BY SPRAY MEDIA · UPDATED 22 SEPTEMBER 2026
Start with a specific business problem
“The website looks old” is a starting point. Go one step further: are customers struggling to understand the service, finding the wrong phone number, abandoning a long form or asking questions the website should answer?
Pick the most important action for each main page. A local service page may need a phone call or quote request. A complex product may need a consultation. Make that action the basis for the layout.
Take stock of the website you already have
List the current pages, including pages that are no longer linked in the menu. Check Analytics and Search Console, if available, for pages receiving traffic and search clicks. Record important URLs before changing the structure.
Gather domain, hosting and email-provider details. Note connected services such as booking tools, payment systems and form integrations. Do not assume moving a website means email should move too.
Make the content useful before making it attractive
Check that service descriptions say who the service is for, where it is available and what happens next. Remove outdated offers and contact details. Gather approved project photos and real customer feedback that you have permission to publish.
Decide who will write and approve the content. A delayed paragraph or missing product image can hold up an otherwise finished build.
Agree on the practical details
Confirm the page list, platform, editing approach, integrations and review stages in the proposal. Ask which costs are one-off and which recur. Clarify what you will own or have access to after handover.
A custom-coded site, a WordPress build and an ecommerce platform have different editing and maintenance requirements. The choice should fit the business’s actual workflow.
Check the preview as a customer
Use a real phone. Read the service pages, tap the contact links and complete the form. Check both the business notification and the customer acknowledgement. Test failure states as well as the successful path.
Review image sharpness, text size, keyboard focus and the main navigation. Ask someone unfamiliar with the business to find a service and work out how to enquire.
Launch with a follow-up list
Confirm redirects, canonical addresses, HTTPS and the sitemap. Check Search Console ownership and Analytics measurement on the live domain. Keep a record of the previous setup so launch issues can be investigated.
Monitor actual enquiries alongside traffic. A form submission is useful evidence, but qualified leads and booked work are the business outcomes that matter.