What This Stage Creates
This is the collect-the-ingredients stage of the Website Factory. It happens before design polish, component building, or coding.
The goal is to reduce guessing. The builder should know what kind of website is needed, what it should say, which assets exist, what the first version must do, and what is still unknown.
Keep this stage small. You are not preparing the perfect final website. You are preparing enough input to build a rough MVP without pretending missing decisions are solved.
Steps
Guide
Start With The Website Type
Just define if your website is one of these:
- landing page
- product site
- portfolio
- campaign page
- or something more specific, like a subdomain page
This will impact which technology is best to use.
Write The Basic Website Goal
Optionally, add this info in simple words very-very shortly:
- What's the goal of this website?
- Who is this website for?
- What should the visitor do next?
This keeps the first version focused. If the goal is unclear, the builder will probably add too many sections, pages, and features.
Collect The Content Pack
The content pack includes answers to the following high-level questions:
- Key message(s) you want to send = possible headings
- If available, keywords you are targeting = possible text content
- If available, images/icons you want to show = branded assets
- Do you need a Contact Us form, CV submission form, or another form? = functional scope
- Is your content in one language or several?
If something is missing, mark it as missing. The preparation pack is allowed to have open questions.
Building Keywords
If you do not have target keywords yet, it is not a problem. Ask AI to prepare a keyword list for you.
To get a useful answer, provide:
- what your business does
- who the website is for
- what product, service or idea you want to promote
- which countries or languages matter
Example prompt:
Prepare a short keyword list for my website. My business is [describe business]. My target audience is [describe audience]. My main offer is [describe offer]. Focus on keywords people would really search before buying or contacting me. Very short. Critical answer.Expected result:
- primary keywords
- secondary keywords
- long-tail keywords
Building Branded Assets
The brand pack should make the website feel consistent without forcing the builder to guess from memory.
If you do not have images or icons yet, it is not a problem. There are plenty of AI tools to generate assets, like ChatGPT, Ideogram, Nanobanana from Google.
If you want to generate assets similar to the thumbnails used on https://www.n-g.be, use this article: https://www.n-g.be/insights/create-thumbnail-images-like-n-g-be-with-ai.
Collect:
- logos
- colors
- fonts
- other images
- icons
If you have UI references, such as examples of websites you like, include them too.
Building Functional Scope
This is the key part.
Often, people expect the website to fix everything at once. In reality, the smaller the scope, the better the first result.
Keep functionality as small as possible to avoid unnecessary problems.
You can start with these questions:
- Do you need forms, such as signup, login, contact, or CV submission forms?
- Do you need CRM rules, such as sending a popup or email to newly registered users?
- Do you need to send emails from your branded email address?
- Do you need a calendar or booking tool?
- Do you need an AI chatbot, Google Maps, or another widget?
- Do you need a payment solution, such as Stripe?
- Should any content be hidden from users who are not logged in or have not paid?
Optional: Integrations
This is optional at this stage. However, if you want your website to produce insights from the beginning, it makes sense to add tracking early.
A more complete setup is described in my article: Best Online Tracking Infrastructure: https://www.n-g.be/insights/clean-tracking-architecture-source-of-truth.
For now, you can answer these questions:
- Do you want to track data? If no, skip the questions below.
- Which tracking tools do you want to add? For example: GTM, GA4, Clarity.
- Will these tools require user consent mode?
Here I would also add tools like:
- Google Search Console
- Bing Webmaster Tools
They are not strictly necessary, but adding them early can help search engines discover the website faster.
Optional: SEO/AEO/GEO
It helps to collect insights from tools such as:
- Semrush
- Screaming Frog
- Serpstat
If you do not have access to these tools, ask AI to help you prepare a first draft.
Example prompt:
Act as an SEO/AEO/GEO strategist. I am preparing inputs for a new website. My business is [describe business]. My target audience is [describe audience]. My main offer is [describe offer]. My website type is [landing page/product site/portfolio/campaign page/other]. Prepare: * target keywords * search intent * questions users may ask AI assistants * content opportunities * competitor angles * metadata suggestions Very short. Critical answer.Keep the output short and focused. Do not ask for a full SEO strategy at this stage.
Optional: Create GPT for automation
If you plan to build similar websites later or collaborate with teammates, it can make sense to create a shared project.
This can be a Project in ChatGPT or Claude. For a repeatable workflow, a Custom GPT may be more practical.
A Custom GPT works best when one owner defines the rules and keeps the project logic consistent. Teammates can then contribute deeper answers to specific questions without changing the core structure.
Use the Preparation GPT only after the raw material is collected.
