A website brief is a short document that tells a web designer what your business does, what the website needs to achieve, who it is for and what you will supply. A good one fits on a page or two, and it is one of the simplest ways to make a website quicker and cheaper to build, because less time goes on guessing, chasing and redoing work. Below are the sections to include, the mistakes to avoid and a checklist you can copy.
Why does a good brief save money?
Much of the cost of a small website is time: working out what you want, waiting for words and photos, and redoing things built on a wrong assumption. A brief moves those decisions to the start, when they cost nothing to change.
It helps in three practical ways:
- You get quotes you can compare. Send the same brief to every designer you speak to and the prices start to mean something. Our guide to choosing a web design agency covers what else to ask.
- Fewer rounds of changes. Many revisions come from things nobody wrote down, such as a forgotten service or a colour you dislike.
- Work can start straight away. A designer with a complete brief does not have to stop and wait for answers.
You do not need to be technical to write one. You only need to know your business.
What should a website brief include?
Work through these eleven sections. Short, honest answers are fine.
1. A short summary of your business
In two or three plain sentences, say what you do, where you do it and who you do it for. Add the details that must appear exactly as you want them: business name, phone number, email, address or service area, and opening hours.
If something sets you apart, such as a qualification or twenty years in the same town, put it here.
2. The one job the website needs to do
Pick the single action you most want a visitor to take: call you, send an enquiry, book an appointment, buy something or visit your premises. Everything else on the site should support that.
A website that tries to do five things equally often does none of them well, which is a common reason for traffic that never turns into leads.
3. Who the site is for
Describe your typical customer rather than "everyone". What problem do they have when they look for you, and what do they need to know before getting in touch: prices, availability, whether you cover their area?
Think about the moment they find you, too. Someone with a leaking pipe wants a phone number quickly. A couple planning a wedding will happily browse a gallery.
4. The pages or sections you need
For a one-page website, list the sections in the order you would like them, for example: introduction, services, about, gallery, reviews, frequently asked questions and contact.
For a larger site, list the pages instead. If you are unsure, say so, and a good designer will suggest a structure.
5. The words and photos you will supply
This is the section that most affects how quickly your website gets built. Say clearly who is writing the text, who is providing the photos, and when both will be ready.
A few things help:
- Write your text in one document, section by section.
- Send original photo files rather than screenshots.
- Use your own photos, a photographer's, or stock images with a licence that covers your use.
Do not take images from search results or from other businesses' websites. According to GOV.UK, copyright protection is automatic and covers photography and web content, so an image being easy to download does not make it free to use.
6. Your logo and brand colours
Send your logo as the original file from whoever designed it, if you have it. List your brand colours and any fonts you already use on signage, vans or print.
If you do not have a logo or settled colours yet, say so. It is usually better to sort out your brand design first than to build a website around a placeholder you will replace in six months.
7. Two or three websites you like, and why
Links on their own are not much use; the reason is the useful part. "The prices are easy to find" or "the booking button stays visible on a phone" gives a designer something to work with.
They do not have to be in your industry. One site you dislike, with a sentence on why, helps too.
8. Must-have features
List what the site has to do, separating essentials from nice-to-haves. Common ones include:
- An enquiry form and click-to-call phone number
- Online booking (name the booking system you already use, if any)
- A gallery, reviews or a price list
- A map and directions
- Taking payments
A contact or booking form collects personal data, and the ICO says you must give people privacy information at the time you collect it. Mention whether you already have a privacy notice.
9. Your domain and hosting situation
Your domain is your web address, and hosting is where the website lives. Tell the designer:
- Whether you already own a domain, and which company it is registered with
- Whether you can log in to that account (if not, start recovering access now)
- Whether you have an existing website or hosting plan
- Whether your business email uses the same domain, so it is not disrupted when the new site is connected
Whatever you agree, the domain should be registered in your name.
10. Your deadline
Give a real date and the reason for it, such as a shop opening or the start of your busy season. Then work backwards: a designer can only meet your date if the content arrives in time.
11. Your budget
Many people leave this out in case it gets spent in full. In practice, a budget tells a designer what is realistic, so you get a proposal that fits rather than one you have to cut down later. A range is fine. If you are not sure where to start, our guide to what a small business website costs in the UK sets out typical ranges.
What are the most common website brief mistakes?
- Describing a feeling instead of an example. "Modern" and "clean" mean different things to different people. Point to sites that show what you mean.
- Leaving the words until last. Text is usually what holds a website up. Start writing the day you start the brief.
- Too many decision-makers. Agree who has the final say before you send the brief, so feedback comes from one person.
- Asking for features "just in case". Each extra feature adds time and cost. If nobody will use it, leave it out.
- Sending content in pieces. Photos on WhatsApp and text by email are how things go missing. Use one shared folder.
- Changing the brief halfway through. New ideas are normal, but they are usually cheaper as a second phase than as a mid-build change.
Free website brief checklist
Copy this into a document, answer each line, and send it with your logo, photos and text.
- Business name, as it should appear on the site
- What you do, where, and for whom, in two or three sentences
- Phone, email, address or service area, and opening hours
- What makes you different, if anything
- The main action you want visitors to take
- Your typical customer, and what they need to know before contacting you
- The sections (one-page site) or pages (larger site) you need, in order
- Who is writing the text, and the date it will be ready
- Who is supplying the photos, and confirmation you have the right to use them
- Logo file, brand colours and any fonts you already use
- Two or three websites you like and why, plus one you dislike
- Must-have features, then nice-to-have features
- Whether you have a privacy notice for any forms
- Your domain: do you own one, who is it registered with, and can you log in?
- Any existing website, hosting or email on that domain
- Your deadline, and the reason for it
- Your budget or budget range
- The one person who will give feedback and sign off the site
Putting your brief to use
If one page is all your business needs for now, our £99.99 one-page website starts with a short brief covering your business details, colours, text and photos. You get a single page with up to seven sections and one round of revisions, for a one-off £99.99. You buy your own domain and hosting directly from the providers, and we set them up for you. The 48 hours starts once your brief is complete, so the checklist above is worth finishing first.