Website Project Brief: What to Prepare Before You Build
Help a web project start with fewer unknowns by defining goals, audiences, content, features and ownership up front.
Set the goal and audience
Describe what the website should help the organisation achieve and who it serves. A goal such as “increase qualified enquiries” is more useful when paired with the audience, the offer and the action visitors should take.
List pages, content and functions
Draft the page list and note what each page needs to communicate. Identify forms, booking, payments, search, user accounts or other integrations. Mark what already exists and what needs writing, design or migration.
Clarify design, accessibility and ownership
Share brand assets, examples you like and requirements such as keyboard access, readable contrast or multilingual content. Name the decision-makers for content, design and approvals, and confirm who owns domain, hosting and analytics accounts.
Plan budget, timeline and launch
State a budget range and any fixed dates, while identifying dependencies such as approvals, photography or third-party integrations. Agree on what counts as complete, who tests the site and who handles updates after launch.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need all website copy ready before contacting a developer?
No, but identifying existing copy, missing pages and the person responsible for content helps scope the project and avoid delays.
What should be included in a website project quote?
Ask for scope, deliverables, assumptions, exclusions, revision process, timeline dependencies, payment terms, launch responsibilities and ongoing support details.
