Thinking about updating or rebuilding your website? For any upcoming web project, a well-crafted website brief is an important early step in the process. Think of it as the foundation. A clear brief ensures that everyone is aligned on the goals, design preferences, and scope of the project, whether it be a small refresh, a rebuild, or an entirely new website from scratch.
Very importantly, a brief also ensures you don’t waste time and money on creating a website that is not what you wanted or expected. The following points describe how to write a website brief that paves the way for an efficient and successful web development project.
We have assisted many clients with recovering or re-building websites that were created without clear briefs – ensuring they ended up with a website which met their needs, and the best customer experience. This extra cost, time, and frustration could have been avoided by having a clear website brief written by a professional marketing person with website development expertise.
Project Overview
Clearly state what you aim to achieve with the new website.
- Objectives could include increasing sales, improving user engagement or experience, launching a new brand or business.
- Do your users come looking for an e-commerce shopping experience, or do they regularly read your blog?
- Does your site need to integrate with other platforms, such as a CRM or mailing list?
- What extra features does your site have, or are you looking to add any? Consider elements like video tutorials, contact forms, online checkouts, social media integration, or custom tools.
Be specific about your goals, as they will direct the project’s strategy and design.
Budget and Timeline
Setting realistic budget and timeline expectations helps your team plan and prioritise accordingly.
- Include any fixed deadlines, such as product launches or marketing campaigns, that the project must align with.
- Do you have content ready? If not, outline your plans for content creation – and ensuring it is very clear who is writing and providing this content.
- Who will manage updates, security, and ongoing support post-launch? Don’t forget to add internal training for your staff if you’re outsourcing the project but would like to do web updates or maintenance after the site is live.
Remember to plan long-term.
Site Map
A simple sitemap indicating the main pages and subpages helps the development team plan the layout and navigation of your website. If you’ve never built out a site map before, GlooMaps is a good free tool to use.
Company Overview
If your website project is being managed externally, you’ll need to provide some starting information for the people who don’t know your business very well. List out your brand’s history, core values, mission statement, and the products or services you offer. This context helps designers, developers, and even project managers understand your business and the purpose of your website.
Audience
You’ll also need to include some information about your target audience (demographics, online behaviour, etc.). If you’re building a new website, you may need to do some market research. It’s crucial to create a user experience that meets your audience’s needs and expectations.
Design Preferences
Is there a particular website you like the look of? It’s easier to emulate a design than come up with one from scratch. Include your design preferences (styles, colours, fonts, etc.) to give your team a clear understanding of the look you’re going for. This will also provide an opportunity to ensure the final design aligns with your brand identity.
Accessibility
Don’t forget to make your website as accessible as possible, even if the old version was not. Consider your website’s compatibility with specific browsers or devices and accessibility standards to ensure everyone has a good experience with using your website.
Review with your team and test with fresh eyes
Your team brings expertise and experience. They are likely very familiar with your current website, with what works and what doesn’t work. Review and update the brief together as the project evolves.
Consider showing your brief to someone entirely new, such as a trusted partner or friend who is unfamiliar with your website. This way any new user experience problems will be pointed out that you or someone familiar with your current setup may miss.
In conclusion, a detailed and well-thought-out website brief is essential to the successful outcome of your web development project, saving your business valuable time and resources. By clearly communicating your requirements, preferences, and goals, you set the stage for a website that not only looks great but also performs effectively, meeting the needs of your business and your users.
More information
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