Owner prep · Checklist
What to get ready before you hire a web designer
I run trade businesses too, so I know how this goes. You finally decide the website needs fixing, you hire somebody, and then the questions start: logo file? Service list? Who has the domain? A week goes by while you dig through a truck console for a login. Here is how to skip most of that.
None of this has to be perfect. If you only have half of it, that is normal. But the more you pull together before the first conversation, the faster a designer can write real copy for you instead of guessing. I put the whole list on one page as a printable build checklist, and this post walks through the why behind it.
1. The business basics, written down once
This sounds obvious, but it is where most delays start. Write down, in one place:
- The name you want shown on the site. That may not match the name on your LLC paperwork, and that is fine. Just decide which one customers see.
- The main phone number, and whether it takes texts. A lot of customers would rather text than call, especially for a quote.
- The email address where leads should land. Pick one you actually check from your phone.
- The towns or counties you work. Be honest. If you will drive 40 minutes for a big job but not a small one, say so.
- Your hours, and whether you take after-hours or emergency work.
- Whether you have a storefront or work out of the truck. Service-area businesses do not need a street address on the site.
- License or insurance numbers, if you want them shown. In some trades they help people trust you faster.
When these are settled up front, the designer is not stuck waiting, and you do not end up with three versions of your hours floating around Google.
2. Your services, in your own words
Do not worry about sounding polished. Grab a notepad and list every service you sell, with a line or two about each one, the way you would explain it to a customer standing in their driveway. Then mark two things:
- The jobs that make you the most money. These deserve the most room on the site.
- Seasonal work and when it runs. Mosquito season, spring tune-ups, leaf cleanup, holiday lights. A good site can lean into the right service at the right time.
Your words are the raw material. A designer can tighten them up, but they cannot invent how you actually talk to customers. That voice is a big part of what makes a site feel like yours instead of a template.
3. Photos, and yes, phone photos count
Real photos beat stock photos almost every time for a local business. People want to see your truck, your crew and your work, not a model in a hard hat who has never held a tool. Start a folder on your phone and drop in:
- Finished jobs you are proud of
- Before and after shots
- The truck, trailer and equipment
- You and your team. You count, even if you hate having your picture taken.
You do not need a photographer. Clean the lens, shoot in daylight, and hold the phone steady. Twenty decent phone photos are worth more than one expensive shoot you keep putting off.
4. Logo and the look you like
Send the best version of your logo you have. If all you have is a photo of the truck door, send that and say so. Then find two or three websites you like the look of. They do not have to be in your trade. Just say what you like about them: the colors, how simple it feels, how easy the phone number is to find. That tells a designer more than a long description ever will.
5. The proof that you are good at this
People hiring a trade are nervous about getting burned. Help them feel safe:
- A link to your Google reviews
- How many years you have been doing the work
- Any certifications, awards or memberships
- Your guarantee or warranty, in the exact wording you stand behind
Only real stuff. If you are newer and do not have many reviews yet, that is OK. A good site does not fake a star count. It shows real work and makes it easy to reach you.
6. Access, without handing out passwords
This is the part that stalls most projects, so it is worth a few minutes now. Most of what a designer needs can be shared by adding them as a manager, so you never have to give away a password:
- Google Business Profile: add them as a manager from your profile settings.
- Search Console and Analytics, if you have them: add them as a user.
- Facebook Page: give them page access.
- Your domain: GoDaddy calls it Delegate Access, Namecheap calls it Share Access.
Some things may need a login, like an old Wix or Squarespace site you are moving off of, or your email host if email is being set up. If a password has to be shared, do it by phone or type it in yourself on a screen share. Never send it by email or text, and change it after launch. The checklist has the exact steps under Access we'll need.
7. A few decisions only you can make
Before the first draft, think about these:
- How do you want leads to come in? Calls, texts, a form, a booking tool, or some mix. Be honest about what you will actually answer while you are on a job.
- Where should form emails go? One inbox, or a few people?
- Any specials or deals you want front and center right now.
- The questions customers ask you all the time. Those become your FAQ, and they save you from answering the same thing ten times a week.
- How you got started. Two or three sentences is plenty. People like hiring a person, not just a logo.
What if you do not have most of this?
Then you are like most owners I talk to. That is fine. A good designer should help you fill the gaps, not make you feel behind. The point of getting ready is not to do the designer's job. It is to cut out the back-and-forth so the site goes up sooner and sounds like you.
If you want to see what happens after you say yes, the first week page lays it out step by step. Once the site is live, a site care plan keeps it updated so you are not starting over in two years.
Print the checklist, check off what you have, and send me the rest when you find it. I will leave a light on.
Ready for a uniquely built site?
Nashville studio. Nationwide remote. 50% up front, 50% on completion. Text Erik or email, whichever is easier.