So… What’s a Website Brief?
Think of a website brief like a blueprint for building your dream home—except instead of a kitchen and a bathroom, you’re designing killer landing pages and smooth-as-butter navigation. A good brief lays out all the juicy details: what the site needs to do, who it’s for, and how to keep things from going off the rails. It’s your golden ticket to making sure everyone involved is on the same page (literally and figuratively).
Start With the “Why” – What’s the Big Idea?
What’s this site actually for? Are you selling hand-knit cat sweaters or trying to build a community for taco enthusiasts? Define your purpose, your goals, your audience, and what a “win” looks like when the site is live. This is your website’s mission statement—just with fewer buzzwords.
Scope It Out – What’s Going In the Box?
List the pages you want (Home, About, Services, Cat Sweater Gallery—you get the idea) and what each one needs to do. Do you need a blog? A booking system? A shopping cart that doesn’t make people want to cry? This helps define how big and complex your website will be. Bigger doesn’t always mean better—but it does mean more planning.
Set a Timeline – AKA, No One Wants This to Take a Year
Decide when you’d like your website to go live, and break that into key milestones. When should the first draft be ready? When’s the content due? Setting dates helps avoid the dreaded “endless revisions” trap, although be realistic! It takes time to design and build.
Budget Talks – Let’s Talk Dough
Be honest about how much you want to spend. Websites are kind of like weddings—they can be beautiful on any budget, but costs add up fast. Include design, development, hosting, and any ongoing maintenance. We will try our best to work within your budget if it’s reasonable, of course!
Branding & Content – Your Website’s Wardrobe and Voice
Your site should look and sound like you. Share your brand colors, logo, fonts, tone of voice (fun? formal? cat-lady chic?), and any existing content. This keeps everything on-brand and avoids a Frankenstein-looking website.
Get Technical – But Not Scary-Technical
List any must-have features: do you need e-commerce? Contact forms? A members-only recipe vault for secret family tacos? Note any integrations you need, like Mailchimp, Calendly, or a CRM.
Contact Info – Who’s Running This Show?
Finally, list the key players. Who’s making the decisions? Who’s designing, developing, reviewing, and approving? Having names and emails handy keeps communication flowing and ghosting to a minimum.
Wrap It Up and Breathe
Boom! You now have a website brief that’s clear, complete, and maybe even a little bit fun. Share it with your team, designer, or agency, and watch your website dreams take shape—without the chaos.
Contact us to start your project with us today!
