A smooth website project starts with a little preparation. Taking care of the items below early in the process helps us avoid delays and keep your project on track.

1. Confirm you have access to your domain and DNS.

The first thing to confirm is that you have access to your domain and domain name system (DNS).

• Your domain is your web address or URL, like landslidecreative.com. It’s what people type into their browser to find you. You mange your domain through your domain registrar, like GoDaddy or Namecheap.
• Your DNS is what connects that domain to your website and other services (like email). It controls where your domain “points.” Think of it as the routing system behind the scenes. Your DNS might be in the same place as your domain, or it might be managed through a separate platform like Cloudflare or your current hosting provider.

We’ll need access to your DNS when it’s time to start the development of your site and when it’s time to launch. Make sure you have login access to your domain/DNS provider, or a point of contact who does. Our account manager will work with you to delegate access to our team when the time comes, but for now, the important thing is to make sure you have access.

For more info on how to locate this info, check out our post on Understanding Domains, DNS, and Hosting to Prepare for a New Website Launch.

2. Plan for media storage.

Your new website cannot store media files like video files (.mp4 or .mov), audio files (.mp3) or large documents (pdfs), as it slows down your site and is not cost effective. A better approach is to host media externally on a storage platform, and your new site will have tools to embed or link to the media files. It’s also a more flexible and scalable strategy for long-term asset management, as these platforms are built to deliver media quickly and reliably across devices at low cost.

• For video files, use YouTube or Vimeo to upload your videos.
• For audio files and documents, consider Amazon S3 or Google Cloud Storage.
• For podcasts, we recommend a dedicated podcast platform like Podbean or Blubrry. These platforms handle file storage as well as distribution to major podcast platforms.

If you have lots of large media files, be sure to allow time for moving them from your current site to your new storage solution.

3. Archive your existing website.

When your new website launches, your existing site will no longer be accessible. If you think you might need to reference old pages or download files, you’ll want to archive your current site before we launch the new site. There are two ways to archive:

• Keep the site hosted but hidden – Your current site stays live on a server, but is no longer public. It might be password-protected or moved to a staging URL. You can still click through pages and view content exactly as it exists today. This works well if you want to be able to easily reference old pages or browse the site later. Keep in mind, this usually means continuing to pay for hosting, and the site will become outdated over time.
• Download a full backup – You export and store a full backup of your website files and database. This method gives you a full record of your site, including content and media, but it’s not something you can easily browse. Accessing it later typically requires technical help. This works best if you need long-term storage or a backup for records or compliance, but is not very helpful if you need to frequently reference page content or files.

Your internal IT team can likely help with this, or your current hosting provider often has built-in tools for creating backups or duplicating your site into a staging environment.

If needed, we’re happy to help with creating the archive. Just note that any hands-on work from our team to create or manage the archive would be billed separately, and may impact your hosting costs.

4. Gather your photos and videos.

Having high quality photos and videos for your site makes a huge impact! Gathering these assets early keeps the design and content phases moving.

We’ll provide a folder where you can upload files. Or, if your team already uses a system like Google Drive or Dropbox, you can share access with us instead.

Here are a few tips as you prepare your files:

• Organize files by subject matter (team, events, services, locations, etc.) so we can find the right fit for each page.
• Flag or separate your strongest or “go-to” images that represent your brand well.
• Include key brand assets like logos, icons, and any established graphics.
• Don’t forget team headshots and leadership photos.
• Original, high-resolution files are always best. Pulling images from your existing website tends to result in lower quality.

5. Prepare admin email

Make sure you have a general administrative email set up for your website and related tools. We recommend using an email like [email protected], [email protected] instead of a personal staff email.

This email will be used for:

• WordPress admin access and password resets
• Hosting, domain, and DNS accounts
• Third-party tools (forms, email marketing, plugins, etc.)
• Security and system notifications

Avoid using an individual staff email (like [email protected]). This can cause access issues if that person leaves or changes roles.

We recommend that:

• 2–3 team members have access to this email
• Access is shared with trusted team members (communications, IT, etc.)
• Login details are stored securely (such as in a password manager)

If you don’t already have a general admin email, your IT provider or email platform (like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365) can help you set one up.

6. Prepare your privacy policy

If your website collects any user information (like contact forms, newsletter sign-ups, or analytics data), you’ll need a clear and up-to-date privacy policy. This helps build trust with your audience and ensures you’re meeting basic legal requirements.

If you already have a privacy policy, review it to make sure it reflects your current tools and processes. If not, plan to create one before launch. We recommend working with your internal team or legal advisor to finalize the content, and we can help you get it properly added to your site.