What your business website needs

01

Define the business decision first

Before screens or technology, decide what the website must make easier for the business and the customer. One clear result prevents every page from competing for attention.

• Name the audience and the problem they already understand.
• Choose the main customer action: enquire, buy, book, apply or request access.
• List the proof required before a reasonable buyer will take that action.

02

The 12-point completion checklist

• A written business objective and primary customer action.
• A page map with a job for every page.
• A message order that explains the offer in plain language.
• Truthful proof with a named source and boundary.
• A named owner for every piece of content and asset.
• An original visual direction that fits the business.
• Responsive states for real phone, tablet and desktop widths.
• Working forms, booking, store, CMS or agreed integrations.
• Analytics, search metadata and useful measurement events.
• Cross-browser, accessibility, performance and error-state checks.
• Domain, redirects, consent and production launch checks.
• Source, account, licence and practical handover records.

03

What should exist before payment

A serious project does not begin from a vague chat message. Before the first production milestone, the buyer should receive the exact scope and know what evidence will unlock the next stage.

• Named parties, deliverables, exclusions and dependencies.
• Timeline, input dates, feedback windows and correction rounds.
• One billing currency plus any applicable tax treatment.
• Objective approval points and the payment schedule.
• Ownership, cancellation, refund and handover terms.

04

Proof to inspect before choosing a studio

Look for working journeys, responsive decisions, technical boundaries and honest labels—not only polished mockups. Founder-built and speculative work can still be useful evidence when it is identified truthfully.

• Can you open the work or inspect enough of the process?
• Does the studio say what it actually owned?
• Are concept studies separated from commissioned or live work?
• Does the process explain what happens after money clears?

05

Red flags

• A public arbitrary-amount payment button before scope.
• Unlimited revisions without a decision process.
• Guaranteed rankings, revenue or conversion without evidence.
• Borrowed agency work presented as direct studio delivery.
• A launch promise that ignores content, integrations or approvals.