Plan the website before designing the homepage.

Start with the business job

A website can generate inquiries, explain complex services, support bookings, establish credibility, publish information or serve existing customers. Those jobs require different structures. Define the primary action first, then decide what information a visitor needs before taking it.

Inventory what already exists

For a redesign, list current URLs, forms, downloads, rankings, backlinks, analytics, integrations and content that still matters. Deleting old pages simply because the design is old can remove useful search equity or customer resources.

Build a page map

Group services and information by user intent. A service page should explain a service. A location page should add meaningful local context. A guide should answer a planning question. When pages have distinct roles, navigation and internal linking become easier to understand.

Prepare real content

Gather operating details, pricing policies where appropriate, service areas, process information, photos, credentials and common customer questions. Real specifics make a website more convincing than generic marketing adjectives.

Technical requirements

Identify forms, databases, payments, account access, maps, APIs, multilingual content, accessibility requirements and hosting constraints early. These can change the development approach and project scope.