Website brief template: the questions I ask every client

A website brief is a summary of what your site needs: what the project is, what it should achieve, who it’s for, which pages and languages it has, what content you already have and when you need it. It doesn’t have to be long or technical: with nine clear answers I can put together a realistic proposal. Here are the questions I ask in a first call, and a template that fills itself in as you answer.

Why a brief saves time

Without a brief, the first proposal is made blind and corrections arrive late, when changing things is already costly. With one, we both know from the start what will be done and what won’t, and the proposal fits what you actually need.

The questions, one by one

What the project is. In one sentence, the way you’d explain it in a lift. It tells me the tone before any document does.
What it should achieve. Bookings, enquiries, brand awareness… Each goal calls for a different design, and knowing which matters most helps decide what comes first.
Who will visit it. Age, where they’re from, which device and what they’re looking for. An overseas guest and a trade buyer don’t read the same way.
Which pages it needs. A first list is enough. We’ll adjust it together: sometimes there are pages too many, and sometimes the most searched one is missing.
Which languages. Each language multiplies copy, reviews and search work, so it’s best known from the start.
What content you have. Copy, photos, video, logo. Content is what delays websites most; if it’s missing, we plan it or produce it.
Websites you like. And above all, what you like about them. “I like this one” says little; “I like how the photos fill the screen” says a lot.
Who will edit it. It changes how the content editor is built: one person updating once a month is not a team publishing every day.
When you need it. And whether a date sets the pace: a season, a trade fair, a launch.

If you’re missing photos or video, I shoot those too; I explain how in Photos and video for a hotel website.

What you don’t need to know

You don’t need to know which technology to use, exactly how many pages there will be or what the design will look like: that’s my job. It doesn’t need to be well written either. A list of loose ideas works just as well.

What also helps

What you don’t want. Sometimes it’s clearer than what you do: colours, styles or websites that don’t represent you.
Your current website, if you have one. What works, what doesn’t and what customers ask you because they can’t find it.
Who decides. If several people need to sign off, it’s better to know from the start.

After the brief

With your brief, I suggest a short call to clear up questions, then send you a written proposal with what’s included, the phases and the timeline. If you want to understand what makes a website cost more or less, I explain it in How much does a custom website cost?.

In short

A good brief answers nine questions: what the project is, what it should achieve, who it’s for, which pages and languages it needs, what content exists, which references you like, who will edit it and when you need it. With that, the first proposal already looks like what you need.

Fill in the template above and send it to me: I’ll reply within one working day.