Content delays cause most website overruns. Here is exactly what to prepare, and a realistic way to get it done.
Ask any studio what causes projects to run late and the answer is almost always the same. Not development. Content. The design is finished, the build is finished, and everyone waits three weeks for the About page copy.
What you actually need to supply
- Page by page copy, or at least rough notes a copywriter can work from
- A logo in vector format if you have one, ideally SVG or AI
- Photographs of your team, premises, and work
- Your legal details: company name, GST number, registered address
- Testimonials with permission to publish, including the person's name and company
- Any certifications or memberships you want displayed
Photography is worth the money
Stock photography is the fastest way to look like every other business in your industry. A few hours with a local photographer produces images nobody else has, and New Zealand buyers respond to seeing actual premises and actual people.
A realistic way to get copy written
Most business owners stall on writing because they try to write polished prose immediately. A better sequence:
- Record yourself explaining what you do to a friend. Talk for five minutes per page.
- Transcribe it. The words you use out loud are usually better than the ones you would type.
- Cut it down. Most first drafts halve well.
- Hand it to whoever is writing the final version. Rough and true beats polished and vague.
Set a content deadline before the build starts
Agree a date for content delivery at the same time as the project start date, and agree what happens if it slips. This is not bureaucracy, it is the difference between launching on time and a project drifting for two months while everyone waits for each other.