Website content checklist: what copy and images should you send your agency?
An approved design does not make a website ready to launch. Missing product photographs or unfinished service descriptions can force the layout to be revisited. This guide covers the practical step after the project brief: organising the content package, files and approval responsibilities your agency needs.
Create a content inventory by page
Record four things for each page: the visitor’s question, existing material, missing material and the person approving it. “Introduce our company” is not a sufficient homepage brief. The copy needs to explain the service, its audience and the next step. Track a service page separately from your company story.
Use these columns in a simple shared sheet: page / copy file / image folder / content owner / approval status. Keep “sent” separate from “approved”. This prevents a draft delivered for discussion from being mistaken for final publication copy.
Build a fact sheet for each service
Choose one service and answer five questions: Who is it for? What problem does it address? What is included? What must the customer provide? What happens after the first conversation? Replace general praise with specific answers. “Quality solutions” alone does not tell a visitor what they can buy.
An illustrative furniture workshop could describe measurement, design approval, material selection and installation. This is a planning example, not a claim about a particular client. Include only the stages your business actually offers and avoid delivery promises you cannot substantiate.
Supply images for their intended use
Provide a vector logo where available and original photographs rather than compressed messaging-app copies. A wide homepage image and a narrow product card may require different crops. Tell the agency which product, face or detail must remain visible when the image is resized.
Organise files with descriptive names and record the subject, photographer where relevant and permission to use them. Check that client work can be shown publicly. Do not fill a missing project photograph with an image that presents uncompleted work as a real delivery.
Separate launch essentials from later additions
A clear service scope, correct contact information and a working enquiry route usually belong in the first release. A large archive or detailed team interview may follow later. Information that affects a purchase decision should not be concealed under a plan to add it eventually.
Google’s content guidance emphasises useful, reliable information for readers. Our editorial recommendation is to give each section a question to answer, rather than a word count to fill. Explain actual differences between services instead of repeating a paragraph with another service name.
Approve content in the finished layout
Do not review copy only in a document. Check the heading, photograph crop and enquiry button together on a phone. Appoint one person to consolidate approvals so conflicting versions do not reach the agency. Keep a date and version name for each revision.
Your next step: collect the copy and three relevant photographs for the service you most want to promote. If the scope remains unclear, start with our website brief guide. For a focused launch, explore the quick-start website approach.
Frequently asked questions
Can an agency write the website copy?
Yes, copywriting can be included as a separate deliverable. The business should supply service facts, evidence for claims and final approval. Distinguish writing from uploading supplied copy.
Can design start before all content is ready?
A sample page can be designed once content types and approximate volume are known. Assign owners and deadlines to missing items; do not present unfinished pages as ready for publication.