What Materials Are Needed Before Building a Website?
For small and medium enterprises, preparing materials in advance can significantly shorten the project timeline and reduce back-and-forth communication. Typically, you need to prepare the following: domain name and server, business licenses and information, website content materials (text, images, videos), functional requirements, and ongoing maintenance arrangements. Below is a detailed breakdown.
1. Domain Name and Server
A domain name is your website's address (e.g., www.example.com), and a server is the space where your website data is stored. It's recommended to think of 2-3 alternative domain names in advance and check their availability. Choose between a virtual host or cloud server based on your website's scale and expected traffic. For servers located in China, ICP filing is required, so it's wise to understand the filing process and requirements beforehand.
2. Business Licenses and Basic Information
This includes a scanned copy of your business license, company logo (preferably in vector format), contact phone number, email, and address. If you're in a specialized industry (e.g., food, education, healthcare), you'll also need relevant industry permits. This information is primarily used for the website footer, contact page, and filing submissions.
3. Website Content Materials
- Company Introduction: Include your development history, core business, and team strengths. Aim for 500-800 words, highlighting your unique features.
- Product/Service Details: For each product or service, prepare a name, brief description, detailed explanation, and high-resolution images (recommended width of at least 800 pixels). Videos are a plus.
- Case Studies or Project Showcases: Select representative clients or projects, and include images and outcome descriptions.
- News or Updates: Prepare 2-3 industry-related or company news articles to populate your website, and keep them updated regularly.
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): Compile 5-10 common customer questions with answers. This improves user experience and SEO.
4. Website Functional Requirements
Clearly define the features your website needs, such as product display, online inquiry, news publishing, job recruitment, member system, online payment, etc. It's advisable to prioritize these into "must-have" and "optional" categories, so the development team can provide a reasonable plan and quote. Also consider future scalability, such as multi-language support or mobile responsiveness.
5. Operations and Maintenance Plan
After your website goes live, you need to regularly update content and check functionality. It's recommended to assign a dedicated person or consider outsourcing maintenance. A content update plan (e.g., publishing 2-3 news articles or blog posts per month) helps keep your website active and search-engine friendly.
Conclusion
The above covers the typical materials SMEs need to prepare before building a website. Depending on the scale and complexity of your site, the required materials may vary. We recommend communicating thoroughly with your website builder, creating a detailed checklist, and confirming each item before starting the project. This can effectively reduce rework and improve efficiency.