The most common reason website projects slow down isn’t design or development — it’s content. Not because people don’t care, but because content lives everywhere. Half-finished notes in drafts folders. Images scattered across hard drives. Testimonials saved in message threads. Service descriptions written years ago, before your work had properly evolved.

And when a redesign is underway, those missing pieces become very visible.

I’ve seen projects where the structure is ready, the layout is finished, the pages are mapped — and then everything slows down, simply because the words and images aren’t there yet. A launch date shifts because a portfolio description hasn’t been written. A homepage sits in limbo waiting for one final service decision.

The good news is that this is avoidable. With a little quiet preparation, content becomes something supportive rather than stressful. It turns into a clear set of materials your website can be built around — not a final stretch you have to scramble over.

This is a practical guide to gathering and organising your content before your website project begins. Not in a perfect, polished way. Just in a way that makes the rest of the process feel smoother.

Start with What You Have

Before you worry about what’s missing, take stock of what already exists.

Most designers have far more usable content than they realise — it’s just scattered. It’s usually written for other purposes: a proposal, a press feature, a welcome pack, an email to a client. When you bring it into one place, you can start to see the shape of it.

Here’s what to look for:

Existing website content
Even if your current site doesn’t feel like you anymore, there will be parts worth keeping. About page copy often just needs refining, not rebuilding. Service descriptions may be strong — they might simply need updating to match how you work now.

Project photography
Gather high-resolution images from past shoots. Check your cloud storage, external drives, and any folders photographers have shared. Start grouping by project as you go, even if it’s rough at first.

Client feedback
Search for messages where clients have been generous with their words — “thank you,” “we’re so happy,” “you made it feel like home.” Review platforms are helpful, but so are quiet emails you saved and forgot about.

About you
Anything that touches your background or your story. Old bios, press submissions, speaking notes, award entries — often you’ve already written about yourself in a way that can be reshaped for your site.

Service language
Look at what you’ve sent to clients: proposals, guides, onboarding documents, even email templates. The way you naturally describe your work there is often closer to the truth than what ends up on a website.

Create a folder — digital or physical — and gather everything into it. Label it clearly. This is your starting point. A simple content audit. Not to judge what you’ve done before, just to understand what you’re working with.

And once you can see what you have, what you need becomes much easier to name.

Clarify Your Services

One of the most important sections of a website is often the most neglected: the services page.

It makes sense. Many designers wrote their service descriptions when they first started, then carried them forward year after year. But your work changes. Your process matures. Your boundaries shift. What you offer now may not match what you offered then — and your website should reflect the business you’re building, not the business you’ve outgrown.

Before you write anything new, give yourself a moment of honesty.

  • What services do you currently offer?
  • What do you want to offer more of?
  • What are you ready to phase out?
  • What’s included in each service — really?
  • How do you price it, and what ranges feel realistic?
  • Who is each service genuinely for?
  • What makes your approach distinct?

This isn’t about creating a perfect package. It’s about making sure your website speaks clearly. That it doesn’t accidentally invite the wrong enquiries. That it supports you, rather than setting expectations you no longer want to meet.

For each service you plan to include, write a short working description. Not polished website copy — just notes that cover the basics: what it is, who it’s for, what’s included, how it works, and a loose indication of cost. Even if it’s messy, it gives shape to the page.

And if you’re working with a designer who can guide the structure and refine the language, those rough notes are often the most useful part.

Curate Your Portfolio

Quality over quantity, always.

Your portfolio isn’t a complete record of your work. It isn’t meant to hold everything you’ve ever done. It’s a deliberate selection — a quiet introduction to the kind of projects you want more of.

This can be surprisingly emotional. Each project represents real time, real relationships, real effort. But your website has a job to do. It needs to show your best work, the work that reflects your current standard, and the work that pulls in the right future clients.

Select six to ten projects that do exactly that.

If you want to do more high-end residential, show high-end residential. If you’re moving toward hospitality, make sure those projects aren’t buried. Your portfolio creates a pattern — and people tend to enquire based on the pattern they see.

For each project, you’ll usually need:

  • A project title
  • Location (city or region is enough)
  • A brief description (one or two sentences)
  • Four to eight high-resolution images, carefully chosen

Optional extras can be helpful too: the original brief, a short note on challenges, a line of feedback from the client. Not everything needs a full story — but a little context can make the work feel more grounded.

