Website project brief: 9 things for an accurate proposal

A website project brief is a short project description that helps a proposal cover what your business actually needs. You do not need to know technical terms: it is more important to explain who uses the website, what they need to do and which materials you already have.

In this guide, we go through nine items worth preparing before speaking to an agency. At the end, you can copy the template and fill it in with your information. If you are still choosing the project scope, first take a look at our website development services.

1. What is the website’s goal and who is it for?

Instead of “we want a modern website”, describe a specific need: for customers to enquire about a particular service, book a conversation or order a product. Define one main action and a few secondary ones. This makes it easier to agree on the page structure and calls to action.

Describe a typical visitor, the problem they are solving and the information they seek before making a decision. For a company working with other businesses, this might be the scope of a service, references and the collaboration process; for a store, product availability and delivery.

2. Which pages need to be prepared?

Create an initial list: home, about us, individual service pages, portfolio, blog and contact. State the languages and approximate number of products or projects. Five simple business pages and a catalogue with hundreds of products require different amounts of work.

Add a sentence about the purpose of each page. If two pages answer the same question, check whether both are necessary. For selling online, see what online store development includes and separate catalogue needs from general company information.

3. Who prepares the copy, photographs and translations?

In your website project brief, note what already exists and what still needs to be created: logo, brand guidelines, copy, photographs, video, price lists and translations. Indicate whether the materials are ready to publish or need editing.

Agree on a person to collect the materials and a person to give final approval. When several team members comment, consolidated feedback makes work easier. Before sending photographs, check that you have the right to use them.

4. What must the first version enable?

Divide features into those required for launch and those that can come later. Describe them through a user’s actions: “the visitor selects a service, enters contact details and sends an enquiry”, rather than simply “we need a form”.

For search, reservations, user accounts or multiple languages, describe the expected behaviour. Specifically record who in the company handles incoming requests. If the business process requires more complex roles and workflows, a web application may be more suitable.

5. Which systems should the website connect to?

List existing tools for stock, payments, delivery, newsletters or CRM. Describe which data needs to move, in which direction and how often. The label “integration” alone does not explain whether you need to transfer an order, update a price or synchronise an entire catalogue.

For an initial estimate, providing the system’s name and available documentation is enough. Do not put passwords or secret access keys in the initial brief; access is arranged separately when needed. Read more about planning connections on our page about API integration.

6. What should be preserved from the existing website?

If you are replacing a website, add its address and describe what works well and what causes problems. List important pages, articles, forms and existing connections to other systems. Indicate who manages the domain and hosting.

Changing the appearance does not automatically require changing every URL. Before migrating content, create a plan for existing addresses and indexing checks. For this part of the project, use our list of SEO checks during a website redesign.

7. Which examples explain the look you want?

Choose two or three examples and explain what you specifically like: a clear menu, service presentation, typography or the way projects are shown. The same applies to what you want to avoid. An example supports a conversation about direction, rather than copying someone else’s content and design.

In our website portfolio you can find different types of projects. For each example you choose, connect the visual decision to the needs of your audience.

8. What are the budget and important deadlines?

Give a budget range and the reason for your preferred launch date. If the website is tied to a trade fair or campaign, separate that date from the deadline for delivering materials and approving the design. If you do not yet have a set budget, ask for clearly separated scope options.

When comparing proposals, check what the price includes, what is an additional service and which costs recur. In particular, clarify hosting, the domain, licences, content entry and maintenance. The most useful comparison is between proposals that solve the same task.

9. How is the project tested and handed over?

Before starting, agree on a few specific checks: form behaviour, the mobile display, navigation, loading speed of key pages and how content is edited. For a store, add a test order and the agreed payment and delivery methods.

Include in the brief who takes over administration, what training is needed and who maintains the website after launch. Clarify access, backups and how to report problems. For an overview of basic SEO requirements, the Google SEO Starter Guide is also useful.

Template: a website project brief you can copy

• Company and audience: what we do and who we address.
• Main goal: the action a visitor should take.
• Pages and languages: an initial list and approximate scope.
• Materials: what we have, what is missing and who prepares the content.
• Required features: a brief description of user actions.
• Integrations: existing systems and the data exchange needed.
• Existing website: its address, important pages and problems.
• Design examples: links and an explanation of the choices.
• Budget and deadline: a range, important dates and priorities.
• Approval and handover: the person responsible, training and maintenance.

You do not need an answer to every item in advance. Mark open questions and state what matters most to you. A good website project brief allows the conversation to end with a clearer scope, a comparable proposal and an agreed next step.

Ready for an estimate? Send your project description through our free estimate page, and we will review your needs and the appropriate development scope.