Website Redesign Checklist for Creative Entrepreneurs
Designing or redesigning your website is a significant undertaking.
It requires a lot of work, not only from a potential web designer but also from you. Not to mention, you may need to hire professionals for things such as photography or copywriting before you even begin designing your site.
Here's the thing, though…the best way to make this process feel less overwhelming is to know what you'll actually need ahead of time. That way, you're not scrambling mid-project or discovering gaps that slow everything down.
The list below covers items that are typically needed when working with a web designer.
Keep in mind that what you specifically need depends on your creative business and your own skills. Maybe you're a skilled writer who can handle your own copy, or perhaps you're an illustrator who can create your own logo. You get to decide what works for you and what you need help with.
1 - Set Up Your Hosting and Domain Before Your Website Design Starts
You'll need a custom domain name for your website URL so people can easily find you online. You'll also need to choose a hosting provider.
Once you have these set up, keep your login information somewhere safe and accessible. Your designer will need this to log in and set everything up, or they'll provide it to their developer who will handle the technical setup for you. If you’re not sure where to purchase the domain name or which hosting provider to use, I recommend asking your web designer for recommendations.
2 - Get Professional Headshots Taken for Your Website
You need several photos of yourself for your site. You might not use all of them, but having options gives your designer flexibility to choose the best placement.
Usually you'll want one on your about page and one in your blog sidebar, but seeing various photos might spark other creative ideas for where to feature you throughout your site.
I know some creatives resist having photos of themselves on their website.
If that's you, I want to gently encourage you to push through that discomfort if at all possible. Getting one or two photos that you genuinely love can make such a difference.
Here's why this matters…seeing your face breaks down the anonymity of the internet and brings back that warm, personal connection that makes people want to work with you.
I've had friends tell me they chose their doctor, their therapist, or their favorite shop based on the friendly, genuine face they saw on the website. Your face tells people there's a real person behind the beautiful work they're seeing.
3 - Capture Brand Photography (Beyond Your Headshots)
While your headshots are definitely part of your brand photography, having other custom imagery for your website makes everything feel more cohesive and personal.
Whenever I get new headshots, I bring along a box full of props that represent my work and my life.
These photos can be used in header sections, as featured blog images, or sprinkled throughout your site to add visual interest.
If you're planning a photo session, ask your photographer ahead of time if you can bring props along. Some photographers love this approach, while others might need to make special plans or adjust their setup.
4 - Prepare High-Quality Product Photos
If you're planning to have your designer set up an online shop for you, you'll need several product photos ready to go.
This is something people often overlook, and honestly, it can take months sometimes to schedule a photo session, get everything shot, and have the images edited before you're ready to start your design project.
Most web designers prefer you to have all of your content ready before starting the design. That means having enough photos of your products to make your shop functional and beautiful from day one.
5 - Decide on Product Pricing Before You Launch
You will need pricing if your web designer is setting up your shop for you.
You can always adjust your pricing later as your business grows, but having a general starting point helps your designer set up a few products for you to review and approve.
It's much easier to refine pricing on a live shop than to launch without any clear pricing structure.
6 - Organize Product Categories for a Clean Shop Layout
If your designer is creating the layout of your shop pages, having a sense of how you want to organize your products will be incredibly helpful.
Figuring out how many category pages you might need or what those categories should be can feel tough, especially if you're newer to selling online.
I know this is often a hard one to figure out on your own.
Some web designers may not be able to help you break down categories or determine what structure makes the most sense for your specific products. So taking some time to think through this before your design project starts will keep things moving smoothly.
7 - Provide Digital Artwork or Design Assets (Textures, Graphics, Fonts)
If you're an artist or creator, you should absolutely try to incorporate your creative work into your site design.
Things like textures, patterns, graphics, hand-drawn illustrations, or custom fonts can make your website feel uniquely yours in a way that templated designs just can't match.
Most designers would be delighted to know you want to incorporate small pieces of your artwork throughout your site.
Just make sure that whatever graphics or elements you provide are high quality and the right size. If you're not sure how to prepare these files properly, ask your designer if they can help with this step.
Keep in mind that if your designer needs to digitize your artwork or prepare files for you, this might be an added expense worth budgeting for.
8 - Choose or Finalize a Website Color Palette
Your designer might create a new color palette for you as part of your package, depending on what you've agreed to.
