Crafting a solid website brief template isn't merely box-ticking; it's the cornerstone of a successful website project.
Imagine going on a road trip without a map or satnav; you'd likely get lost, waste time and fuel, and end up frustrated. The same goes for launching into a web design project without a proper brief. A vague brief can lead to misunderstandings, project delays, and an end result which falls short of the mark.
A well-thought-out brief, however, acts as your roadmap, steering both you and your design team towards a successful outcome.
It's where you hash out what the website needs to do, who it's for and how it should look. Think of it as a contractual handshake that everyone can refer back to, offering clarity and reducing the dreaded 'scope creep'. To help you nail this crucial step, we've put together 50 questions you absolutely must consider.
Quick Project Overview
Before you send your website brief document to potential suppliers, make sure to specify whether you require each listed service by indicating 'Yes' or 'No'.
This isn't just administrative housekeeping; it's a crucial step in setting the stage for a successful web design project. This streamlined list constitutes the basic framework that your website designer needs in order to gain an initial understanding of what you're looking for.
You will need to answer yes or no to:
- Do you require design?
- Do you want user experience consultancy?
- Do you need front-end development?
- Is a CMS required?
Company Profile
The first thing you need to do is provide a summary of your company and give your designer insight into what your business does, what you want to achieve as an organisation and where you want to be in the next few years, with the help of your website.
This will help them get a true feel of your business and align their work with your expectation of what you would like to achieve.
You will need to answer:
- What we do and how we came to be: Explain in a brief paragraph what your company does, when and why it was established, how long it’s been active, etc.
- Where we operate: Provide information on your coverage, whether you’re looking to be represented as a national or local business, do you have offices in more than one location, etc.
- Our main products and services: Tell the website designer about the products and services that the website needs to represent. It’s essential to make clear which are the most important ones that generate the most revenue.
- Our USPs: Provide information on the things that you do better than your competitors and the things that are important to your customers.
Buyer's Profile
In order to create a killer website, your designer will need to know as much as possible about who you’re trying to sell to, so that they can tailor your website’s content to your buyer’s information needs.
Different buyers will be interested in different things, so don’t forget to split your prospects into groups (whether this is by sector or job role) and examine each one separately. Hopefully, you’ll already have a great deal of knowledge on this, but if not, take the time to develop a set of personalised buyer personas.
You will need to answer:
- Our target audience: Provide information on who your prospects are. Include things such as sector, job title, job function as well the pains and challenges they have.
- Customer examples: Give examples of the ideal customers you would like to work with and what makes them so attractive. These can be both existing clients you want to have more of, or prospects you would like to attract.
- How they access our website: It’s essential for your website designer to know how visitors come to your website and what devices they tend to use, such as mobile, desktop, tablet etc. The easiest way to find this information is through Google Analytics.
-
How we want our buyers to perceive us: Explain in a few sentences what impression you would like your website visitors to be left with when they visit your website. For example, do you want to be perceived as a large, national organisation or a small local business etc.
- Our top 3 competitors: Provide your top three competitors, as well as information on their advantages and disadvantages over you. Consider including the companies that come up on the first page of Google for relevant keywords as well, as these will be your digital competitors.
- How they access our website: It’s essential for your website designer to know how visitors come to your website and what devices they tend to use, such as mobile, desktop, tablet etc. The easiest way to find this information is through Google Analytics.
The Project
It’s important for your designer to understand why you wanted to undertake this project as it’ll help them create a website you’ll be happy with for as long as possible.
Outlining your goals and objectives will support this, along with giving your designer the opportunity to provide you with a perspective on what is and isn’t achievable.
You will need to answer:
- What we want from the new website: Provide information on what you want the new website to be. Are you looking for a rebrand or an entirely new website? If so, is the new website going to be using your existing branding?
- Why we want a new website: Give some details on what drove you to redesign your website.
- Our vision for the website: In a few sentences, explain how you imagine the new website to be. Include a mission statement if you have one.
- Our objectives: Tell your website supplier about the goals you would like the website to achieve, such as increases in leads, ROI, visits (be as specific as possible).
Your Current Website
Carrying out an audit of your current website is essential - figure out what you want to keep and what you’d like to completely change.
After all, learning from your past mistakes is the only way to really move forward.
You will need to answer:
- Our current website: Provide information on how old your current website is and when it was last updated.
- Who built it: Give the name of the company that built your website and any details you feel your new website designer needs to know about them.
- What we like about our current website: In a few sentences, tell your new website designer the things that you like about your current website and the ones that you would like to keep.
- What we dislike about our current website: Describe the things that you dislike about your current website and why. This will help avoid disappointment and unpleasant surprises at the end.
- The core elements we want to keep: Put in here anything you’d like to keep from your current website. It’s important to ensure that this is clearly communicated to your new website supplier.
