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How to Plan a New Website: Non-Technical Owner's Checklist

A step-by-step guide to planning a website without technical jargon. Built from 17 years and 250+ projects, for business owners planning their first real site.

By Adriano Junior

TL;DR

How to plan a website in 8 steps:

  1. Define the goal. What should the site actually do?
  2. Identify the audience. Who is it for, in real specifics?
  3. Map the content. Which pages, what goes on each?
  4. Choose the tech. DIY builder, freelancer, or agency?
  5. Set the budget. How much will this cost end to end?
  6. Find the builder. Vet carefully, check references.
  7. Create the timeline. Milestones with real dates.
  8. Plan the launch. What happens the day it goes live, and the 90 days after.

Time to complete the plan: 4–8 hours, spread over 1–2 weeks. Output: one clear brief a developer can build from.

You have decided the business needs a real website. The first question, where to start, is also the one that derails most projects. Hire a developer first? Pick a tool? Write all the copy? Spend two months in planning, or just start building this week?

Without a plan, projects drift. Scope creeps. Communication breaks down. The developer ships something that does not match the picture in your head. Three months later you are five thousand dollars in and frustrated.

A short planning session usually prevents most of that. What follows is the eight-step process I use with every client, built from 17 years and 250+ projects. No jargon, just the decisions that move the project.

Table of contents

  1. Step 1: Define the goal
  2. Step 2: Identify the audience
  3. Step 3: Map the content
  4. Step 4: Choose the tech stack
  5. Step 5: Set the budget
  6. Step 6: Find the builder
  7. Step 7: Create the timeline
  8. Step 8: Plan the launch
  9. The planning checklist
  10. Reflecting on what derails most projects
  11. FAQ

Step 1: Define your goal

Before anyone writes code, the question is: what is this website supposed to do?

Not "look professional". Not "be online". A specific business outcome.

Common website goals

Goal Sign of success
Generate leads 5–10 qualified inquiries per month from the site
Drive e-commerce sales $X revenue per month from online orders
Build credibility Buyers trust your brand more after visiting
Support existing customers Reduce support email volume by 30% with self-service
Share knowledge Blog drives 1,000+ organic visits a month
Recruit talent Attract better job applicants

Write the goal in one sentence

Not: "Build a professional website so we look legit."

Try: "Generate 15 qualified leads a month for the consulting services."

Or: "Sell $50K in products annually online."

Or: "Reduce support inquiries by 40% with a knowledge base."

Question: what's the monetary value?

This decides how much the site is worth.

  • If the goal is 15 leads/month and a lead is worth $2,500, that is $37,500/month in potential revenue. A $5,000 site pays for itself in two weeks.
  • If the goal is "look professional" with no direct revenue, $1,000–$2,000 is plenty.

Step 2: Identify your audience

Who is the site for?

Not "everyone". Get specific.

Build 2–3 audience personas

For each, name:

  1. Who they are. Title, age range, income.
  2. The pain. What problem are they trying to solve right now?
  3. What they need from you. Why would they use this site instead of a competitor's?
  4. What they're afraid of. The objections in their head.
  5. How they find you. Search, referral, ad, social?

Two example personas

Persona 1: Sarah, marketing agency owner. Mid-30s, runs a small team. Needs to hire freelancers fast for overflow work. Wants quick access to vetted talent. Afraid of bad hires and ghosting. Finds vendors through Google search and referrals.

Persona 2: Marcus, freelance designer. Solo, early 30s. Wants consistent client flow instead of feast-or-famine. Needs a platform to show his work and get booked. Afraid of low-quality clients. Finds platforms through LinkedIn and word of mouth.

These are templates, not real people. Fill in your own buyers in the same shape.

Step 3: Map your content

With a goal and an audience, the question becomes: which pages, with what on them?

Start with the essential pages

Page Purpose
Home Hook. Answer "what is this?" in 10 seconds.
About Who you are, credentials, why you care.
Services or products What you sell. Pricing, even a range.
How it works (optional) Step-by-step for the buyer.
Testimonials or case studies Proof, with real names and numbers.
Contact Make it easy to reach you.
Blog (optional) Only if you'll write at least once or twice a month.

Do not create pages you will not maintain. A neglected "Team" page with 2021 information costs more trust than no page at all.

Content inventory

For each page, list what goes on it.

