Writing a website brief agencies can quote properly
A vague brief gets you three quotes that can't be compared. A one-page brief that answers seven questions gets you real numbers in a few days.
The seven questions
- What should the site achieve? More demo requests, more online sales, fewer support calls. Pick one or two, and say how you'll measure them.
- Who is it for? Describe your two or three most important visitors and what they need to find.
- What isn't working today? Be specific: "people can't find pricing" is more useful than "it looks dated".
- Which pages do you think you need? A rough list is fine. We'll refine it together.
- What does it connect to? CRM, booking system, shop, newsletter, analytics. Integrations change estimates more than anything else.
- Who writes the content? If nobody has time, say so. Content is the most common reason launches slip.
- What's your budget and deadline? A range is enough. Without one, an agency can only guess what you expect.
What to leave out
Long lists of features "for later", detailed design instructions and competitor sites you'd like to copy. Share sites you admire, and say what you like about each one, but leave the design to the people you're hiring.
Short on time? Our project form asks these questions for you. Most people finish it in under five minutes.