What You Need Before You Plan Your New Website

If you’ve had a website for a while and it’s….fine. It works, sort of. But every time you look at it, you feel a bit, we’ll, it’s just not quite you anymore. The branding’s dated. The content’s old. The whole thing feels like it belongs to a past version of your business.

You’re ready to burn it to the ground and start all over again. But before you do that, it helps to know what you need to get together so you don’t end up building another version of the same website that doesn’t speak to your ideal clients.

You’re not starting from scratch, but this is a fresh build. That means it’s time to gather everything your new website needs and leave behind what’s no longer working.

Whether you’re moving from Wix, Squarespace, Showit or something else, here’s what to get in place before you start the build.

1. Domain Name

You probably already have a domain name but you need to make sure you have full access and control.

If your domain was registered through Wix or Squarespace, you may need to transfer it to a separate registrar like IONOS, GoDaddy or 123 Reg before you can point it to your new site. 

This is a step often overlooked until launch day and it can cause delays.

Check now: where is your domain registered? Do you have the login? Can you access the DNS settings?

2. Hosting for Your New Site

If you’re moving away from a platform like Wix or Squarespace, to WordPress, you’ll now need separate hosting. Those platforms bundle everything together. WordPress doesn’t.

Before you start building, you’ll need to choose a reliable host, set up an account and get the login ready for your designer or developer. This is where your new website will live and the quality of your hosting affects speed, security and future updates.

If you’re not sure where to host, ask the person building your site for a recommendation or take a look at my favourite resources.

3. Updated Website Copy

If your website is a few years old, chances are your copy is vague, outdated or simply just doesn’t reflect how you work. If this is the case, don’t just copy and paste it over. This is your chance to write content that’s actually clear, helpful and aligned with your current offers.

You’ll need:

• New homepage content
• A clear services or offers section
• Updated about text
• Contact info (and any forms or booking links that go with it)
• Plan calls to actions and where you want them to go.

Write it all in Google Docs or Notion. Keep each page in its own doc or section. A lot of web projects stall because the copy isn’t ready, so by planning ahead your site can stay on target.

4. On-Brand Photos

If you haven’t updated your website for a while, are your photos current? There’s no point moving over outdated headshots, boring stock images or illustrations that don’t match your current brand.

Now is your time to book in a brand photo show. If you don’t have the time before your website build, you do need a few solid images:

• One or two of you that are not selfies
• Photos that show your product or service
• Anything that helps potential clients trust you

Make sure they’re high quality and if you are client facing, make sure they look like you now, not the 2020 you.

5. Brand Assets

Even if your branding hasn’t changed, you still need to gather all the assets you’ll want for the new site: your logo, your colour codes, your fonts and any design elements you plan to reuse.

If you’re rebranding alongside the website, get that signed off before you start the build unless the designer is working directly with your web designer. Changing things mid-project causes delays, extra costs and rework.

6. A Quick Audit of What’s Working (and What’s Not)

Before replacing your current site, take a moment to review what’s worth keeping and what needs fixing. This isn’t just about what looks dated, it’s about how the site is actually performing.

Ask yourself:

• What’s working well right now? What do people often compliment or mention?
• What do people struggle to find or understand?
• What pages feel cluttered, confusing or unfinished?
• Where are people dropping off (check your analytics if you have them)?
• What feels frustrating every time you try to update something?

Knowing what’s already working helps you keep the good stuff. Knowing what’s not helps you avoid repeating the same problems.

Your redesign shouldn’t just look better, it should be more effective too.

7. A Plan for What Happens After Launch

Once your shiny new site goes live, how will you manage it?

Will you update it yourself?  Hand it over to a VA? Take a maintenance plan with your web designer for tweaks? 

Knowing this helps you keep the site fresh so it doesn’t end up quickly outdated and gives you an idea what tools or training you’ll need.

Redesigning your website isn’t just a tech task, it’s a reset. A chance to build something that reflects where your business is now, not where it started.

The more prepared you are before the build starts, the smoother (and faster) the whole process will be.

Not sure where to start? Let me take one thing off your plate.

Get a free expert homepage review: I’ll look at your current site and send you clear, practical advice on what’s working, what’s not, and what to prioritise in your redesign.

One less thing to overthink. And a much stronger starting point.