Home page:

  • Headline
  • Subheadline
  • Hero image
  • Value proposition (why choose you?)
  • Primary CTA

About page:

  • 2–3 paragraphs of your story
  • Photo of you or the team
  • Credentials and experience
  • Why you care about the problem

Services page:

  • 3–5 main services
  • 50–100 word description per service
  • Price or price range
  • Who it is for
  • CTA

Contact page:

  • Contact form or booking link
  • Phone number
  • Email
  • Hours of operation
  • Physical address if applicable

Gather the assets before the developer starts

Before the kickoff call, collect:

  • High-resolution logo (PNG or AI).
  • Three to five real photos: you, the team, the product, the work in action.
  • Existing copy from your current site, LinkedIn, business cards.
  • Testimonials from past clients (ask them now; most will say yes).
  • The list of services and prices.

If you do not have these, budget another $1,000–$2,000 for a copywriter or photographer. Pages built on stock photography read like every other page on the internet.

Step 4: Choose your tech stack

"Tech stack" is just shorthand for: which tools and which platform?

For most small businesses, the choice narrows to three.

Option A: DIY website builder

Tools: Wix, Squarespace, WordPress.com, Shopify.

Best if: budget is under $1,000, you need it live this week, you are comfortable with basic design tools.

Pros:

  • Fast (days, not weeks).
  • Cheap (annual costs of $500–$1,500).
  • No developer needed.

Cons:

  • Templated look.
  • Limited customisation.
  • SEO is a fight without engineering.
  • Hard to hand off to another developer later.

Option B: freelance developer

Best if: budget $3,000–$10,000, you can wait 2–4 months, you are willing to vet carefully.

Pros:

  • Custom design.
  • A real relationship with a single human.
  • More flexibility than an agency.
  • Better value than a full agency for a similar scope.

Cons:

  • Quality varies wildly. Vetting matters.
  • Post-launch support is uneven.
  • Slower than agencies on average.
  • Harder to find a good one.

Option C: design agency

Best if: budget $8,000–$25,000+, you want a managed delivery, you are happy following someone else's process.

Pros:

  • Predictable delivery.
  • Faster than most freelancers (4–8 weeks).
  • Post-launch support included.
  • Contracts and project managers.

Cons:

  • Higher cost.
  • Less flexibility.
  • Few agencies focus on small business.

Tech stack template

A quick brief you can hand to any developer:

Platform: [DIY builder / WordPress / Custom build]
Hosting: [They'll handle / I'll arrange]
CMS: [WordPress / Wix / Shopify / N/A]
E-commerce: [Yes / No]
Email integration: [Gmail / Mailchimp / Klaviyo]
Booking: [Calendly / Acuity / Custom]
Blog: [Yes / No]
SEO priority: [High / Medium / Low]
Mobile-first: [Yes, required]

Step 5: Set your budget

You already know the value: "this site should generate $37,500/month in pipeline." Now back into the build cost.

For reference, my fixed-price Websites start at $2,999 (Starter), $7,999 (Business), and $11,999 (Corporate). Redesigns from $4,999. Every tier ships with a 14-day money-back guarantee and a 1-year bug warranty.

Budget calculator

Revenue goal ÷ value per customer = number of customers needed = break-even budget.

  • Site should generate $30K/year, and you make $5K per customer (six customers): break-even ~$1K–$2K.
  • Site should generate $150K/year, and you make $5K per customer (30 customers): break-even ~$5K–$10K.

A useful rule of thumb: spend 5–10% of expected annual revenue from the site on the build itself.

Sample budgets

Budget For whom What's included
$500–$1K Solopreneurs, DIY Platform, domain, basic design
$3K–$5K Small service business Custom design, freelancer, basic setup
$5K–$10K Growing service business Solid design, freelancer, content help
$8K–$15K E-commerce or agency client Premium design, e-commerce setup, post-launch support
$25K+ Complex needs Full strategy, custom build, ongoing marketing integration

Budget breakdown for $6,000

  • Design: $1,500 (25%)
  • Development: $2,000 (33%)
  • Content and copywriting: $1,000 (17%)
  • Setup, testing, launch: $700 (12%)
  • Contingency: $800 (13%)

Always reserve 10–15% for surprises. Projects always have surprises.

Step 6: Find your builder

You know the goal, the audience, the content, and the budget. Time to find the right person.

If using a DIY builder

No vetting needed. Pick one:

  • Wix. Most flexible for beginners.
  • Squarespace. Beautiful templates out of the box.
  • Shopify. Best for selling products.
  • WordPress.com. Most powerful, steepest learning curve.

Try the free trial. Then commit.

If hiring a freelancer

Where to look:

  • LinkedIn: search "web developer + your city".
  • Upwork: post the project, review bids.
  • Local agency referrals: most agencies know freelancers.
  • Word of mouth: usually the highest signal.

