What to prepare before hiring a web designer

Explain your business and the purpose of the site

Write a short description of your business, the services you provide and the people you serve. Explain where you work and what customers usually ask when they contact you. Think about what a visitor should understand after reading your website and the action they should be able to take next.

Use questions from real customer conversations as a starting point. They can help you decide which explanations belong on service pages and which details should be easy to find. Describe useful outcomes in terms you can review, such as a clear inquiry route or an understandable service description. Bring these expectations to the design conversation.

Build a page list around visitor questions

Draft a list of pages and give each one a short purpose. A homepage might introduce the business, while a service page explains what a particular engagement includes. An about page can identify the people behind the work. A contact page should explain how visitors can reach the right person and what to include in an inquiry.

Discuss language needs early. Identify which pages need another language, who will prepare translations and how future changes will be kept aligned. If you already have a website, collect its page addresses and mark the content you want to carry over. Your designer can review the proposed structure and existing addresses with you when defining the project.

Collect copy and images in an organised folder

Gather your business name, service descriptions, contact details and any opening hours you want to publish. Label each piece of copy with its intended page. Drafts are useful when their status is clear. Agree on who will edit the wording and who will check the final version for accuracy before it appears on the website.

Collect logo files and photographs you have permission to use. Add short notes explaining what the images show and where they might fit. Confirm publication permission for photographs of staff or customers with the people involved. If you need new photography, copywriting or translation, raise those tasks during the scope discussion so responsibility for each is clear.

Describe functions through everyday use

Explain how you expect each requested function to work. For a contact form, list the information visitors should provide, who receives the submission and what visitors should see after sending it. For a booking link or catalogue, describe the customer's journey and the tools your business already uses. These examples make the practical requirements easier to discuss.

Share a few website references with specific comments. You might like the readability of a service page, the menu structure or the way photographs support the text. Include existing brand colours, logos and business documents where available. Use these references to explain your preferences, then discuss how your own content should be presented.

Identify account owners and plan approvals

Find out which provider holds your domain and who manages the account within your business. Record the owners of hosting and business email accounts as well. Provider names and responsible contacts can be enough for the initial brief. When access is needed, agree on a suitable invitation or permission method with the designer.

Choose the person who will approve layouts and content. Collect feedback in a shared document so requests can be reviewed together. Mention any event, launch or content preparation that affects your preferred schedule. Discuss when your business can review designs and approve text, then record the agreed steps alongside the deliverables and handover arrangements.

Use this checklist before the conversation

Keep the brief easy to share and update. Mark the information that is ready and add questions beside decisions you want to make with the designer. After the conversation, use the document to review the proposed pages, functions and handover expectations. Also discuss who will update content after launch and how future work will be agreed.

Scope and handover at Sezer Labs

Sezer Labs is a one-person studio run by Berke Gökhan Sezer. Your preparation helps define the pages and functions together, with the scope shared in writing. When the project is complete, the domain, source code and accounts are handed over to you. The brief can support a practical discussion of those deliverables and responsibilities.

Explore the website design service or share your preparation through the contact page.