Website Requirements Checklist: What You Need Before Starting
Domain, hosting, SSL, design, content, SEO — 12 essential requirements for any new website. A checklist to review before you start.
Website Requirements Checklist Before Starting Development
Every failed web project started without a clear requirements list. Defining requirements before writing a single line of code saves you 40-60% of revision costs. This comprehensive checklist covers everything you need to define before contacting a developer or development company.
1. Goals and Purpose
Before anything else, answer these questions:
- What is the main goal of the website? (sales, branding, customer service, internal system)
- Who is the target audience? (age, location, language, technical level)
- What metrics will you use to measure success? (visits, sales, registrations)
- What is the available budget for development and annual operations?
- What is the target launch date?
2. Functional Requirements
Website Pages
Define every required page with its content description:
| Page | Content | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Homepage | Services and value proposition | Essential |
| About | Company story and team | Essential |
| Services | Detail of each service | Essential |
| Pricing | Packages and pricing | Depends on model |
| Blog | Articles and content | Important for SEO |
| Contact | Contact form and information | Essential |
Interactive Features
- Does the site need user authentication?
- Are there forms (contact, quote request, registration)?
- Does it need internal search?
- Does it need an electronic payment gateway?
- Does it need a content management dashboard?
- Does it need notifications (email, SMS, WhatsApp)?
External Integrations
- Payment gateways (Noon Payments, Moyasar, mada)
- Government systems (Nafath, Absher)
- Email services (SMTP)
- Analytics tools (Google Analytics, Google Search Console)
- Social media platforms
- External APIs
3. Technical Requirements
Language and Platform
| Criteria | Options | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| CMS | your website, Laravel, custom | Depends on complexity |
| Programming language | PHP, Python, Node.js | Depends on team |
| Database | MySQL, PostgreSQL | Depends on scale |
| Frontend framework | Vue.js, React, none | Depends on interactivity |
Performance
- Target load time: under 3 seconds
- Expected monthly visitors
- Expected data volume
- Expected peaks (seasons, marketing campaigns)
Hosting
- Server location: must it be in Saudi Arabia? (if government or sensitive data: yes)
- Hosting type: shared, VPS, or dedicated?
- Backup: daily? weekly?
- Required SLA: 99.9% or 99.99%?
CLOUD (cloud.net.sa) offers cloud hosting in Riyadh with a guaranteed SLA عالي مع ضمان تعاقدي and daily backup. If your system deals with government entities, a Saudi server is a requirement, not an option.
4. Non-Functional Requirements
Security
- SSL certificate (essential for every website)
- DDoS protection
- Two-factor authentication (2FA) for admin panel
- Encryption of sensitive data
- NCA compliance (if dealing with government entities)
Language Support
- Is the site single-language or multilingual?
- Does it need RTL support (for Arabic)?
- Is the content fully or partially translated?
Device Compatibility
- Mobile (Android + iOS)
- Tablet
- Desktop
- Target browsers (Chrome, Safari, Edge)
5. Content
What to Prepare Before Development
- Page copy (or at least the first draft)
- High-quality images (do not rely on free stock photos alone)
- Logo in SVG format
- Brand colors (HEX or RGB codes)
- Approved fonts
- Privacy policy and terms of service
6. Maintenance and Support
- Who will manage the site after launch?
- Do you need a monthly maintenance contract?
- Who will update the content?
- Do you need training on the admin panel?
- What is the required response time for technical issues?
Requirements Document Template
Document everything above in a single file before contacting any developer. Clear requirements mean: accurate quotes, realistic timelines, and a final result that matches your expectations.
Bottom Line
A requirements list is not bureaucracy. It is protection for your budget and time. Every hour spent planning saves 5 hours in revisions. Start with the essentials, document everything, and choose the right infrastructure from day one.
Get Started
Want to try it yourself? Choose the right hosting plan or build your custom server with the specs you need.
