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How to Plan a Website with ChatGPT Before You Hire Anyone

Use ChatGPT to turn what you know about your customers into a plan: the questions they ask before buying, the pages that answer them, the one action you want visitors to take, and a first draft of each page. Then hand the result to a designer or developer as a clear brief.

By Published Last updated 2 min read

The short version

A good website answers your customers’ questions in the order they ask them, then makes the next step obvious. ChatGPT helps you get those questions and answers out of your head and into a plan anyone can build from.

Step by step

  1. List your customers’ questions: what they ask on the phone, in emails and before they buy.
  2. Group the questions into pages.
  3. Pick one main action: call, book, order or request a quote.
  4. Draft the home page message: what you do, for whom, where, and why you.
  5. Draft each page from your real details.
  6. Turn it into a brief for whoever builds the site.

Prompts to copy

Get the questions out:

text
I run [business] in [town]. My customers are [who]. Interview me, one question at a time,
to find the questions customers ask before they buy. Then group them into website pages.

The home page:

text
Write a home page draft for my business: a headline that says what we do and for whom (under 10 words),
a one-sentence subheading, 3 reasons to choose us based on [real reasons], and a button labeled [main action].
Don't invent reviews or numbers.

A brief for a designer:

text
Turn our plan into a one-page brief for a web designer: goal, audience, pages and what each must answer,
main action, must-have features (booking, payments, forms), examples of sites I like: [links], budget: [range].

Example

A dog groomer’s customer questions (“Do you take big dogs?”, “How long does it take?”, “Can I see before-and-after photos?”) become a Services & Prices page, a Gallery, and an FAQ. The main action is “Book a groom”, so every page ends with that button.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Starting with design. Colors and fonts come after you know what the pages must say.
  • Generic copy. “Quality service you can trust” fits everyone and persuades no one. Use your specifics.
  • Invented testimonials. Only use real reviews, with permission.

When to bring in help

When you need online booking, payments, a store, or to move an existing site without losing your Google rankings. Want a hand? Get a proposal: the questionnaire uses the same questions as this plan.

Related: use ChatGPT for your small business.

Frequently asked questions

Can ChatGPT build my website?

It can write the text and even code for simple pages, but a working business site also needs hosting, design, forms that reach you, speed, security and search settings. Use ChatGPT to plan and draft, and a professional or a website builder to launch.

How many pages does a small business website need?

Often five to eight: home, services or products, about, reviews or work examples, frequently asked questions and contact. Add pages when customers keep asking about something.

Sources

  1. Google Search Central: SEO starter guide

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