How to write a website brief

Yes it takes a bit of time upfront, but writing a solid brief will save a lot of back and forth further down the line, will help prospective agencies determine if they are a good fit for you and will help you get a more accurate estimate for timescales and pricing in return. Our handy briefing outline shows you what to include and why, removing the guess work and making it as easy and stress free as possible.

We might be teaching you the basics here, but it's surprisingly common how often it is for businesses to approach us about a web project without any kind of brief.

A brief is a written document that explains in detail the reasons for undertaking the project, the problems you are trying to solve and what you want to achieve. It also outlines any expected timelines and budgets you wish to work within.

A written brief is crucial! It acts as a foundation for the entire project, ensuring clarity, alignment, and transparency from the outset. Without a brief there is no shared understanding of the project’s purpose, goals, and key requirements, all of which are vital for estimating both timelines and budgets and for seeing if the agency is best placed to deliver.

It's also a great way for you, the client, to reflect on what you want out of the project and to get stakeholder buy-in.

The more information you give upfront the better your agency's response to it will be. These sections will give your agency a really good overview, so try and include them all:

• The business

• Objectives of the new website

• Competitors

• Target audience

• Design preferences

• Functional requirements

• Content strategy

• Goals for search

• Budget and timelines

• Maintenance and support

• Criteria for success