Small business owner preparing website notes, service details and photos on a desk before a website build

Studio education article

Preparing website text and images

A website build goes more smoothly when you have gathered the right raw material first. You do not need polished marketing copy on day one, but clear notes, usable photos and honest business details help everyone move faster.

Rough notes and phone photos are fine to start. The aim is clarity for customers, not perfect homework before you speak to us.

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Short answer

Before a build starts, gather plain-language notes on your services, who you help, areas covered, hours and contact routes, plus photos you are allowed to use at a usable size. Add reviews, testimonials and accreditations only where they are true and permitted. Intelixa can shape messy notes into good web copy; gaps found early cause less delay than placeholder text discovered late.

List services, who you help, areas covered, hours and contact details
Collect real photos with clear lighting, not tiny compressed chat images
Bring proof you can publish: reviews, testimonials, before/after, accreditations
Confirm business name, logo files and basics if forms collect personal data
Rough notes are enough to start; preparation reduces rework, not perfectionism

Introduction

Many website projects slow down for the same reason: content arrives in dribs and drabs after design has started. Placeholder copy, blurry images and missing contact details create rework that owners feel as delay and uncertainty.

This guide explains what to gather before you speak to Intelixa or before a build begins. It is for owner-led businesses who want a practical site, not a generic search engine optimisation (SEO) article. If you are still deciding pages and purpose, start with planning your first business website.

Written content to prepare

Services: what you do in plain language, including what is included and what is not
Who the business helps: typical customers, job types or situations you are best suited to
Areas covered: towns, regions or travel rules if location matters
Opening hours: when you answer the phone or attend site visits, including exceptions
Contact details: phone, email, address or service area as you want them shown
Frequently asked customer questions: the same queries you answer by phone or message
Examples of completed work: short notes on recent jobs, with dates or context if useful

What good photos look like

Photos sell trust for trades, care, hospitality and many local services. Aim for images that look like your real business, not a stock catalogue.

Real team, workplace or job photos where appropriate, not only generic stock
Clear lighting: daylight or well-lit indoor shots beat dark, noisy images
Landscape and portrait options: hero banners often need wide shots; team pages may need upright crops
Avoid tiny, blurry, heavily filtered or WhatsApp-compressed images that break up when enlarged
Permission: confirm you may use customer or project photos, especially faces and number plates

If you only have phone photos, send the originals from your camera roll rather than forwarded chat thumbnails. We can advise on cropping; we cannot recover detail that was never there.

Proof and trust signals

Reviews from Google, Facebook or trade directories you are happy to reference
Testimonials with permission to publish name, role or area
Before/after examples where they genuinely represent your work
Accreditations, insurance, trade bodies or guarantees only where they are current and true

Practical business details

Registered business name and trading name if they differ
Logo and brand files if you have them (vector or high-resolution PNG)
Areas served and any limits on travel or job size
Key contact methods and who handles enquiries
Legal and privacy basics when forms collect personal data: what you collect, why, and how you store it

Domain, hosting and email

These sit separately from copy and images. Domains, hosting and DNS explained covers domain names, hosting, DNS (Domain Name System) records and business email before handover.

How preparation prevents delays

Avoids placeholder copy that has to be rewritten once real services are clear
Stops last-minute image hunts that push back review and launch dates
Reduces back-and-forth on facts you already know: hours, areas, phone numbers
Helps Intelixa shape messy notes into structured web copy faster
Makes scope conversations grounded in what you actually offer today

You do not need perfect copy first

Bullet points, voice notes transcribed roughly, or an old brochure PDF are all useful. Intelixa can help with structure, headings and wording that reads clearly online.

The aim is clarity for visitors and a realistic picture of your business, not homework for its own sake. If enquiry forms should feed a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, note that early; see how website forms connect to CRM for routing and handoff.

Practical checklist

Service list and who you help, in plain language
Areas covered, hours and published contact routes
FAQ-style answers you give customers already
Usable photos with permission where needed
Reviews or testimonials you may publish
Logo/brand files and true accreditations only
Privacy expectations if forms collect personal data
Rough notes on recent work examples

Next step

When you are ready, share what you have via a Studio enquiry or review website builds for how Intelixa scopes practical sites. Even partial notes on services, photos and contact details help us quote and plan sensibly.

Common questions

Do I need final website copy before contacting Intelixa?

No. Rough notes, lists and examples are enough to start. Final wording can be shaped during the build when the structure is clear.

How many photos should I prepare?

A small set of strong, real images beats a large folder of duplicates. Aim for a few good shots per key service or page, plus team or workplace images if they build trust.

Can I use photos from my phone?

Yes, if they are sharp, well lit and large enough to crop. Send originals rather than heavily compressed forwards from messaging apps.

What if I do not have reviews yet?

Build without fake social proof. Focus on clear services, contact routes and work examples. Add reviews when you have genuine ones you can publish.

Should I prepare domain and hosting details too?

Helpful but separate from copy and images. See Domain, hosting and email above, or Domains, hosting and DNS explained in Related reading, for what to know before handover.

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