Planning a website
What to put in a website brief (with a simple template)
The projects that go smoothly almost always start with a clear brief. It doesn't need to be long or technical. One page that answers a few plain questions saves days of back and forth, helps a developer give you an accurate quote, and keeps the result close to what you pictured.
Why a brief is worth ten minutes
When a developer receives "I need a website for my business", the first reply is a list of questions. When they receive a short brief, the first reply is a plan. You also learn a lot from how a developer responds: good ones ask sharp follow-up questions, and careless ones send the same answer to everyone.
A brief doesn't lock you in. It is a starting point you can change after the first conversation.
1. About your business
- What you do, in two or three sentences, and who your customers are.
- What the website is for. Pick the main goal: calls, WhatsApp messages, bookings, online sales, or simply a professional presence.
- Your current website address, if you have one, and what you dislike about it.
- Two or three websites you like, and what you like about each. Competitors count too.
2. Pages and features
- The pages you expect: home, about, services, contact, a gallery, a blog, and so on. A rough list is enough.
- The things visitors must be able to do: send a form, book a slot, pay online, search products, log in.
- Anything that has to connect to another tool, such as a payment provider, a booking system or a mailing list.
- Whether the site needs more than one language.
3. Design and content
- Do you already have a logo, brand colours and fonts? Send the files.
- Do you have a design, for example in Figma or Adobe XD? If so, share the link. If not, say whether you want design help too.
- Who will write the text and supply photos? Content that arrives late is the most common reason a project runs over its schedule.
- Who will update the site after launch, and how often? This decides whether WordPress, with its simple editor, is a better fit than a custom build.
4. Time and practical details
- Your ideal launch date, and why it matters. A fixed event or campaign is a real deadline, and a preference is not.
- Who approves decisions on your side. Projects slow down when feedback comes from five different people.
- Whether you already have a domain name and hosting, and who holds the logins.
- How you prefer to communicate: WhatsApp, email or calls.
A simple template you can copy
Business: [what you do, who for]. Goal of the website: [main goal]. Current site: [link or "none"]. Sites I like: [two or three links, and why]. Pages: [list]. Features: [list]. Design: [files, Figma link, or "need design help"]. Content: [who writes it, when it will be ready]. Updates after launch: [who, how often]. Deadline: [date and reason]. Domain and hosting: [have it, or need help]. Best way to reach me: [WhatsApp, email, call].
What if you don't know the answers yet?
Write "not sure" and move on. A good developer would rather have an honest gap than a guess. Questions like "do I need an online shop or just a catalogue?" are exactly what the first conversation is for.
If you'd like to see how this works in practice, you can send me your brief on WhatsApp, and I'll reply with questions, a suggested approach and a quote. I only need as much detail as you have.