What do you need to give a web designer to get started?

Most delays in a website project aren't the designer's fault — they're waiting on the client to send something. Here's what to have ready before you start, so nothing holds things up once the project begins.

The essentials

• Your business name, exactly as you want it displayed — including punctuation, capitalization, and any "LLC" or "Inc." preferences
• Services you offer, described in your own words — even rough notes are enough to start from
• Contact details — phone number, email, service area or address
• Hours of operation, if relevant to your business
• A logo file, if you have one — ideally a PNG with a transparent background

Photos

This is the one people underestimate most. A handful of real photos — your work, your team, your location — makes a bigger difference than almost anything else on the page. Even phone photos are usually fine, as long as they're in focus and reasonably well-lit. If you genuinely have none yet, say so upfront rather than delaying the whole project — a placeholder version now with real photos swapped in later is usually faster than waiting.

Nice to have, not required

• Brand colors or fonts, if you already have a preference
• A competitor's site or two that you like the look of
• Any specific wording you want used exactly as written (a tagline, a licensing number, a certification name)