What to prepare for your business website: checklist
Damian Baranowski, websites for small businesses
Updated:
Prepare five things for your business website: business and contact details, services with prices, hours and directions, photos, and documents (privacy and cookie policies). With these ready, work can start straight away and the website is finished sooner. With me, it takes up to 2 weeks from receiving the content.
Business and contact details
These are the only items of content required by law. An electronic service provider must make their email address and identifying details clearly and directly accessible: their full name or business name, and address or registered office (Article 5 of the Polish Act on Providing Services by Electronic Means). The tax ID (NIP) must be included in an offer under the Polish Entrepreneurs’ Law (Article 20(3)). The Your Europe portal also lists a phone number, legal form, registration number and VAT number if you are registered for VAT. Companies have additional requirements, so check them with your accounting service.
In practice: put your business name, address, tax ID (NIP), email and phone number in the footer of every page and on the contact page.
Services and prices
Customers want answers to two questions: what you do and what it costs. For each service, prepare:
- A name in the language your customers use, rather than your internal terminology (for example, “hair colouring” rather than “colour application treatment”).
- A two-sentence description: what the customer gets and who it is for.
- A price or a “from” price. Showing prices saves both sides from asking “how much does it cost?”.
- Duration: how long the appointment or work takes.
Hours, address and directions
Use the same opening hours as on your Google Business Profile so customers do not find two different versions. If customers visit your premises, add a map link and a parking tip. If you visit customers, list the towns or radius you cover.
Photos and logo
Your own photos of your premises, work and team build trust better than stock images. A few good photos are enough for a brochure website: 6–10 landscape and 2–3 portrait images. Phone photos taken in good light are usually enough. Make sure you have the rights to every file. Supply your logo as a PNG or SVG file. If you do not have one, the website can use just your business name.
Business facts and reviews
Add what you can prove: when you started, who you work with, qualifications and certificates, and customer reviews with their permission. Do not invent anything: fake reviews and figures damage trust and breach unfair commercial practices rules.
Privacy and cookie policies
If your website has a contact form, you collect personal data and need a privacy policy (the information duty under Article 13 GDPR, covered in the guide Contact forms and the GDPR). If you use analytics such as Google Analytics, or advertising, you also need cookie information and consent where required. An online shop also needs terms and conditions. This is guidance, not legal advice.
Checklist
| What to prepare | Why |
|---|---|
| Business name, address, tax ID (NIP), email, phone | Required by law; also shows customers the business is real |
| Services with prices and durations | Customers can tell straight away whether the service suits them |
| Opening hours and address with a map | Consistent with your Google Business Profile |
| 6–10 landscape photos, 2–3 portrait photos, logo | The website looks like your business |
| A few sentences about your business: since when, for whom | Trust and natural search terms for Google |
| Reviews and facts, with customers’ permission | Evidence rather than adjectives |
| Choose a domain and hosting in your own account | The website is yours and you can move it (annual costs) |
| Privacy policy and cookie information | Form, analytics, advertising |
Questions and answers
Do I need ready-to-use text?
No. Services, prices, opening hours and a few photos are enough; we will agree the rest on the call.
How many photos do I need?
A few good photos are enough for a brochure website: several landscape shots of your premises and work, and two or three portrait shots. Phone photos taken in good light are usually enough.
What if I do not have a logo?
The website can use just your business name in a readable font. You can add a logo later.
Do I need a domain before the call?
No. I will advise you on a domain and hosting, and you create the accounts in your name. Since the accounts are yours, you are responsible for the infrastructure and data storage. I explain annual costs in the guide How much does a website cost.
Sources
- Article 5 of the Polish Act on Providing Services by Electronic Means (providing basic information)
- Your Europe: create a website for your business