What Content You Need Before a Website Build

Start with a page list

Write down every page the site will have, from the home page to the privacy policy. For each one, note what it is for, who it is for and what you want the visitor to do next, such as call, book or send an enquiry. Then add three columns: who writes it, who approves it and when it is due. It makes gaps obvious early.

If you are replacing an existing site, start from its current pages rather than a blank sheet, and decide for each one whether to keep, rewrite, merge or drop it. Pages that already get visitors from search need care when their address changes; see our guide to redesigning a website without losing SEO.

Copy: who writes and who approves

Someone has to write the words, and it is worth deciding who before the build starts. It may be you, a member of staff, a copywriter, or the agency. Whoever writes it, one person should have the final say, so drafts do not go round in circles between several people.

• Write for the visitor. Answer the questions customers actually ask: what you do, where, for whom, how it works and how to get in touch. See our guide to helpful content for business websites.
• Supply plain text. A shared document per page, with headings marked, is easier to place than text copied from a brochure PDF.
• Check facts before you send. Prices, opening hours, service areas, qualifications and team names are hard to spot once they are on a test site.

The design can start before the final copy is ready, but realistic draft text gives a better result than placeholder text. Late content is a common reason for delays; our guide on how long it takes to build a website explains where time usually goes.

Photos and images you are allowed to use

Every image on the site needs to be one you have the right to use. The US Copyright Office explains in What is Copyright? that copyright protects original works, including photographs and illustrations, as soon as they are fixed in a tangible form. Once you take a photograph, "you are the author and the owner". So an image found through a search engine, or taken from another website, usually belongs to someone else.

Paying for a photo does not automatically mean you own it. Under the "works made for hire" rules described in the Office's Circular 30, work created by an employee within the scope of their job belongs to the employer. A work commissioned from a freelancer counts as made for hire only if it falls into one of nine listed categories and both parties "expressly agree in a written instrument signed by them". Otherwise the creator keeps the copyright unless it is transferred. Circular 1, Copyright Basics, says a transfer "generally must be made in writing and signed" by the owner of the rights, while a non-exclusive licence does not need a written agreement. These are US rules and other countries differ, but the lesson is the same: agree in writing what you can do with commissioned photos, illustrations and copy.

• Your own photos of your team, premises and work are usually the most convincing. Get permission from people who appear in them.
• Commissioned photos: agree in writing whether you get ownership or a licence, and whether it covers the website, social media, print and ads.
• Stock images: read the licence. Licences differ on where and how often an image can be used, whether it is for editorial use only, and whether it can be edited or used in a logo.
• Keep a record of where each image came from, who owns it and which licence applies.

Supply images at the largest size you have; the developer will resize and compress them. Google's image SEO guidance also suggests short, descriptive file names, for example my-new-black-kitten.jpg rather than IMG00023.JPG. Our image optimisation guide covers formats and file sizes.

Logos and brand files

Send the logo as the original vector file (usually SVG, EPS, AI or PDF) rather than a small picture taken from an email signature, so it stays sharp at every size. Also gather:

• Versions for light and dark backgrounds, and a square icon for the browser tab and social media.
• Brand colours as exact codes, and the names of brand fonts. Check that the font licence covers use on a website.
• Any brand guidelines, and approved photos of products or premises.

If you do not own the logo files, ask whoever designed the logo for them. Copyright does not cover everything about a brand: the Copyright Office lists titles, names, short phrases and slogans among the things that copyright does not protect. Names and logos used to identify your goods or services are the business of trademark law instead. If you are creating a new name or logo, it is worth checking it is not already in use before it goes on a new website.

Business details and legal pages

Collect the exact business details that must appear on the site. In the UK, GOV.UK's guidance on signs, stationery and promotional material says a limited company's website must show:

• the company's registered number;
• its registered office address;
• where it is registered (England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland);
• the fact that it is a limited company, usually through its full name including "Limited" or "Ltd".

GOV.UK adds that if you include directors' names you must list all of them. Other countries and business types have their own rules, so check what applies to you.

Most sites also need a privacy policy and, if they use non-essential cookies, a way to ask for consent; see our privacy policy and cookie consent guide. If you sell online, you will need terms of sale, delivery and returns information; see the ecommerce launch checklist. These pages often take longest to finish, so start them early.

Alt text for images

Alt text is the short text alternative read out by screen readers and shown when an image does not load. The W3C's Images Tutorial says images "must have text alternatives that describe the information or function represented by them", and that the text "needs to be determined by the author, depending on the usage, context, and content of an image". That is why it helps if you, who know what each photo shows and why it is there, supply it with the images:

• Informative images, such as a photo of your work: a short description of what the image tells the visitor.
• Decorative images that only add visual style: an empty alt attribute, so screen readers skip them.
• Images used as links or buttons: describe what the link or button does, not what the picture looks like.
• Images of text: avoid them apart from logos; if used, the alt text should contain the same words.
• Charts and diagrams: give the full information as text on the page.

The W3C's alt decision tree helps with less obvious cases. Google's image guidance calls alt text "the most important attribute" for image metadata and notes that it also improves accessibility. Write it for people first; our website accessibility basics guide covers the rest.

The checklist

• Page list with a purpose, writer, approver and due date for every page.
• Final copy for each page as plain text, facts checked, approved by one person.
• Photos and illustrations at full size, with a record of who owns each one and which licence applies.
• Written agreements for any commissioned photos, illustrations or copy.
• Logo as a vector file in light and dark versions, plus an icon, brand colours and font names.
• Business name, address, phone, email, opening hours and, for a UK limited company, the details GOV.UK lists.
• Privacy policy, cookie information and, if you sell online, terms of sale.
• Alt text for each meaningful image, and a note of which images are decorative.
• Logins or contacts for anything the site connects to, such as booking, payment or email tools.

When the content is in and the site is built, use our website launch checklist to check everything before it goes live.

Frequently asked questions

What content do I need to provide for a new website?

Usually a page list, the final text for each page, photos and other images you have the right to use, your logo and brand files, your business and contact details, legal pages such as a privacy policy, and alt text for meaningful images.

Can I use images I find on Google for my website?

Usually not without permission. The US Copyright Office explains that copyright protects photographs and illustrations as soon as they are created, so an image found online normally belongs to someone else. Use your own photos, commissioned photos with a written agreement, or stock images whose licence covers your use.

If I pay a photographer, do I own the photos?

Not automatically. Under US law a commissioned work is only a work made for hire if it falls into one of nine categories and both parties sign a written agreement saying so, and a transfer of copyright generally must be in writing and signed. Agree in writing what you can use the photos for.

What business details must a UK company website show?

GOV.UK says a limited company's website must show its registered number, registered office address, where it is registered, and the fact that it is a limited company. If you include directors' names, you must list all of them.

Who should write the alt text for website images?

Ideally the person who knows why each image is there. The W3C says the text alternative must be decided by the author based on the image's use, context and content. Informative images need a short description; purely decorative ones get an empty alt attribute.

Planning a new website and want help shaping the content? See how we approach website development, see all our services, or email info@creahive.com.