WEBSITES
What to include in a business website project brief
A clear brief helps you compare proposals and build a website around the right customer journey.
Start with the visitor’s task
Describe who will use the website and what they need to accomplish. A prospective customer may compare services, check delivery areas or request a quotation. An existing customer may need support. Those tasks should guide the structure.
List the most important journey from arrival to action. Include where visitors come from and what they already know. A page serving paid traffic may need a different emphasis from one supporting detailed research.
Turn a page list into a content plan
A page name is not a content brief. For each proposed page, write its purpose, the questions it answers and the material needed. Product photographs, service details, credentials and approved customer proof all need owners.
Be explicit about who writes and approves the copy. If source material is incomplete, account for discovery and editing in the schedule. Design approval cannot compensate for missing business information.
Describe how the site will work
List forms, booking flows, payments, downloads and integrations that are genuinely needed. Explain where submitted information should go and who should receive notifications. Include the behaviour after success and failure.
Separate launch requirements from later improvements. A shorter first release can be sensible when it covers the main journey well. Avoid making every possible future feature a condition of launching the current website.
Agree on quality and handover
Ask how the website will be checked on mobile, with a keyboard and on common browsers. Include content editing, backups, access ownership and maintenance responsibilities. Clarify which recurring services need renewal.
Name the business owner of the domain, hosting and any third-party accounts. The handover should include enough documentation for someone other than the original developer to understand the setup.
Make approval a real workflow
Choose a decision-maker and an agreed feedback process. Consolidate comments so the team does not receive contradictory instructions from several channels. Define when changes are included and when they alter the scope.
A good brief does not eliminate creative exploration. It gives that exploration a purpose and makes the final result easier to evaluate against the business need.
PUT IT INTO PRACTICE
Your action checklist
- Describe the primary visitor and their next action.
- Assign content and approval owners.
- List integrations and launch requirements.
- Document account ownership and maintenance.
CONNECT THE IDEA TO YOUR BUSINESS
Website Development
A better first impression. A clearer next step.
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