Organise each project into its own folder. Rename image files so they’re clear. “Kitchen-wide-shot.jpg” is kinder than “IMG_final.jpg.” It feels small, but it saves time later, and it reduces that last-minute rush when you’re trying to upload everything at once.

Write Your About Content

Your About page is often the second most-visited page on your website, right after your homepage. It’s the page people read when they’re deciding if they trust you. If they feel aligned. If they can imagine working with you — not just admiring your work, but letting you into their home.

And it’s also the page many designers avoid writing, because writing about yourself can feel uncomfortable.

You don’t need to overthink it. You don’t need to sound formal. The best About pages read like a conversation — the way you’d explain your work to someone across a dinner table, without performing.

Include:

  • Who you are and what you do, in plain language
  • How you came to interior design (the real story, not a press release)
  • What matters to you about the work
  • Who you work best with
  • A personal detail if you’re comfortable sharing one

A professional photo helps here too. People want to see who they’re speaking to. If you haven’t had a headshot taken in the last year or two, it’s worth scheduling before your website project begins. It tends to be useful far beyond the website — press features, profiles, speaking bios, collaborations.

Gather Social Proof

Testimonials build trust in a way nothing else does.

A potential client can read your service descriptions and still feel unsure. But hearing someone else describe what it was like to work with you — the steadiness, the care, the result — helps them relax. It makes the unknown feel safer.

If you don’t already have testimonials gathered, reach out to past clients and ask for a few sentences about their experience. Many people are genuinely happy to help. They often just need the invitation.

When you collect testimonials, try to keep them in the client’s own words. Not polished into something promotional — just clear, human feedback.

For each testimonial, gather:

  • The quote
  • The client name (with permission)
  • A studio or company name if relevant
  • Location (optional, but helpful)
  • A photo if you have one
  • The project it relates to

Aim to collect more than you think you need. Three to five strong testimonials is usually enough for a site, but having options matters. Sometimes one quote suits a service page perfectly, while another belongs on the homepage. Gathering them early gives you flexibility.

Notice What’s Missing

Once you’ve gathered everything, take an honest look at the gaps.

What still needs to be written? What still needs to be photographed? What decisions are still floating?

Common missing pieces include:

  • Updated service descriptions that match how you work now
  • A bio that sounds like you
  • A recent headshot
  • FAQ content based on real client questions
  • Contact page copy that explains what happens next
  • Legal pages like a privacy policy and terms

Make a list. Keep it calm. This isn’t a sign you’re behind — it’s simply the reality of building a website that reflects where you are now.

And this is often the point where having the right support makes the biggest difference. Not someone to “make it sound salesy,” but someone who can help you shape what you already have into something clear. Someone who can hold the structure, guide what needs to be created, and make sure the site doesn’t stall because you’re trying to do everything at once.

A Gentle Timeline That Works

If you’re planning a website project, start gathering your content four to six weeks before the project begins.

It gives you time to:

  • Schedule photography (photographers often book up quickly)
  • Request testimonials (some people reply immediately, others need time)
  • Write and refine your copy (first drafts are rarely final drafts)
  • Make decisions about services without rushing
  • Organise your files properly, which always takes longer than expected

When your content is ready, the website process becomes simpler. It moves forward without that stop-start feeling. You’re not trying to write a services page at midnight because the design needs it the next morning. You can review your copy with a clear head, and your final site ends up feeling more considered.

Content Preparation Is Strategic Work

Preparing content for your website isn’t just admin. It’s a form of decision-making.

  • What do you want to be known for?
  • What kind of work do you want more of?
  • How do you want people to feel when they arrive on your site?

Your answers shape more than the website. They shape your enquiries, your projects, your boundaries, and the direction of your business over the next few years.

And if you want that process to feel quieter — more held, less overwhelming — it helps to have a designer who can carry the structure and guide the content without rushing you. Someone who can take what you already have, organise it, refine it, and build a website that feels like you, but clearer.

That’s the kind of work I do at Sunday Ambience: calm, considered website design for women-led businesses rooted in faith and modesty — with support around structure, content, and how everything comes together, so your site can launch without the usual delays.

If you’re planning a redesign and you’d like a steady hand through the process, you’re welcome to explore my portfolio — and see what that can look like.