A useful website project brief states who the business helps, what visitors need to do, the pages and features required, available proof and content, ownership expectations and the budget or decision constraints. It gives providers enough context to scope a real solution instead of guessing from a page count.

A website project brief is not a design document. It is a clear explanation of the business problem the website needs to solve. Its purpose is to help a provider scope the right work, help you compare proposals on equal terms and reduce the number of assumptions that surface after a deposit is paid.

You do not need polished marketing language to write one. A direct, honest brief is better than a vague request for “a modern five-page website.”

What a provider needs to understand before quoting

The best brief lets a provider answer five questions:

  1. Who is the website trying to help?
  2. What should that visitor understand or do?
  3. What information, proof and material already exist?
  4. What must the site include or preserve?
  5. What does success look like for the business?

If those answers are missing, different providers will fill the gaps differently. Their quotes may look inconsistent because they are pricing different assumptions, not because one is necessarily overcharging.

A copy-and-paste website project brief

Use the template below. Short answers are fine; leave an item blank only if it genuinely does not apply.

1. Business and audience

  • Business name and website (if one exists):
  • What do you sell or provide?:
  • Who is the main customer?:
  • Where do you work or deliver?:
  • What do customers usually need to understand before they enquire?:
  • What makes your offer meaningfully different?:

This information helps decide what belongs on the first screen, what proof a visitor needs and which language will feel credible. It is also a better starting point for useful content than a list of keywords alone.

2. The project goal

  • Is this a new website, redesign or targeted improvement?:
  • What is not working now?:
  • What should a visitor be able to do after the project?:
  • What would make this project successful after launch?:

Be specific. “More enquiries” is a useful goal, but it becomes more actionable when paired with the desired action: call, WhatsApp message, form submission, booking, quote request or visit to a physical location.

If you are not sure whether the site needs a rebuild, work through redesign versus targeted improvements first.

3. Pages, functions and content

  • Pages you believe are needed:
  • Services or products that must be explained:
  • Features required: contact form, booking, catalogue, online payments, client login, map, newsletter or something else
  • Content already available: logo, brand guide, copy, photos, testimonials, case studies, reviews, product details
  • Content that still needs help:
  • Competitor or reference websites: what do you like or dislike about each?

Reference websites are useful when you describe the reason for the reference. “I like its calm typography and simple quote form” gives direction. “Make it like this” does not, especially when it asks a provider to copy another business’s work.

For a more detailed list of inputs, read what content a web designer needs from you.

4. Enquiry path and operations

  • How should a visitor contact you?:
  • Who receives enquiries?:
  • Which email address, phone number or WhatsApp number must be used?:
  • Do you have an existing domain, hosting, email or analytics account?:
  • What must be retained from the existing site?:
  • Who will approve content and design decisions?:

This section catches practical problems early. For example, a form design cannot be finalised without knowing who must receive it, and a migration cannot be scoped safely without knowing what must move.

5. Budget, timing and decision process

  • Budget range or package you are considering:
  • Important deadline and the reason for it:
  • Who makes the final decision?:
  • What are the non-negotiables?:
  • What can be phased into a later project?:

You do not have to reveal a fixed maximum budget. A realistic range or priority list does help a provider recommend a sensible first phase instead of adding every possible feature to one proposal.

Include proof, not only service names

Many small-business briefs list services but leave out the material that would help a visitor trust those services. Include anything real and verifiable that shows how the business works:

  • Before-and-after examples where appropriate.
  • Project photographs you own or have permission to use.
  • Testimonials and reviews with permission to publish.
  • Measurable project outcomes that can be supported.
  • Certifications, registrations or team experience.
  • Common customer questions and objections.

This does not mean inventing claims to make the website sound stronger. It means making the existing evidence easier to find and understand. Why case studies convert better than a screenshot gallery explains the difference.

Tell providers what needs to be preserved

For a redesign, a brief should name the assets and functions that cannot be lost. Examples include the current domain, high-performing pages, email addresses, form routes, Google Business Profile links, analytics access, legal pages, product information and old URLs with search traffic.

That matters because a redesign is not only a visual change. If the old site has indexed pages, a provider may need to plan redirects and content migration so that users and search engines can still reach the right information.

Brief for inclusion and everyday use

Mention anything that affects the practical use of the site: visitors primarily on mobile, a team that must update information itself, language needs, older customers, low-bandwidth conditions, keyboard use or sensitivity to motion.

These details change good design decisions. The W3C’s accessibility guidance frames accessibility as a way to make the web work for a broader range of people and contexts. It should shape the brief from the start, not appear as an afterthought.

Send the same brief to every provider

If you are collecting more than one proposal, send the same base brief to each provider. Then ask them to state:

  • What they understand the project to include.
  • What they need from you.
  • What assumptions they have made.
  • What is excluded or optional.
  • What the first-year operating costs are.
  • Who owns the domain, hosting and accounts after launch.

This produces proposals you can assess fairly with the website quote comparison checklist. It also gives providers permission to identify a gap before they price it, rather than silently guessing.

Do not make the brief harder than it needs to be

A good brief is not a request for a complete solution. You are not expected to choose the final technology, design system or search strategy before speaking to a professional. Give the business context, the customer need, the known constraints and the available evidence. The provider’s role is to turn that into a proposed approach.

When you are ready, tell IDJoy about your project. A clear first message can be short; the template above simply makes sure the important decisions have somewhere to go.