In short
- The brief is a 20-minute call, not a document. Five questions cover it.
- Phone photos are fine. Real jobs beat stock every time.
- Domain and Google Business Profile access are what really hold launches up. Sort them first.
- Never send me a password. Add me as a user instead, or do it together on a screen-share.
What does a web designer need from you before starting? From me: a 20-minute call, your photos, and access to your domain and Google Business Profile. It's one afternoon, not a project of its own, so you're never the thing holding it up. And most of the list isn't what people expect.
Logos, copy and photos are the easy bit. The things that actually stall a launch are logins: the domain and your Google Business Profile. So they're in here, along with the safe way to hand them over.
The brief: five questions, not a document
I don't need a written brief. I need a 20-minute call where you answer five questions:
- What do you do, and where? In the words you'd use on the phone.
- What's the job you want more of? The one you'd take ten of tomorrow.
- What do people always ask before they book? Those questions become pages and FAQs.
- Who else in your area do customers compare you with? No need to be polite about it.
- What should happen when someone lands on the site? Call you, fill in a form, send a photo, book a visit.
That's the brief. I write it up, you check it, and I confirm the pack and price on the same call.
Photos: what I can use
Phone photos are fine. Honestly. A real van, a real shopfront, a real job halfway through beats a stock photo every time, and customers can tell the difference.
What helps:
- Your work. Finished jobs, and a few in progress.
- You and your team. People buy from people.
- Where you work. The workshop, the unit, the van.
- Sent as files. Share a folder or email them as attachments. Photos sent through a chat app usually get squashed.
If you've got hundreds on an old site, even better. For V Signs I moved 351 images from their old sites into the new one.
Who writes the words, you or your web designer?
On every pack, I write the copy: the words for The Pup's one page, and up to five pages on The Good Boy. You don't need to hand me pages of text. What I need from you is the stuff only you know: prices you're happy to show, areas you cover, how long jobs take, anything you'd never say to a customer.
If you've already written something you like, send it. I'll keep your voice and tidy the rest. And once the site's live on my platform, you can change your own text and photos by clicking them on the page.
Logins and access, done safely
This is where launches actually get stuck. Here's what I need and how to give it to me without sharing a single password.
Google Business Profile. Add me as a Manager. In your profile, go to Business Profile settings, then People and access, then Add. A Manager can edit your profile and reply to reviews but can't remove you or delete the profile. You stay the owner.
Facebook and Instagram. If I'm doing your socials, give my business account partner access in Meta's business settings. You can remove it with one click.
Your domain. Some registrars let you add a second user. If yours doesn't, I do it with you on a 15-minute screen-share: you log in, I tell you what to click. Your password never leaves your hands.
Never email or text me a password. If someone ever asks you for one, that's worth a second thought.
Why this matters: when I started with V Signs, their Google profile had one category and no description, and the cover photo was another company's van. Every one of those fixes is something a Manager can make. None of them needs your login.
Your domain: who controls it and how to check
If you haven't got a domain yet, that's fine: I help you register one, and you pay the yearly cost. If you have, find out who controls it before I start. For a .uk address, type it into Nominet's lookup. It shows which company it's registered with and when it's due for renewal.
Then try to log in to that company's account. If you can, you're sorted. If you can't, because a past designer or a nephew set it up, tell me on the call. It's fixable, but it takes days, so it's the first thing to chase.
What I don't need from you
- A sitemap or a list of pages. I work that out.
- A 20-page brief or a mood board.
- Finished copy.
- Your logo in twelve formats.
- A decision on colours before you've seen anything.
- Your passwords. Ever.
Get the call booked, the photos in a folder and the access sorted, and nothing on your side holds the build up. I work from Poland, an hour ahead of you, which you can read more about on my about page.
Ready? Tell me about your business and I'll send you a time for the call.
Questions people ask
What if I don't have a logo?
That's fine, and it won't hold anything up. I can start with your business name set well in type, and your site can launch like that. If you want a full identity, I've designed one before, for Courtworx Sports, and I'll quote it separately.
Do I have to write the copy?
No. Every pack includes the words: the one page on The Pup, and up to five pages on The Good Boy. I write it from the call, in your voice. You read it, fix anything that's wrong about your business, and that's it.
Who pays for the domain?
You do. If you already have one, we use it. If you don't, I help you register it and you pay the yearly cost. If it ever needs transferring somewhere else, there's a £25 transfer fee.
Born in Petersfield in 1986, now based in Poland. Twenty-five years running real businesses, and now I build websites, local SEO and socials for Hampshire small businesses. Every price I quote is on one page.
Want a straight answer for your business?
Tell me what you do and where. I'll come back within one working day with a fixed price, not a range.