Paste:
- rough notes
- links
- screenshots
- copied text
- meeting notes
- sitemap ideas
Ask the GPT to separate confirmed decisions from open questions.
This is the handoff moment. The Preparation GPT turns scattered input into a build brief. The website builder or AI coding agent then uses that brief to implement the site.
Be Aware
You do not need perfect materials before starting.
Missing inputs are normal. The first version should be a rough MVP, not a perfect final website.
The biggest risk is adding too many features too early.
Smaller scope usually gives better quality. Start with the smallest useful version and expand later.
AI can help with preparation.
Use AI to prepare keywords, text ideas, assets, and structure, but keep important decisions explicit.
AI should not invent legal requirements.
Do not let AI invent legal requirements, compliance rules, cookie behavior, or disclaimers.
Unknown information should stay unknown.
If something is unknown, mark it as unknown instead of pretending it is solved.
This step is not the final website.
The goal of this step is not to create the final website. The goal is to reduce guessing before coding starts.
Return to the Main Guide?
Main guide
Start Your Website Factory
Final checklist
Handoff checklist
Use this checklist as the final handoff before building the website.
#### Website Basics
* Website type:
* Example: landing page / product site / portfolio / campaign page / subdomain page
* Website goal:
* Example: explain the service and get demo requests
* Target audience:
* Example: startup founders, HR managers, job candidates, local customers
* Primary action:
* Example: book a call, submit a form, download a file, apply for a job
#### Content
* Key messages:
* Example: "We help companies automate reporting with AI"
* Languages:
* Example: English only / English + Dutch / multilingual
* Existing content:
* Example: Google Docs, Notion pages, old website copy, pitch deck
* Keywords:
* Example: AI automation consultant, website MVP, marketing analytics setup
#### Branding
* Logo:
* Example: SVG logo file or PNG logo
* Colors:
* Example: black, white, orange accent
* Fonts:
* Example: Inter, Roboto, system font
* Images:
* Example: founder photo, product screenshots, AI-generated thumbnails
* Icons:
* Example: simple line icons, product feature icons
* Reference websites:
* Example: websites with layout, style or section ideas you like
#### Functionality
* Forms:
* Example: contact form, signup form, CV upload form
* Login:
* Example: no login for MVP / login required for dashboard
* CRM automations:
* Example: send form submissions to HubSpot or Airtable
* Email sending:
* Example: send confirmation email from branded email domain
* Booking tools:
* Example: Calendly, Google Calendar booking, custom booking form
* Payments:
* Example: Stripe checkout, subscription, one-time payment
* Widgets:
* Example: chatbot, Google Maps, calendar widget, embedded video
* Protected content:
* Example: only logged-in users can access paid materials
#### Integrations
* GTM:
* Example: add Google Tag Manager container
* GA4:
* Example: track page views and conversions
* Clarity:
* Example: add Microsoft Clarity for session recordings
* Search Console:
* Example: connect Google Search Console after launch
* Bing Webmaster Tools:
* Example: add Bing verification
* Consent mode:
* Example: cookie banner required before analytics loads
#### SEO / AEO / GEO
* Target keywords:
* Example: website preparation checklist, AI website builder input, landing page brief
* Search intent:
* Example: users want to prepare a website before hiring a builder
* Competitor references:
* Example: 3-5 websites ranking for similar topics
* Content opportunities:
* Example: add FAQ section, comparison table, step-by-step guide
* AI assistant questions:
* Example: "What should I prepare before asking AI to build my website?"
#### Website Structure
* Navigation:
* Example: Home, Services, Cases, Blog, Contact
* Footer links:
* Example: Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, Terms & Conditions, Contact
* Metadata:
* Example: title tag, meta description, social sharing image
#### UX & Quality
* Responsive layout:
* Example: desktop, tablet and mobile layout must work
* Accessibility basics:
* Example: readable contrast, alt text, keyboard-friendly forms
* Form behaviour:
* Example: success message, error message, email notification
* Performance:
* Example: fast loading, compressed images, no unnecessary scripts
#### Legal
* Privacy Policy:
* Example: needed if forms, analytics or tracking are used
* Cookie Policy:
* Example: needed if cookies or analytics tools are used
* Terms & Conditions:
* Example: needed for paid services, subscriptions or platform access
#### Edge Cases
* Empty states:
* Example: what appears if no content is available
* Error states:
* Example: what appears if a form submission fails
* 404 page:
* Example: helpful message and link back to homepage
* Broken form handling:
* Example: validation message and fallback contact email
If you do not have all answers, that is fine. Mark missing items as unknown. The website builder or AI coding agent should not invent critical business, legal or technical decisions.