the site.