One of the biggest reasons web design projects go over budget, miss deadlines, or deliver the wrong result is a vague or missing brief. A good website brief takes 30 minutes to write and saves weeks of revisions. This guide walks you through exactly what to include — with a free template at the end.
What Is a Website Brief?
A website brief is a document you give to a web designer or agency before they start work. It explains your business, your goals, your audience, your preferences, and the scope of what you need built. Think of it as the blueprint for your website — the clearer it is, the better the result.
What to Include in Your Website Brief
1. About Your Business
Your business name, what you do, who you serve, where you operate, and what makes you different from competitors. Don’t assume the designer knows your industry.
2. Project Goals
What do you want the website to achieve? More enquiries? Online bookings? E-commerce sales? Brand awareness? Define the primary goal and secondary goals separately. “I want a website” is not a goal. “I want to generate 10 enquiries per week from local customers” is.
3. Target Audience
Who is your ideal customer? Age range, location, income level, problems they have that you solve. A website for a luxury wedding venue speaks very differently to one for a budget car mechanic. The design, tone, and content all change based on who you’re speaking to.
4. Pages Required
List every page you need: Home, About, Services (list each service), Blog, Contact, and any specific pages like Testimonials, Portfolio, FAQs, or a Booking system. The more specific you are, the more accurate your quote will be.
5. Design Preferences
Share 2–3 websites you like and explain why you like them — the layout, the colours, the photography style. Share 1–2 websites you dislike and why. If you have a logo and brand colours already, share those files. If not, say so — some designers offer branding as part of their package.
6. Content Responsibility
Who is writing the copy? You or the designer? Who is providing photos — real ones or stock? This is one of the most common project delays: designers wait for content that never arrives. Be upfront about what you will provide and by when.
7. Technical Requirements
Do you need a booking system, payment gateway, membership area, multi-language support, or integration with a CRM? Do you have existing hosting or do you need hosting recommended? What platform do you want built on (WordPress, Shopify, etc.)?
8. Budget and Timeline
Share your budget range even if it’s approximate. Designers can’t give you a realistic proposal without knowing what they’re working with. Include your ideal launch date and any hard deadlines (product launches, events, seasons).
Free Website Brief Template
Copy and fill in the following:
WEBSITE BRIEF 1. Business Overview - Business name: - What you do: - Location / markets served: - What makes you different: 2. Project Goals - Primary goal: - Secondary goals: 3. Target Audience - Who they are: - Their main problem you solve: 4. Pages Needed (List each page) 5. Design Preferences - Websites I like + why: - Websites I dislike + why: - Existing brand assets (logo, colours, fonts): 6. Content - Who writes the copy: - Who provides photos: - Deadline for content submission: 7. Technical Requirements - Platform preference: - Special features needed: - Existing hosting: 8. Budget & Timeline - Budget range: - Ideal launch date: - Hard deadlines:
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to start your website project the right way? iDesignYour.site offers a straightforward, no-jargon process with PostPay — you pay after you’re happy. Get in touch to share your brief.