The wish to have a website usually comes before an understanding of how it’s done. It seems you first have to choose a platform, figure out domains, write flawless texts, find photos and name every section. As a result, the project sits in your notes for months, and starting it still feels daunting.

You don’t have to solve everything alone. We take most of these questions on ourselves; what we need from you is a starting point. From there we work through the tasks one at a time, without piling them all together.

Step 1. Put into words why you need a website

Answer for yourself in one or two sentences: what do you offer, and what should the website change in your work? Maybe clients get confused about your services. Or you want to show a new product, build a portfolio, stop forwarding the same explanations over and over, or prepare a platform for a launch.

The goal doesn’t have to sound like a marketing strategy. “I want people to understand what I do, see examples and be able to send a request” is a perfectly workable start.

Step 2. Decide what needs to be shown

Jot down a list: services, products, projects, information about you or your company, contacts, answers to frequent questions. Don’t think about the order or the number of screens yet — we’ll arrange that ourselves. First it’s important to understand what information visitors really need.

We help separate “I’d like to talk about this” from “this will help people understand”. Sometimes a personal story becomes an important part of the website because it explains your approach and values. And sometimes a detail is better moved to the blog or a separate page so the homepage isn’t overloaded.

How to turn notes into a clear project description

Step 3. We’ll choose the format together

If you present one service or a specific product, a landing page usually fits. If there are several areas and you need separate pages, a portfolio, articles or detailed navigation, a multi-page website is more likely to suit. You don’t have to choose before we talk; it’s enough to describe what should be inside. The difference between the formats is covered in detail in the article “One page or a whole website?”.

Step 4. Gather what you already have

Photos, a logo, service descriptions, presentations, publications, reviews, social media links and examples of websites you like will all come in handy. There’s no need to rush to perfect everything. Put the materials in one place and note what’s ready and what needs more work.

If some materials are missing, it’s better to say so right away. Then we know what needs to be prepared separately and don’t build the design around content that will later have to be replaced entirely.

Step 5. Look for a direction, not “your colour”

References make it easy to discuss mood: a strict website or a friendly one, restrained or experimental, editorial or tech-driven. Colour is just one of the details here. We look at typefaces, composition, images, navigation and the way information is presented.

Also send a couple of examples that don’t suit you, with an explanation of why. That makes it easier for us to set the boundaries and not beautifully execute a direction that was foreign to you from the start.

Step 6. We fix the scope and process before starting

Before we start, we agree on which pages are part of the project, which materials you prepare, how decisions are approved and what counts as the finished result. We do the design and the build of the website together, in one project. How the stages of work are organised and where the prepayment comes in is described on the “Pricing & process” page.

This has nothing to do with bureaucracy. When the agreements are clear, both sides know what’s going on, and there are fewer unpleasant surprises midway through the work.

What affects the stages and timeline

Step 7. Don’t wait until you know everything

Questions about the platform, structure, content or style may remain, and that doesn’t mean you aren’t ready. Often it’s exactly in a conversation with us that it becomes clear what needs deciding now and what can wait.

A short list before the first conversation

Where to start

A website starts with your business; typefaces and the platform can wait. First we work out together how to talk about it so that people can easily see the value of the offer. Everything else breaks down into clear stages, and we go through them one by one.

You can come to SOMO STUDIO with a ready plan or just an idea. For the first conversation it’s enough to tell us about the task, and then we’ll suggest a format and next steps.

— SOMO STUDIO