If you already know what direction you'd like to go with color on your site, having that ready to share gives your designer a clear starting point.
They may want to refine or expand your palette, but knowing what you love helps them understand your vision. Having some ideas planned out ahead of time can help save you time in the long run.
9 - Decide on Your New or Updated Logo Files
Some designers offer logo design as part of their services, while others focus solely on web design.
You'll want to determine whether you'd like your web designer to handle everything or if you plan to hire a separate logo designer for that piece.
Alternatively, if you're a talented illustrator or artist with the ability to create your own logo, you'll want to have this completed before the web project begins. Having your logo files ready keeps everything on schedule.
10 - Plan the Core Pages Your Website Needs
Your designer won't automatically know which pages you need for your site or your specific business.
They may have suggestions and can certainly point you in the right direction, but you'll need to determine which pages are absolute necessities and which ones you think you'd like but aren't entirely sure about yet.
Knowing the pages you need before starting your project also helps your designer provide a more accurate quote, which means fewer surprises down the road.
11 - Write Your Website Copy in Advance
Here's the number one thing that most people don't have completed when they're ready to start their web design project: their website copy.
The copy is all the text content you need for every single page of your website.
Some designers out there can help you with both copy and web design, but many designers aren't skilled in writing website copy for you.
You should plan to have the copy finished by you or written by a professional copywriter before your project begins.
Not having your copy ready is the biggest delay in getting your website up and running. It's worth investing the time upfront to get this done.
12 - Create Your Email List Freebie Before Launch
Another important thing to have ready is your free lead magnet.
If you plan to grow your email list (which I hope you do), then you'll need at least one valuable opt-in offer ready for your designer to set up with your email provider and connect through an opt-in form on your website.
This might be a downloadable guide, a mini-course, a template, or any other resource that gives people a compelling reason to join your email community. Having this ready ahead of time ensures that you can grow your email list from the moment you launch.
13 - Collect Testimonials to Build Trust
Testimonials are honestly one of the most important elements on your website besides the basics like photos and text.
Social proof is what helps your products and services sell. People want to know that others have worked with you or purchased from you and loved the experience.
If at all possible, take the time to reach out and ask for testimonials from customers or clients you've already worked with in the past. Even just a few genuine testimonials can make a huge difference in how potential clients perceive your work.
14 - Record Website Videos to Boost Conversions
Videos are an extra element when it comes to web design, but I want you to know about them because I've seen the power of what a video can do.
Videos warm up potential buyers and encourage them to connect with you in a way that text alone just can't match.
I understand that being on camera is a struggle for many creative business owners, so if this feels too overwhelming right now, it's okay to skip this step for your initial launch.
But if you have the skills or enjoy being on camera, adding videos to your site is worth considering.
If you do decide to include videos, you'll want to have them created, edited, and hosted on a platform like Vimeo or YouTube before your designer needs them. That way, all your designer has to do is grab the embed code and add it to your site.
15 - Write a Few Blog Posts Before Launch Day
Having a few blog posts ready when your website launches serves two important purposes.
1 - First, it helps your designer create a well-designed blog layout. While they can use placeholder text, it's so much better to design with real content that includes actual photos and headers.
2 - More importantly, having blog posts ready to share when your website launches attracts new readers to your site and helps them understand what you do and what you offer.
These posts start building that connection right from day one.
16 - Gather All Relevant Links You’ll Need for Website Setup
You'll want to have all relevant links handy for your web designer to connect when it's time to set everything up.
This might include links to your social media profiles, your email signup form, your shop platform (if different from your actual website), or any other external sites you want to reference.
Having these ready avoids broken links or placeholder text that you'll have to go back and fix later.
Next Steps
I know this probably feels like a lot. And honestly? It is a lot.
Designing or redesigning your website isn't an easy project, but it's such an important one for your creative business.
Here's what I want you to remember, you don't need everything to be perfect for your website to be powerful. You're building something that will serve your business for years to come, and it's okay to approach this one step at a time.
Look through this list and start gathering what you can.
Maybe you already have some of these things ready. Maybe you need to schedule that photo session or reach out to a copywriter. Whatever your next step is, just focus on that one thing.
Your website redesign doesn't have to happen overnight. Give yourself permission to prepare thoughtfully and thoroughly, without the pressure of rushing through it all at once.
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