Pre-website process
If we’ve learned anything over the years, it’s that good planning leads to great websites. Here’s how we set up a website for success before we ever start writing or building.
It starts with an introduction. [Wave or text hello :)]
And it's about us having the right questions upfront—figuring out who your audience is, what works for sales, and what success actually looks like for you.
Then, we get our ducks in a row—securing access to what we need so we can move fast later.
Our ASSESSMENT is a key ingredient to the secret sauce. We analyze your brand presence, your content, your competitors' content, the SEO landscape, ads opportunities, and competitor positioning. We're looking for what you need to have to WIN.
We're also figuring out what kind of foundation you're on and figuring out what you need to get to where you need to go.
Then, we lay out a scope of work. And discuss and iterate before figuring out the build and we
Start to define the launch plan and the timing. Is it phased? All-at-once? Taking all we've learned through the whole process, we can now start making some judgement calls and providing counsel on the best ways to execute the way to success.
Only then do we take off—assigning team members, turning plans into action.
A well-planned website makes all the difference in your experience during the process as well as the end product and business success of the effort. So, let's talk - have a conversation, and we'll build something great together.
This is most of our pre-process:
Website Process Documentation
Phase 1: Introduction & Discovery
This phase is centered on understanding the client, their goals, and their audience. It sets the foundation for the entire project.
Defining the Problem
What are the goals of this project?
What does success look like?
What have past marketing investments looked like, and how have they performed?
Getting to Know HBB
What internal resources are available for this project?
What are the timing needs?
Who is typically involved in creating content?
Who has the final say on decisions?
Who is the financial decision-maker?
Understanding the Business
Who is the audience for the business?
Who are the customers?
What are the key products and their profit margins?
What should the primary focus of this effort be?
What is the market opportunity, and how will this effort address it?
Phase 2: Engage and Access Granted
During this phase, we establish formal engagement and secure access to the necessary tools and accounts.
Access Requirements
Google Analytics
Google Search Console
Google Business Profile
Tag Manager
Google Ads*
Facebook Ads*
LinkedIn Ads*
(*If applicable to the project.)
Formal Agreement
An engagement letter is signed to initiate the assessment phase.
Phase 3: Assessment
The assessment phase involves analyzing the current state of the brand and identifying opportunities for growth and improvement.
Analysis & Insights (Current State)
Brand presence
Competitive analysis
Website performance
SEO landscape and opportunities
Ads landscape and opportunities
(*Note: Social presence, public relations, and promotional efforts are not included unless specifically requested.)
Future State Options
Brand Work:
Are brand guidelines in place? (If yes, please share.)
Is there a brand voice document?
Is brand identity work needed?
Existing Assets:
Are there existing photos and videos?
Website:
Recommended sitemap
Content needs and quality improvement
New service/sales page content
Video and media needs
Go-to-market plan (Are ad landing pages required?)
Additional uses for site content internally
Visual inspirations/mood board
Platform recommendations
Preferred reporting cadence
Pre-Engagement Workstreams
Stakeholder Interviews
Conduct interviews with key stakeholders to gain deeper insights into expectations, goals, and challenges.
Understand departmental perspectives (e.g., sales, marketing, leadership).
Audit of Existing Assets
Perform an early audit of available content, visuals, and media to assess gaps and repurposing opportunities.
Confirm inventory of website elements such as copy, images, and functional tools (e.g., calculators, forms).
Preliminary Technical Assessment
Review existing website hosting environment, CMS, and performance metrics to flag potential migration or technical needs early.
Determine if there are custom integrations (e.g., CRM, ERP) that may influence scope.
Competitor Benchmarking
Conduct a lightweight competitive analysis to understand how the client compares in brand presence, site functionality, and content quality.
Clarification of KPIs and Reporting Expectations
Early agreement on measurable success metrics.
Define the cadence and format of performance reports.
Client Alignment Workshop
Facilitate a pre-kickoff workshop to align all stakeholders on the project goals, scope, and timeline.
Address key questions or concerns collaboratively.
Risk Assessment
Identify potential risks to the timeline, such as unavailable client resources or delays in content creation.
Develop mitigation strategies.
Budget & Scope Validation
Conduct a high-level validation to ensure the proposed budget aligns with the client's desired outcomes.
Explore alternative options to scale the scope if necessary.
Legal and Compliance Review
Ensure any regulatory or compliance considerations (e.g., GDPR, ADA, industry-specific rules) are accounted for in the early planning stages.
Content Strategy Framework
Draft a preliminary content strategy to validate alignment with business goals.
Define the tone, voice, and key message pillars.
Platform Suitability Check
Assess whether the client’s preferred platform aligns with their needs, including scalability and flexibility for future growth.
Onboarding Questionnaire or Portal
Create a centralized portal or structured questionnaire for clients to provide all necessary information upfront (e.g., passwords, existing assets, brand documents).
Phase 4: Recommended Scope of Work
This phase aligns client needs with the proposed project plan and scope.
Pre-Work
Brand Work:
Voice, guidelines, and identity package (if needed).
Sitemap:
Is the client aligned with the future state recommendations?
Content Needs
Categorized by level of effort
Video recommendations
Creation schedule (phased over time)
Media Needs
Assess if a photoshoot is required.
Gather existing videos and photos (ensure they are accessible).
Style and Visual Direction
Confirm client preferences based on visual inspirations/mood board.
Billing Preferences
Monthly payments over time? For how long?
Lump sum or split payments?
Collaboration
Discuss and iterate on the plan.
Present the quote and adjust as needed.
Secure approval.
Assign client and HBB teams.
Launch Plan
Define the type of site launch:
Initial and phased buildout
An example of this is a client who either has or doesn’t have an existing site, but they need to get something new in place asap. In this case, we define what the have-to-have and nice-to-have pages and assets are. Then execute. IMHO, this should be how almost all sites are planned.
All-at-once launch
This is really a personal preference. My "thing” is “once it is accurate and better than what’s currently there, launch it.” But not everyone is like that and some just simply can’t operate this way. In that case, it’s usually a page-by-page approval and all at once planned launch.
Content creation, gathering, and then design/development.
In this type of case, a website may have decent bones and the content just needs an upgrade. We’ve spent 18 months before slowly building out the content for their brand and SEO — and then they say one day, you know — it’s time. Let’s go to a redesign. In these cases, the design/development process is basically scoped already and much simpler and pain free.
Post-Launch Management
Determine internal site management resources.
Define post-launch management plans:
None
Minimal (monthly/quarterly updates)
Unlimited (monthly management)
Phase 5: Website Planning
Team Brief
What’s the problem we’re solving?
Who is the audience?
Resource Checks
Confirm domain/DNS information and access.
Verify availability of brand voice, identity, and guidelines (create if needed).
Secure access to video and photo repositories:
Have selects been picked?
Are additional photos or a shoot required?
Transition Plan
Decide whether to:
Start an "Under Construction" page.
Leave the existing website live during the build.
Sitemap and Schedule
Finalize the sitemap and site build schedule.
Team Assignments
Assign writers and designate the project leader.
I know this seems like a lot to go through before “the real work” starts. But (1) it’s really hard to give you an accurate estimate without doing the work, (2) the process is soooooo much more painless for you if we can do this work, (3) you end with a better product — like we say that sets you up to win.