Vetting questions:

  1. "Show me three to five recent projects similar to mine. Can I call a reference?"
  2. "What's your process? How many revision rounds are included?"
  3. "How long will this take? What's your timeline?"
  4. "What happens after launch? Do you support updates?"
  5. "How do we communicate? Will I have a single point of contact?"
  6. "How do you handle scope creep mid-project?"
  7. "Who owns the code, design, and domain afterward?" (Answer: you do.)
  8. "What's your payment schedule?" (Red flag: 100% up front. Normal: 50/50 or 33/33/33.)

If hiring an agency

Where to look:

  • "[Your city] web design agency" search.
  • Clutch.co or G2 reviews.
  • Industry-specific directories.
  • A referral from another business owner.

Vetting questions, plus:

  1. "Who is my main contact? Will I have a dedicated project manager?"
  2. "What is the post-launch support window?"
  3. "What's the revision process if I am not happy?"
  4. "Can I see the contract or SLA before we start?"
  5. "What's the cost of ongoing support after the initial period?"

Red flags

  • "We can build anything for any price."
  • "We'll charge hourly as we go." (Scope creep risk.)
  • "Three-day turnaround guaranteed." (Rushed equals buggy.)
  • "100% payment up front before we start."
  • "Unlimited revisions." (Reads like a perk, behaves like a trap.)
  • "We'll own your code or domain for you."

Green flags

  • A clear scope document with what is and is not included.
  • Fixed price, or hourly with a real cap.
  • Revision limit (2–3 rounds).
  • Sensible payment schedule (50/50 or 33/33/33).
  • Post-launch support included for 1–3 months.
  • You own everything: code, design, domain.
  • References you can actually call.

A small note about ownership. Every project I deliver is Work Made for Hire. Once you pay, 100% of the code, design, and content is yours. If a vendor cannot say that in plain English, walk away.

Step 7: Create your timeline

When does the site need to be live? Work backwards from that date.

Sample 12-week timeline

Week Milestone Your role
1–2 Discovery and design kickoff Provide all content, photos, logo
3–4 Design mockups Review and approve, give feedback
5–7 Development Stay reachable for questions
8–9 Testing and QA Review the draft, find bugs
10–11 Revisions and final tweaks Feedback on changes
12 Launch and monitoring Watch uptime, learn how to update

What delays projects

The four most common delays, in order:

  1. You don't deliver content and photos on time. The developer waits.
  2. You're slow to approve designs. Timeline slips.
  3. You keep adding features. Scope creep, then more delays.
  4. You're hard to reach. Miscommunication, then rework.

Things that keep projects on track:

  • Reply to questions within 24 hours.
  • Approve designs on the agreed dates. Don't park decisions on "maybes".
  • Freeze scope after week two. New ideas go on a phase-two list.
  • Have a single point of contact on your end.

A 6-week rush version

Same shape, compressed:

  • Week 1–1.5: discovery and kickoff.
  • Week 2–2.5: design.
  • Week 3–4: development (in parallel with design).
  • Week 5–5.5: testing.
  • Week 6: launch.

Cost: usually 30–50% more. Rush has a price.

If using a DIY builder

Realistic timeline: 1–2 weeks of evenings, since you're doing the work.

Step 8: Plan your launch

Two days before launch, plan for the day after.

Soft launch (internal testing)

  • Day 1: site is live, but you don't announce it.
  • Test everything: forms, links, image loading, mobile rendering.
  • Find bugs and fix them.
  • Don't tell customers yet.

Hard launch (public)

  • Day 3: announce to the email list, social, and Google Search Console.
  • Send the link to 5–10 trusted customers and ask for honest feedback.
  • Monitor for the first 24–48 hours.
  • Keep the developer reachable for urgent fixes.

Post-launch tasks

First week:

  • Submit to Google Search Console.
  • Submit the sitemap.
  • Add Google Analytics.
  • Test every form (do they actually email you?).
  • Watch page load speed against PageSpeed Insights.
  • Fix any bugs customers report quickly.

First month:

  • Watch analytics. Where do people click? Where do they leave?
  • Follow up with early visitors who left contact info.
  • Make small improvements based on user behavior.
  • Start promoting via email and social.

First three months:

  • Write blog posts or update copy based on real questions you're getting.
  • Measure against the goal. Did the site hit 15 leads/month?
  • If not, identify what to change first.

Marketing after launch

A site is step one. Traffic is step two.

Plan to spend 50–100% of the build cost on marketing in year one:

  • Paid ads: $500–$2,000/month.
  • SEO and content: $500–$1,500/month.
  • Social promotion: $200–$500/month.

If you do not plan to market the site, save the money and use a DIY builder. A custom site without a traffic plan does the same job as a Squarespace template, just slower.