Traffic and Conversions
This is where the money is - the thing that every business owner wants to improve. What kind of conversions are you looking for, and how do we create a website that will do this for you? The answers to these questions will lay the foundations.
You will need to answer:
- How we measure the success of our website: Describe what statistics you measure and analyse to prove the success of your website’s performance. Is there anything that you’re not currently measuring, but would want to be once the new website is launched?
- Our current website monthly visitors: Provide information on how many leads is your current website generating and how many of them are sales-ready.
- Why people visit our website: Depending on what you do and how you portray your business, different prospects would come to your website for different reasons. For example, to do research, purchasing, news or entertainment. Provide details in this section.
- Where our leads come from: Tell your supplier which your main lead source is, such as email, social media, organic, referrals etc.
Design and Feel
A website is visual, so it’s very important that you don’t skip this section.
Focusing on a growth-driven design is recommended, as you’ll have the freedom to continue to make improvements to your website even months after it’s all been designed and you’ve gone live.
You will need to answer:
- Pages requirements: Give details on the number of pages you will require your new website to have. This will play a part in the final quote you are sent from your supplier. Have you considered a growth-driven website, where the number of pages is continuously increased over time?
- Features and functions: Give details on the features and functions you want your website to have, such as a search box, sliders, social media, Google Maps, blog, etc.
- Branding guidelines: Are there branding guidelines that your new website designer needs to adhere to? If so, provide details in this section and attach them to your email when sending the website brief.
- Preferred colour schemes, fonts and icons: If you have already considered the details of the look and feel of your website, include any specifics in this section, such as colours, fonts, icons, etc.
Content Management System (CMS)
If you’re going to stay relevant online it’s imperative you keep your website up to date and ever evolving. You’ll need a straightforward editing system that your entire team can contribute to.
Do you know SEO best practices so you can conform to them with everything you publish online? Will the CMS of your choice support you with this? Are you aware of the benefits from an SEO point of view of a secure connection?
You will need to answer:
- Content management system: Provide details on whether you’re currently using a Content Management System or you’re considering using one with your new website. If so, provide details about your desired CMS. If this is something you haven’t yet considered, your website designer can provide you with advice and guidance.
- SEO advice and support: Give information on whether you have an in-house SEO expert and how much advice and support you’re looking to receive from your website supplier.
- SSL: Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is a security technology that establishes an encrypted link between a web server and a browser. This link will ensure that all data passed between the server and the browser will remain private and integral.
- Marketing automation integration and analytics requirements: Have you considered using a marketing automation tool to track your website visitors’ engagement with your campaigns and website content, as well as provide you with in-depth data analytics? If so, provide details. Your designer will also be able to advise you on this.
Maintenance
Who is going to keep your website spick and span and working successfully once the design is completed? If you have someone in-house, do they satisfy the level of experience required by your designer to update and maintain it?
Answering the following questions will give your website supplier a good idea of the level of technical skill you have in-house:
- In-house web development: Is there an in-house web development team that is available to you and, if so, what is their level of experience?
- Website maintenance: Are you looking to keep the maintenance of your website in-house or is this something that you want your website supplier to do for you?
- In-house maintenance: If you’re looking to keep maintenance in-house, would be covered in case the person responsible for this decides to leave?
- Software requirements: Have you considered any software, such as HubSpot, that makes website maintenance and usability significantly easier? If so, provide details here.
Digital Marketing
There’s a reason branding and marketing often go together.
Your campaigns and the way you choose to advertise your business will affect what features and functions your website will need, such as social media icons and how a buyer navigates the site.
If you’re trying to lead them to a particular page, or if they’ll be coming from an ad, for example, your designer will need to know.
You will need to answer:
- Main marketing campaigns: Provide details on your current and most important marketing campaigns that your website is linked to. Are these going to be continued with the new website or are you looking for a complete online transformation?
- Strategies and campaigns: Tick the relevant ones from the list below and provide details on your current strategies and campaigns related to them.
- Social media
- SEO
- PPC
- Email
- Content
- Third party advertising (e.g. banners on related websites)
- Affiliate marketing
Budget
The final and possibly the most pivotal part of designing a new website is how much you’re willing to spend on it.
Defining your maximum limit will allow your designer to decide on the most important features your website should include, and take a back burner on anything less-so.
You will need to answer:
- Final budget: Give a budget number or range. Specify whether this is a rough or set number.
- Flexibility: How flexible are you with the quoted number above?
- Growth-Driven Design: Have you considered a Growth-Driven Design website, where you can continuously improve and evolve your website after it’s gone live?
- ROI projections: Have you put together ROI projections to help justify and even extend the time and cost going into the project?
Conclusion
A website brief is not just paperwork; it's the backbone of your whole web design venture.
This article, armed with 50 must-answer questions and a free template to boot, is your go-to guide for avoiding project nightmares. A solid brief means fewer crossed wires and a smoother ride from concept to launch.
In short, it's your game plan for turning your web dreams into something real and brilliant.