Is Your Business Ready for a Website Design Service?: A Checklist
You’ve done it again.
A potential client asks for the link to your website, and almost automatically, you hit them with your classic excuse…
“It’s under construction! But here’s my little Instagram/portfolio/Linktree situation instead.”
You laugh it off – but doubts start to creep in. That setup might work for now. But deep down? You know that little excuse is starting to let opportunities slide past you.
Every day without a site, your confidence in your brand feels wobblier – almost like your brand could be shouting, but instead it’s whispering. You think you’re ready for a website design service – but how can you know for sure?
Here’s the real question you need to address before you dive headfirst into custom Squarespace website design services or start eyeing shiny Squarespace website design packages: Are you actually ready for a website?
Because here’s the truth that not every website designer will tell you: not every business is ready…yet.
And forcing it before the foundation is solid usually leads to overwhelm, overspending, or a site that feels like a half-baked mood board with a couple of weird buttons.
So let’s slow it down for a sec.
Whether you’re figuring out when to hire a website designer or deciding if you should DIY it yourself, this checklist will help you see if now is your moment — or if a little prep will make the whole thing feel way more powerful.
Is Your Business Ready for a Website Design Service?: A Checklist
Are Your Services & Offers Clearly Mapped Out?
Do You Have a Brand Identity Guideline?
Do You Have Brand Photography Figured Out?
Is Your Website Copy Updated & Refreshed?
Have You Chosen Your Platform + Tech Stack?
Do You Know What You Want People To Do on Your Website?
Are Your Legal + Trust Basics Covered?
Have You Thought About Your SEO Foundation?
Can You Afford the Annual Cost of a Website?
Do You Have a Website Designer in Mind (or Time to DIY?)
A Quick Mini Checklist: What to Look for in a Website Designer
Are You Prepared for the Cost of a Done-For-You Website Design Service?
The Website Stuff You Don’t Need to Stress About
A Full Vision for Your Website
Branding from the Same Designer
Ready for Website Design Services That Bring Your Brand to Life?
Your Go-To Website Design Service Checklist
Here’s my go-to list of questions that I personally ask every single client to have (or to be actively working on) before we tackle their website design service.
I’m sharing these with you for a specific purpose – and it’s not to be a buzzkill. When you do decide to hire a website designer to tackle a custom website design for you, I want it to be worth every penny.
Your website deserves to feel and be strategic, intentional, and aligned with where your business is going – having these things checked off first can help guarantee your design puts its best foot forward.
Are Your Services & Offers Clearly Mapped Out?
Think about what you offer your clients. Are you still shapeshifting weekly between “wait, what DO I offer again?” and “actually I offer everything.”
If so, pause right here.
Your website can only sell and share what’s clear. Knowing your offers helps define your pages, your structure, and how the story of your business unfolds online.
When your services are mapped out first, the design becomes focused instead of messy.
Of course, over time, your offers are going to evolve – that’s a part of business in general. But having a clear outline of what you currently offer is so helpful for your designer and your site’s result.
Do You Have a Brand Identity Guideline?
No, this doesn’t have to be a designer-made, gold-foil, 30-page brand bible. But you do need direction.
A brand identity guideline is your visual compass. It outlines your colours, fonts, logos, aesthetic vibe, and overall personality so your business looks like one cohesive universe instead of five personalities fighting for dominance.
Having one of these on lock also helps make your general marketing easier and more aligned – you’re never going to have to guess what colour palette to work with or which fonts you need again.
Whether you DIY it or invest in branding, having this before web design saves time, reduces confusion, and keeps your Squarespace website design services aligned with your actual brand energy — not just whatever looks pretty that day.
And, P.S. this is exactly something I can help you out with! I offer custom brand identity services that nail down your brand’s guidelines. (Take a peek at how I can help you right here!)
Do You Have Brand Photography Figured Out?
The images that live on your website are the emotional heartbeat of your brand. People connect with words (the copy on your site); but the visuals are so crucial to truly clicking with your people.
Brand photography builds trust, tells your story, and makes your business feel human instead of template-y. While stock images can work in a pinch, they rarely carry the same credibility or connection as real, intentional visuals focused on you and your unique brand.
Whether you hire a photographer or shoot with intention yourself, having a plan for your visuals will make your website feel powerful, personal, and aligned – not like a placeholder on the internet.
Is Your Website Copy Updated & Refreshed?
As a website designer and developer, I’m being so honest when I say that design without copy is just decoration.
Your words guide the experience. They clarify, convert, and communicate your value. Without them? Your website ends up looking nice – but saying absolutely nothing.
You need copy that resonates with your ideal audience, that represents your brand, and that help you show up when people search for a company like yours. (That’s the triple threat of great copy!)
Of course, you can absolutely write your own copy, but if your brain melts every time you try, hiring a professional is a game-changing move.
Solid copy allows your designer to build intentional flow, hierarchy, and visual rhythm without guessing what you’re trying to say.
Think about it like this: good words plus good design can help your site become a confident sales machine.
Have You Chosen Your Platform + Tech Stack?
Are you clear on where this site will actually live? Squarespace, Shopify, Showit, WordPress – each platform has its own strengths, quirks, and learning curves.
Knowing at least the direction you’re heading helps your designer (or you) make smarter structural decisions from the start.
You don’t need to be a tech wizard. You just need a general plan, so your website doesn’t turn into a digital choose-your-own-adventure nightmare that leaves your designer starting from scratch over and over.