The planning checklist

Print this and work through it before hiring anyone.

WEBSITE PLANNING CHECKLIST

GOAL & STRATEGY
[ ] What should the website accomplish? (1 sentence)
[ ] What's the monetary value? ($ per lead, per sale)
[ ] Who are 2–3 target personas? (Name, title, problem, fear)

CONTENT
[ ] List the pages you need (home, about, services, contact, etc.)
[ ] For each page, write what goes on it (headline, image, CTA)
[ ] Gather: logo, 3–5 photos, copy from existing materials
[ ] Collect testimonials from 3–5 happy customers
[ ] Decide on pricing or pricing strategy

TECH & BUDGET
[ ] Which platform? (DIY builder / freelancer / agency)
[ ] Total budget? ($ amount)
[ ] Budget breakdown? (Design $X, development $Y, content $Z)

BUILDER SELECTION
[ ] 3 candidates identified (if freelancer or agency)
[ ] Vetting calls completed
[ ] References called (if possible)
[ ] Contract reviewed
[ ] Payment schedule agreed

TIMELINE
[ ] Project start date
[ ] Project end date
[ ] Milestone dates (Design done: __, Dev done: __, Launch: __)
[ ] Single point of contact identified

LAUNCH PREP
[ ] Domain purchased (you own it, not the developer)
[ ] Hosting arranged
[ ] Email forwarding set up
[ ] Analytics tool chosen (Google Analytics)
[ ] Post-launch marketing plan
[ ] Marketing budget allocated ($500–$2K/month, year 1)

APPROVAL
[ ] I understand the goal, timeline, and budget
[ ] I understand my role (content, feedback, approvals)
[ ] I'm ready to stay engaged for 12 weeks
[ ] This is approved by [stakeholder name]

Reflecting on what derails most projects

After 17 years and 250+ projects, the projects that go sideways tend to share three things.

The first is a goal that lives in adjectives instead of numbers. "We want to look more professional" is not a goal a developer can build against. "Generate 15 qualified leads a month" is. The team that wrote the second sentence is going to make better decisions every week.

The second is content arriving late. The developer can build empty page templates faster than you can write the copy that fills them. Most of the timeline slip on bad projects starts here. The fix is to gather assets (copy, photos, testimonials) before the kickoff call, not during it. The LAK Embalagens corporate website was a redesign that worked partly because the client showed up with the photography and product information ready. The 45% bounce rate reduction and Top 3 rankings followed from the structure, not the framework.

The third is scope creep dressed as feedback. New ideas come up during a build, and that is normal. The healthy version is a phase-two list. The unhealthy version is "while we're at it, can we also add…", week after week. Freeze scope at week two. Everything else goes into a list for the next release.

The good news is none of these require deep technical skill. They are owner habits. They cost nothing to fix and they pay for themselves before launch.

FAQ

How long should I spend planning vs building?

4–8 hours of planning, 6–12 weeks of building. A solid plan prevents about ten times more rework.

Should I write all my own copy or hire a copywriter?

If copy isn't your skill, hire someone for $1,000–$2,000. Bad copy quietly kills conversion. Most developers do not write persuasive copy; they shouldn't have to.

Can I add features after launch?

Yes, but it is cheaper to build them in from the start. Adding a blog later usually runs $1,000–$2,000 when it would have been $500 if scoped from day one.

What if I don't have professional photos?

Budget $1,000–$2,000 for a half-day shoot or use high-quality stock for $20–$100 per image. Photos are worth the investment.

What's the biggest mistake people make?

Not gathering content first. The developer finishes 80% of the site, then waits two weeks for your copy. Timeline slips, cost climbs. Gather content before you hire anyone.

How often should I update my website?

Minimum monthly check (broken links, outdated info). Quarterly updates (new testimonial, refreshed copy, blog post). Annual refresh (design tweaks, new photos, major feature additions).

Next steps

Key takeaways:

  • Plan before you build. A short planning session prevents most of the rework.
  • Define the goal in one sentence with a number attached.
  • Know who you are building for. Two or three personas is plenty.
  • Map the content before hiring (home, about, services, contact, proof).
  • Choose the right builder for the budget: DIY, freelancer, or agency.
  • Set a realistic budget tied to the revenue you expect from the site.
  • Vet carefully. Reference calls beat portfolios.
  • Stay engaged through the build. Respond fast, approve on time, freeze scope.
  • Plan the launch and the first 90 days of promotion in advance.

If you want a second pair of eyes on the plan, get a quote in 60s and I'll review the goal, audience, and budget, then tell you exactly what to build. Or get a quote in 60s if you already know what you want.

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