How to write a website brief: a simple guide for clients

Many people put off ordering a website because they think they first need to write a 30-page technical specification. You do not. For a landing page, a company website or a small store, answers to about ten simple questions are enough. The developer will clarify the rest and translate it into technical terms. Below I cover what is important to write, what you can skip, and give a template you can simply copy and fill in.

Why you need a brief at all

• An accurate price and timeline. Without a description of the task, any estimate is a guess, and usually a padded one.
• Fewer revisions and disputes. When agreements are written down, you check the finished project against them, not against memory.
• You understand better what you want. While answering the questions, it often turns out half of the plan is not needed and something important was forgotten.

What you must include

1. About the business

What you do, who your clients are and how you differ from competitors. A couple of paragraphs is enough, the whole presentation of the site is built on it.

2. The goal of the site

What a visitor should do: send a request, call, buy, book. You can build a site "just to have one", but then it will not do much for you.

3. Type of site

A landing page, a multi-page site or an online store. If you are not sure, just describe the task. I cover the difference in Landing page or multi-page website.

4. Pages and sections

A rough list: home, services, about, contacts, blog. For a landing page, list the sections from top to bottom. A sketch on paper photographed with your phone works too.

5. Features

Request forms, a calculator, a catalog with filters, payments, customer accounts, multiple languages. If you need connections to other services (CRM, Telegram, accounting software), write that down too.

6. Design

Whether you have a design, a logo, brand colors. Attach 2-3 sites you like, and be sure to write what exactly you like about them: colors, structure, animations, tone. "Make it like theirs" without explanation says almost nothing.

7. Content

Who prepares the texts and photos. If there is an old site to move content from, include the link: when moving, it is important to keep page addresses and set up redirects, otherwise search rankings will drop.

8. Who will update the site

You or a developer. If you, you need a convenient admin panel, and that affects how the site is built.

9. Timeline and budget

Be honest, even as a range. A budget is not a reason to inflate the price but a guideline: it helps propose a solution that fits it, rather than a perfect but unaffordable one.

What you can skip

• Technologies. WordPress or Next.js, which database, which hosting: that is the developer's job, they will suggest options for your task. If you are curious how they differ, see Next.js or WordPress.
• Technical details. How exactly to build a section or configure a server is up to the developer.
• The design of every section. If there is no design, a designer will create it, your job is only to explain what you like and what you do not.

Common mistakes

1. Examples without explanation. A link to a competitor's site does not explain what you liked about it. Be specific.
2. Expectations do not match the budget. That is normal, but better to find out at the start rather than halfway through. An honest budget solves it.
3. Too many people giving feedback. When five people send conflicting comments, the project stalls. Agree on who makes the decisions.
4. Texts "later". The site is ready but there is nothing to fill it with, and the launch is postponed. Start preparing texts in parallel with development.

Do not feel like writing a brief?

Then start with the brief on the home page. It covers the key questions: project type, budget, timeline and a description of the task. I will reply within one business day, and we will clarify the rest by message or on a call.