Do You Know What You Want People To Do on Your Website?
Your website isn’t just a pretty corner of the internet – it’s a decision-making machine.
Think hard about what you ultimately want your visitors to do once they land on your site.
Are they booking? Buying? Joining? Inquiring? Lurking? What’s your ultimate goal here, and how can you make it clear for your visitors?
When your calls to action are clear, the design has purpose. When they’re vague, your website becomes a very pretty dead end.
Are Your Legal + Trust Basics Covered?
Okay, so, onto the not sexy but very necessary part.
Depending on your business, you may need a privacy policy, terms + conditions, cookie notification, or disclaimers – and, if you serve Canadian customers, compliance with PIPEDA may also apply.
These elements build legitimacy and protect both you and your audience. Do you have these ready?
You don’t need to write these from scratch – there are plenty of reputable lawyers who sell legit templates that help you plug-and- play these parts of your website. Remember, it’s not up to your website designer to create the words behind these pages, even if they’re designing the page for you!
Have You Thought About Your SEO Foundation?
The most beautiful websites deserve to be found – yours included.
The world of SEO is enormous, but to get started on your site, you don’t necessarily need the most advanced SEO strategy.
What you do need to understand are the primary keywords you want to target, your pages’ purposes, and general content hierarchy.
All of these things help your site function like a magnet instead of a guessing game.
Can You Afford the Annual Cost of a Website?
Websites aren’t a one-time fling. They’re a relationship – and they’re a relationship that comes with annual fees!
Hosting platforms like Squarespace come with ongoing fees, plus domain renewals and occasional updates. Understanding these costs upfront makes your website feel like a strategic investment instead of a financial surprise attack.
If you’re exploring Squarespace website design packages, make sure you’re also ready for the backend costs that keep your site alive and thriving.
Do You Have a Website Designer in Mind (or Time to DIY?)
If you’re planning to outsource, start researching. When thinking about when to hire a website designer, remember this: great design is also about chemistry, communication, and mutual trust.
If you’re DIYing? Here’s my best tip: Be brutally honest about your time.
Learning, building, revising, and tinkering can take longer than you think. If you’re not ready to commit, hiring a pro may actually save your sanity (and save you money in the long run).
A Quick Mini Checklist: What to Look for in a Website Designer
Not all designers are created equal. And not every talented designer out there will be your soulmate. It’s important to vet your designers to ensure you choose the right partner for your brand.
When it comes to choosing the right designer for you, think about designers who:
☑ Designs with conversion in mind, not just visual vibes
☑ Understands conversion + storytelling
☑ Has a style that makes you feel things
☑ Communicates clearly (and kindly)
☑ Respects your vision while elevating it
☑ Knows when to honour your vision and when to lovingly challenge it for a stronger result
Do You Have a Clear Timeline?
If your brain says “ASAP” but your calendar says “send help” — that’s your sign to slow down.
A successful website needs space to breathe.
Even though you’ll be hiring someone to do the work for you, you still need time to respond, provide feedback, answer questions, and be mentally present for the process.
Hyper-rushed websites that don’t involve collaboration and feedback from the brand rarely feel intentional or aligned – and those elements are important in a custom website!
Are You Prepared for the Cost of a Done-For-You Website Design Service?
Here’s the thing about website design services: pricing varies wildly.
But a great website isn’t an expense — it’s a revenue-generating asset. It’s an investment. It works while you sleep. It sells while you live. It becomes your most consistent brand ambassador.
When done right, the ROI is exponential. That’s the power of aligned custom Squarespace website design services.
Still, you need to make sure you’re financially prepared for what that’s going to cost you on the front end. A dream designer isn’t the right designer if you can’t feasibly afford to work with them.
The Website Stuff You Don’t Need to Stress About
I hit you with that checklist of things to cover before you’re ready for a website design service. Now, I’m sharing a list of the things you really don’t need to worry about. If you feel like you’re not ready for a site for any of these reasons, I’m happy to tell you they simply don’t matter when you work with a website design pro.
Website Design Experience
You don’t need it. Promise. Tools exist. Designers exist. Tutorials exist. You are not meant to magically wake up with coding gods whispering in your ear.
A Full Vision for Your Website
Inspo is great, but having the complete vision laid out is not needed. Your designer can (and should) help shape the vision with you and guide what actually works for your business goals. In fact, even if you have a vision, your designer should be able to help you bring that vision to life even more vibrantly than you thought possible.
Branding from the Same Designer
You can absolutely mix and match your creative team. Not every designer does both — and that’s okay.
In a dream world, your designer could offer you a branding guide – but ultimately, if you come to your dream designer with a brand identity from another designer, that’s completely fine. They’ll know how to use it!
An Existing Website
You don’t need one. You can start fresh, from scratch, like the refresh your brand probably deserves.
Ready for Website Design Services That Bring Your Brand to Life?
If this checklist made you say “okay, yeah… I’m more ready than I thought,” or even “wow, I finally see what I need” — then you’re already ahead of most businesses rushing the process.
At House on Fire, my Squarespace website design packages and custom Squarespace website design services are built for brands who want more than a pretty site — they want clarity, confidence, and a website that works as hard as they do.
If you’re ready to stop hiding behind “under construction” and start showing up like the confident brand you are becoming, it might just be time. Let’s set your website on fire (in the best way)!
