Checklists9 min readUpdated August 2026

Website Content Checklist for Small Businesses

A practical checklist for gathering the words, photographs, service information and account access needed before a new website or redesign begins.

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Website projects often slow down because the design is waiting for information.

The business owner may know the services extremely well but have never written them down clearly. Photographs may be spread across several phones. An old logo may only exist inside a PDF. Nobody may be certain who controls the domain.

You do not need to write polished website copy before speaking with a designer. You do need accurate source material.

This checklist will help you gather it.

Before you start

Create one folder for the project.

Inside it, keep:

A document containing the business information and rough text
A folder for photographs
A folder for logos and brand files
A list of useful website and social links
A private note showing who controls the important accounts

Do not place passwords inside the general project document. Store passwords and recovery codes in a proper password manager.

The information does not need to be beautifully presented. It needs to be current, complete and understandable.

1. Confirm the basic business information

Begin with the facts that should remain consistent everywhere the business appears.

Record:

Official business name
Public trading name, if different
Short description of the business
Phone number
Public email address
Street address, if customers visit
Service area, if the business travels to customers
Opening or working hours
Business identification details that need to appear publicly
Main social media profiles

Compare these details with the current website, Google Business Profile and important directory listings. Note any contradictions that need to be corrected.

2. Write a plain description of the business

Try to explain the business in one or two direct sentences.

The description should answer:

What does the business provide?
Who is it for?
Where is it available?

For example:

Interior and exterior painting for homes and small commercial properties across Stirling and Falkirk.

This is more useful than a broad phrase such as “quality solutions you can trust.” Specific wording gives the homepage a clear starting point.

Do not worry about making the sentence sound like an advertisement. Accuracy is more valuable than cleverness at this stage.

3. List every important service

Write down the services customers should be able to find on the website.

Group closely related services together. Separate services that solve different problems or need different explanations.

For each service, record:

Service name
Who normally needs it
What is included
What is not included
Where it is available
Typical starting price or quotation method, if appropriate
How the process begins
How long it commonly takes, if this can be stated reliably
Photographs or examples connected to that service
Questions customers frequently ask

This information will help determine whether the website needs one service section or several separate service pages.

4. Decide what customers should do next

Choose the main action the website should encourage.

Depending on the business, that might be:

Request a quotation
Book an appointment
Reserve a table
Call the business
Send an enquiry
Visit the shop
View a menu
Purchase a product

Avoid treating every possible action as equally important.

Record the preferred action and any information the customer needs before taking it. If the action is an enquiry form, decide which fields are genuinely necessary for the first message.

Also write down what happens afterwards. A sentence such as “We reply within one business day” can remove uncertainty and set a clear expectation.

5. Prepare pricing and quotation information

The website does not necessarily need to publish a complete price list. It should explain how pricing works.

Gather:

Fixed prices that can be published confidently
Starting prices, where useful
What each package or price includes
Factors that change the price
Whether quotations are free
Whether deposits are required
Accepted payment methods, if customers need to know
Cancellation or rescheduling information, where relevant

If prices cannot be shown, explain what information the business needs before preparing a quotation.

Leaving pricing completely unexplained can create unnecessary enquiries from people who only want to understand the process.

6. Gather evidence that supports the claims

Customers are more likely to trust specific evidence than broad statements.

Useful material may include:

Photographs of completed work
Before and after examples
Genuine customer reviews
Case studies or project summaries
Qualifications and certifications
Years of relevant experience
Professional memberships
Awards or press coverage
Suppliers, methods or materials that matter to the customer

Only use claims that can be supported.

Ask permission before publishing a customer's name, photograph, property or detailed project information. Remove private information from screenshots and documents.

7. Select useful photographs

Choose photographs that help a customer understand the business.

Prioritise:

Real work
Real premises
Real products or dishes
The owner or team
Details that show quality or process
The location customers should recognise

Avoid sending dozens of almost identical images. Select the strongest options and keep the original high-resolution files.

For each image, add a short note explaining what it shows. That makes it easier to place the photograph accurately and write useful alternative text.

Do not stretch small images, take screenshots of photographs or repeatedly download and re-upload compressed social media copies when the originals are available.

8. Prepare the About information

The About page or section should help a customer understand who is behind the business and why the work can be trusted.

Gather:

Owner or founder name
Team names and roles, where relevant
Relevant experience
Why the business was started
How the work is approached
What types of customer or project are the best fit
A current portrait or team photograph, if one will be used

The story does not need to be dramatic. A straightforward explanation of the people, experience and working style is often enough.

Avoid turning the About section into a long company history unless that history helps the customer make a decision.

9. List the questions customers repeatedly ask

Review recent emails, messages and phone conversations.

Write down the questions that appear repeatedly, such as:

Which areas do you cover?
How quickly can you begin?
Do you provide free quotations?
Can I book online?
Do you work with commercial customers?
Is parking available?
Do you accommodate particular dietary needs?
What should I prepare before the appointment?
Who supplies the materials?
What happens after I make contact?

Frequently asked questions are useful when they remove genuine uncertainty. Do not add questions simply to make the page longer.

10. Check contact, location and opening information

Confirm every contact method before it is published.

Test:

The public phone number
The public email inbox
The full address
The map location
Opening hours
Holiday or seasonal variations
Parking or arrival instructions
The geographical service area
Links to booking or ordering services

Decide which information belongs on every page and which can remain on the Contact page.

If customers visit the premises, make the address and opening information easy to find on a phone.

11. Find the existing brand files

Gather the best available versions of:

Logo
Icon or symbol
Colour references
Fonts or font names
Business cards
Menus, brochures or price lists
Social media templates
Brand guidelines

Vector files such as SVG, EPS or AI are useful for logos because they can be resized cleanly. High-resolution PNG files with transparent backgrounds may also be suitable.

If the only logo available is a small screenshot, flag that early. It may need to be recreated or replaced before the website is finished.

12. Confirm ownership and access

Make a list of the accounts connected to the current online presence.

These may include:

Domain registrar
DNS provider
Website platform or hosting provider
Business email provider
Google Business Profile
Google Search Console
Analytics
Booking or ordering system
Social media accounts

Record who owns each account, which business-controlled email address is used and whether recovery access works.

Do not send passwords in an ordinary email or place them in the website content document. The business should retain primary ownership, while suppliers receive appropriate access for the work they need to complete.

For a deeper ownership check, use The Website Accounts Every Business Owner Should Control.

13. Review legal and operational information

Identify any information the website needs because of how the business operates.

This may include:

Privacy information
Terms and conditions
Delivery or returns information
Booking and cancellation terms
Cookie information
Company identification details
Required professional or regulatory information
Accessibility information for the premises or service

Requirements vary by business, location and the information collected through the website. Use appropriate professional advice when the business has specific legal or regulatory obligations.

Do not copy another company's policies and assume they apply.