The magnetic behaviour of electrolytically deposited Ni films on gold-covered mica and on gold-covered glass substrates is related to the structural properties of the films. For the analysis of the local structure and the magnetic parameters of the samples Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Ferromagnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (FMR) are used. We obtain a remarkable influence of the substrates on the magnetic sample properties, mediated by the initial roughness and the texture of the gold films on mica and on glass. Additionally, the coercive field which is studied by magneto-optical Kerr-effect (MOKE) yields evidence for a surface contribution to the magnetization process if the thickness of the films becomes smaller.