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A clear website brief helps set the direction for a project before any design or development work begins. Businesses that arrive at their first conversation with an agency having already thought through their goals, content, and functional needs tend to move through the web design process more smoothly than those starting with only a vague idea. This guide covers what a useful website brief should include and why each element matters.
A website brief acts as a reference point throughout a project, helping both the business and the agency stay aligned on goals and expectations. Without one, projects can drift, with scope changing repeatedly as new ideas come up mid-project, often leading to delays and additional costs. A well-prepared brief does not need to be a lengthy formal document, but it should cover the key details an agency needs to understand your business and what you are trying to achieve.
Before getting into design preferences or technical requirements, it helps to explain what your business does, who your customers are, and what you want the website to achieve. A website built to generate leads for a service business will be approached differently than one built primarily to support an online store or provide general company information.
Consider outlining what your business offers, who your typical customer is, and what action you want visitors to take once they arrive on the site, such as making an enquiry, booking an appointment, or making a purchase.
If you already have a website and are looking for a redesign, explaining what is not working with the current site gives the agency useful context. This might include slow loading times, an outdated design, difficulty updating content, or a lack of enquiries despite reasonable traffic. Being specific here helps avoid simply recreating the same issues in a new design.
Beyond general design, most websites need specific functionality to support the business. This might include a contact form, an online booking system, an e-commerce store, or integration with other tools the business already uses. Listing these requirements clearly helps the agency scope the project accurately from the outset, rather than discovering additional requirements partway through development.
Consider what content already exists and what still needs to be created. This includes text for each page, photography, logos, and any existing brand guidelines. If content is not ready at the time of the brief, it is still worth noting who will be responsible for providing it and on what timeline, since this often affects the overall project schedule more than the design or development work itself.
| Section | What to Include |
|---|---|
| Business Background | Explain what the business does, who it serves, its key services, and its current position in the market |
| Website Goals | Define the main actions you want visitors to take, such as making an enquiry, booking a service or purchasing a product |
| Current Website Issues | List any specific problems with the existing website, including design, usability, performance or technical issues |
| Functional Requirements | Outline the features required, such as contact forms, booking systems, e-commerce functionality, integrations or customer accounts |
| Content and Assets | List existing copy, images, logos and other brand assets, along with details of who will provide any missing content |
| Budget and Timeline | Provide an estimated budget range, key project milestones and any important launch deadlines |
| Competitor Examples | Include websites you like, examples you want to learn from, and sites you want your new website to differentiate from |
Sharing a general budget range, even an approximate one, helps an agency propose a solution that fits realistically within your resources, rather than presenting options that are significantly over or under what you are prepared to spend. Similarly, noting any relevant deadlines, such as a product launch or seasonal business period, allows the agency to plan the project timeline accordingly.
Including a few examples of websites you like, along with a brief explanation of what appeals to you about them, can help communicate design preferences more clearly than a written description alone. This does not need to be limited to direct competitors. Sites from entirely different industries can still illustrate a layout style, colour approach, or navigation pattern you find appealing.
A website brief that only covers design and functionality can miss an important part of the picture. If your business also plans to invest in SEO or Google Ads, mentioning this early allows the site to be built with those goals in mind from the start, such as ensuring the site structure supports future content growth or that landing pages are set up appropriately for paid campaigns. Building these considerations in from the beginning is generally more efficient than adjusting a completed site afterward.
Looking at examples of completed projects can help clarify what to ask for in your own brief. Reviewing our portfolio may give you a clearer sense of layout styles, functionality, and design approaches that could apply to your own website. It can also help to read more about how a project typically progresses on our about page, so you know what to expect once you reach out.
A few recurring issues tend to slow down projects at the brief stage. These include being too vague about goals, which makes it difficult for an agency to recommend an appropriate approach, and omitting functional requirements that only surface later in the process. It is also worth avoiding an overly rigid brief that leaves no room for professional input, since agencies often bring useful perspective on what works well based on experience across other projects.
A clear brief helps set your website project up for a smoother process from the first conversation onward. If you are preparing to start a new website or redesign an existing one, contact us and our team can guide you through the next steps, including what additional information might be useful for your specific project.
No, a formal document is not required. A clear, organised summary covering your goals, requirements, and any existing content is generally sufficient to start a productive conversation.
Providing even a rough range is more useful than leaving it blank, since it helps an agency propose realistic options rather than guessing at your expectations.
Yes, competitor and inspiration examples can help communicate design preferences clearly, even if they come from unrelated industries.
Some changes are normal as a project develops, but significant changes to scope after work has begun can affect timelines and cost. Being as thorough as possible at the brief stage helps minimise this.
It should clearly state what content already exists, what still needs to be created, and who is responsible for producing it, even if the content itself is not finalised yet.
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