Must all copy and images be ready before I inquire?
No. Identify what is ready, what is missing and who will provide it. The project can then be scoped around those dependencies, including separately scoped copywriting or production if needed.
Answers · Preparation
How should you prepare for a branding and website project?
Prepare a short brief with your audience, offer, project goals and budget range; inventory the content and brand files you already have; name the person who can approve the work. Flag missing materials and access needs instead of waiting for everything to be perfect. Do not send passwords or private account details in the inquiry form. Discovery and a written proposal turn that starting material into an agreed scope.
A practical readiness checklist
Write a brief with decisions, not just references
Explain what the business does, who it serves, what needs to change and the action visitors should take. Include your current site and a few references with a reason for each. Separate essential requirements from ideas you would like to explore, and identify decisions you have not made yet.
Inventory content and rights
List planned pages and the copy, images, downloads and brand files available for each. Mark material ready, needing revision or missing. Confirm you can use the supplied photography, fonts and other assets. Flag a copywriting or production need explicitly rather than assuming it is included in website design.
Name a decision maker and approval path
Identify the person with authority to approve scope, design and launch. Include anyone else whose input is required and agree how feedback will be consolidated. Tell the studio about approval constraints before scheduling; a desired launch date is a planning input, not a confirmed turnaround.
Prepare access safely
List the systems involved: domain registrar, hosting, website editor, booking tools and other integrations. Confirm who owns them. Arrange role-based invitations or another agreed secure handoff only when needed; use the minimum access required and keep recovery options under your control. Never put passwords, API keys or customer records in a project brief or inquiry.
Make budget and scope readiness explicit
Choose the inquiry's service interest, project scope and budget range; use the custom-scope option if you are unsure. Note content production, hosting, domains and subscriptions as separate costs. The proposal confirms deliverables, revision rounds, price and schedule before work begins; your preparation list is not a contract.
What to send in the initial inquiry
- A concise description of the audience, offer and project goal
- Current public website URL, if one exists
- Known page or feature requirements
- Content readiness and missing materials
- Decision maker and approval constraints
- Budget range and desired timing, with any dependencies
Boundaries
- Website copywriting is separate unless scoped, from $750 per project; supplying a brief does not include copywriting in a website package.
- Brand identity, photography, video and complex integrations are separate where excluded by the chosen service.
- Do not send passwords, secret keys, private customer records or unnecessary personal information in the inquiry.
- Third-party subscriptions, hosting and domains are billed separately.
- No fixed schedule is promised before the written scope is agreed.
Related questions
How should I share account access?
Do not send passwords or secret keys through the inquiry form. List the tools involved, then arrange the necessary access through an agreed secure handoff or role-based invitation when work requires it.
What if I do not know my final budget or service?
Use Help me choose / custom scope and the Not sure yet budget option. Explain the priorities and constraints you do know; the written proposal confirms what can be included before work begins.
Next steps
- Compare every scope and price on Services.
- Send an inquiry with Help me choose / custom scope preselected.
- Receive a written proposal confirming deliverables, revision rounds and schedule before work begins.
Exact deliverables, revision rounds and schedule are confirmed in a written proposal before work begins.