A website project starts with a conversation about your business. Before design begins, clarify your offer, audience, scope and responsibilities. Otherwise, the design will have to answer questions that should have been settled earlier.
Anton’s process has six stages. Each ends with a clear outcome: from an agreed scope and page plan to a finished website and its access details. Here is what you can prepare for each stage.
Set the scope in the first conversation
Explain what your business offers and what the website should do. Do you need to explain an existing offer more clearly, receive enquiries or replace an outdated site? Mention any features you need, too.
- Who will use the website?
- Which services matter most at launch?
- Do you already have a website or existing content?
- Which dates and internal responsibilities need to be considered?
- Are you considering extra features or languages?
By the end, write down the agreed scope. Include both the provider’s work and the content you will supply. Make open questions visible instead of assuming they are included.
Discuss the direction with specific examples
Bring your existing brand materials and relevant references. For each example, explain what works for you: the readability, the order of information, the image choices or a particular interaction. A link on its own leaves too much room for different interpretations.
A reference helps you communicate. Do not simply reuse another business’s copy, images or claims. Build a direction from your own offer and materials, then agree on it before developing it further.
Bring the content and page structure together
The page plan shows what information belongs where. It also makes missing text or images visible. Gather materials in one shared place and mark which version has approval.
You do not need to provide a finished layout file. Clear copy, usable images and complete details matter more. If you cannot yet describe a service, it is better to resolve that question now than after implementation.
Review the design with specific questions
Check whether the structure explains your offer clearly and fits the way your customers make decisions. Read the design in its intended order. Review the mobile layout, too, because content is arranged differently on a small screen.
Collect comments from your team and send them together. If two people want different things, settle the direction internally. Approval should be clear so implementation starts from a reliable version.
Use the website preview
During implementation, the approved design becomes a usable website. The preview lets you review navigation, contact methods and content together. Feedback at this stage should refer to the current version and the agreed scope.
The current package proposal includes 2 rounds of consolidated revisions. New services or fundamental changes to the approved structure need to be discussed separately. A clear distinction helps establish the remaining work.
The stated package scope is planned for 1 week from the agreed start date, once all content has arrived. Late copy or outstanding approvals affect the schedule. Larger projects need their own timeline.
Complete the handover
After final approval, you receive the agreed website and its access details. A short walkthrough explains the current setup and next steps. Domain, hosting and ongoing costs follow the agreement made earlier.
- Which access details will you receive, and what are they for?
- Where are the necessary files and content stored?
- Who handles ongoing changes and technical upkeep?
- Who should you contact about a future extension?
- Which services end with the handover?
Store these details somewhere the person responsible in your business can access. Keep login credentials in a suitable password manager, not in a publicly shared folder of project materials. A clear handover saves time when you need a later change.