A website project goes more smoothly when everyone starts with the same picture. A written brief is how you create that picture. It tells a web designer what the site is for, who it needs to reach and what you expect to receive. Without one, quotes are hard to compare and surprises tend to appear late.

A brief does not need to be long or technical. A few pages in plain words is usually enough. This guide covers what to include, from goals and pages to budget and ownership. It also covers the questions worth asking before you sign anything.

Why a brief matters

Designers can only quote on what they understand. If two designers read the same clear brief, their quotes are much easier to compare. A brief also gives you something to check the finished site against. If a feature was in the brief, it should be in the site.

Writing the brief also helps you think. It is easy to put off deciding what the website should actually do until you try to write it down. The Queensland Government has a guide to building and managing a business website. It suggests planning around what you want customers to do on the site and the questions they will have. That is a good place to start your brief.

Start with goals and audience

Begin with one or two sentences about your business. Then list what the website needs to achieve. That might be calls, booking requests, online sales or simply showing that you are a real and trustworthy business. Put these in order of importance so the designer knows what matters most.

Next, describe your customers. Who are they, what do they need and what usually makes them choose you? Mention any groups the site must work well for, such as older visitors or people browsing on phones. The Queensland guide also suggests researching competitors before you build. Name a few sites you like and say what you like about them.

List the pages and content

Sketch a simple site map showing each page and how the pages connect. The Queensland guide recommends drawing one and planning a page for each product range or key service. Many small business sites have a home page, service pages, an about page and a contact page. Add anything specific to your business, such as a gallery, a booking page or a blog.

Be clear about who will supply the content. Will you write the words and provide photos, or do you want the designer to arrange them? Content can easily become the part that holds up a launch, so set a realistic plan for it. The Queensland guide suggests using images and videos of your real products or services where you can.

If you want the site to be found in search, say so in the brief. Ask how page titles, headings and page addresses will be handled. Our post on web design skills covers some of the design principles worth discussing with a designer. Answers are easier to compare when every designer gets the same questions.

Features and how the site will be managed

List the features you need, such as forms, online payments, bookings or a newsletter signup. Then mark which ones are must haves and which are nice to have. This helps a designer quote options rather than one fixed price. It also shows you where you can cut back if the budget is tight.

Your brief can also say how the site should connect with social media. If you promote the business on Facebook, for example, you may want links, sharing buttons or a feed. Our post on using Facebook to promote a family law business shows how one type of business approaches it. List the platforms you use so the designer can plan for them.

Think about who will update the site after launch. The Queensland guide notes there is often a charge to have edits made after a website has gone live. It suggests asking for basic training in updating content as part of a quote. If login details are involved, write the process down and keep it somewhere safe.

Ask how you will measure results too. Analytics can show you visits and enquiries once the site is live. Our guide on using Google Analytics with a WordPress site explains how that works if your site runs on WordPress. Put tracking in the brief so it is not forgotten at the end.

Budget, timing and hosting

Give a budget range, even a rough one. It saves time for both sides and helps the designer suggest the right approach. The Queensland guide describes three broad options: a template builder, a content management system or a professional developer. Each comes with different costs and different levels of control.

Include a target launch date and any fixed deadlines, such as a product release or an event. Ask about ongoing costs as well as the build price. The Queensland guide notes that monthly hosting fees vary with the size of the site and the number of visits. Domain names and security certificates also need renewing on time.

If you plan to advertise once the site is live, mention that too. Pages built for a campaign may need a different layout from your main pages. Our article on advertising on Google AdWords gives some background on how paid search works. A designer who knows your plans can build pages that suit them from the start.

Ownership and the agreement

Your brief should say that you expect to control your own domain name. The Queensland guide suggests registering your domain through a different party from your website builder or host, so you own it entirely. Ask for the logins to your domain, hosting and website to be handed over or shared with you. This makes it far easier to change providers later if you need to.

Copyright is also worth raising early. The Queensland Government’s page on copyright explains that copyright exists as soon as an idea is expressed in a material form. It also says there is no need to register the work for it to be protected. Ask the designer to state in writing who will own the finished design, content and code.

Before you sign, read the quote and agreement carefully. Check what is included, how many rounds of changes you get and what happens if the project runs late. Confirm whether mobile optimisation is part of the build, as the Queensland guide recommends. If anything is unclear, ask for the answer in writing.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a website brief be?

There is no set length. A few pages is plenty for most small business sites. Focus on goals, audience, pages, features, budget and timing. A short and clear brief is more useful than a long one nobody reads.

Should I send the same brief to every designer?

Yes, if you want to compare quotes fairly. Sending the same document means each designer is answering the same questions. Differences in price then reflect differences in approach rather than different assumptions. You can still ask each designer for their own suggestions.

What if I do not know what features I need?

Describe what you want visitors to be able to do instead. For example, you might want customers to book an appointment or pay a deposit. A good designer can suggest suitable tools from that description. Ask them to explain the options in plain language.

Who should register my domain name?

Ideally you should hold the domain yourself or have full access to the account it sits in. The Queensland guide suggests registering it through a different party from your builder or host. It also links to a list of accredited .au registrars. Keep the renewal details current so the domain does not expire.