1. Name the outcome before the feature list
Write one sentence explaining who the site serves and what visitors should be able to do. Then list the essential pages and actions. A small service site may need a clear offer, credible work examples and a reliable contact flow more urgently than another animation.
2. Bring the material that defines your business
Collect approved copy, your logo, usable images and any existing brand rules. Record the source and permission for third-party assets. Mark placeholder content clearly and name who will replace it. Missing copy affects both the estimate and the final review.
3. Describe problems so they can be reproduced
For a repair, include the URL, device, browser, exact steps, expected behavior and actual result. Note when the problem first appeared and whether it happens consistently. A screenshot helps explain a layout issue; it does not by itself prove the underlying cause.
4. Agree what complete means
Choose acceptance checks before work starts. Examples include a form saving a valid request, an invalid field showing a useful message, navigation working by keyboard and content fitting agreed mobile sizes. List third-party dependencies and explicitly state anything excluded from the quote.
5. Make delivery dates meaningful
Record the expected finish date, time and timezone, plus the assumptions behind it. Identify who supplies content and grants access. Agree how late inputs or a new feature affect the estimate. Keep the original commitment visible when discussing a revised date.
6. Review mobile and accessibility basics
Check readable text, visible keyboard focus, labeled fields, meaningful headings and touch targets that are easy to use. Test portrait and landscape layouts with the actual content. A quick check finds useful issues but does not certify full accessibility conformance.
7. Check the public search foundations
Give important pages useful titles and a coherent link structure. Confirm that the intended public pages can be fetched, that canonical URLs point to the intended versions and that the sitemap lists appropriate pages. Keep private dashboards and customer tracking out of search. A submission receipt does not prove indexing.
8. Plan the handover and the next change
Confirm which source files, credentials handoff, documentation and maintenance instructions are included. Keep secrets out of project forms and public repositories. Record what was tested, what still needs attention and who owns recurring hosting or software bills. A clear handover helps the next person maintain the work.
Useful original references
- W3C: Easy Checks for a first accessibility review — a starting point for review, not a full conformance evaluation.
- Google Search Central: helpful, reliable content — guidance for useful public pages.