Your web designer can only build what you tell them. If your brief is vague, the finished site will probably be too. Here's what to include in your website brief to avoid the delays, surprises, and disappointments that trip up so many website projects.
What Is a Website Brief and Why Does It Matter?
A website brief is a document you give your web designer before any work begins. It explains what your business does, what you need the site to achieve, who it's for, and what you expect from the project.
Think of it as the foundation. A clear brief means your designer can hit the ground running, quote accurately, and avoid the back-and-forth that stretches timelines. According to SoftwareReviews research, 80% of website redesigns fall short of their potential. Not because of poor design, but because the business and the designer were never properly aligned.
A good brief changes that before the project starts.
Tell Your Designer About Your Business
Start with the basics. Your designer needs to understand what your company does, who your customers are, and what sets you apart from your competitors.
Cover these points:
- What your business does and what you sell or offer
- Who your customers are: businesses, consumers, or both
- What makes you different from your competitors
- The tone of voice you use: formal, conversational, technical, friendly?
Don't assume your designer will pick this up from your current website. If it's outdated or unclear, give them something better to work from. A short paragraph is often enough.
Your Website Goals
What do you actually want the website to do?
This sounds obvious, but plenty of business owners don't think about it clearly enough upfront. 'Look professional' isn't a goal. Getting more enquiries, reducing calls to your office, selling products online, or attracting job applicants, those are actual goals.
Be specific. Tell your designer what success looks like. If you want more enquiry form completions, say that. If the main purpose is generating leads for a sales team, your designer needs to know before they decide where to place every call to action on every page.
Your Target Audience
Most briefs list demographics. Age, location, sector. That's a start, but it's not enough.
Think about what problem brings your customers to your website in the first place. What are they looking for when they arrive? How do they prefer to get in touch? Are they comparing several providers, or are they already close to a decision?
If you're targeting other businesses, your audience behaves very differently than if you're selling directly to consumers. A web designer who understands the psychology behind your visitors will make far better decisions about layout, content, and calls to action.
Design and Branding Requirements
If you have an existing brand, share those files. Your designer shouldn't be guessing what shade of blue your company uses or which font appears on your business cards.
No brand guidelines yet? Not a problem. Point to a few websites you like and explain what appeals to you. Is it the clean layout? The colour palette? The photography style? This gives your designer a direction without boxing them in.
Also note what you don't want. If you dislike busy layouts or bold colours, say so. It saves revision time on both sides.
Functionality: What Does Your Website Need to Do?
Here's where many briefs fall short. Business owners often list the pages they want but don't mention the features those pages need.
Work through these questions before writing your brief:
- Do you need a contact form, enquiry form, or call-booking tool?
- Does the site need any kind of user login or protected content?
- Are you selling products online? If so, how many, and via which payment methods?
- Does the site need to connect with any other systems, such as a CRM, booking platform, or email tool?
- Do you need a blog or news section you'll manage yourself?
The platform matters too. Many UK businesses choose WordPress because it's flexible, widely supported, and straightforward to manage. If you have a preference, mention it. Your web development team can advise if you're unsure which platform fits your needs.
Content: What Are You Providing?
Content delays are one of the most common reasons website projects stall. Almost always it's because no one agreed upfront on who was responsible for what.
Be clear in your brief about the following:
- What text will you write, and what does the agency need to supply?
- Do you have photos, product images, or team photos ready?
- Do you need photography or video as part of the project scope?
- Do you have existing content that needs migrating to the new site?
If you're relying on stock photography, say so. If you need a copywriter recommended, mention it. Getting this agreed before work starts avoids weeks of waiting after the design is complete.
Technical Requirements
You don't need to be technical to answer these questions. But your answers matter, so take the time to think them through.
Cover the following in your brief:
- Do you already have a domain name and hosting?
- Does the new site need to go live before a specific date?
- Are there systems the website needs to connect with?
- Will the site handle sensitive data, such as personal information forms or payment processing?
- Do you operate in a regulated sector, such as financial services or healthcare?
If you're redesigning an existing live site, be clear about what's staying and what's changing. A managed IT support partner can advise on hosting, security, and technical requirements if you're not sure where to start.
Budget and Timeline
You don't need an exact figure, but a budget range helps your designer propose something realistic. Asking for a quote with no context often means getting back a number that surprises you.
Be upfront about your deadline too. If you need the site live before a trade show, campaign launch, or product release, say so from the start. And be honest about your own availability. Website projects often stall when clients take several weeks to review drafts or supply content. If you know there will be busy periods where you won't be responsive, mention it so it can be built into the schedule.
SEO Considerations
A website that no one can find on Google isn't much use.
Tell your designer whether SEO is a priority. If it is, mention whether you're working with an SEO specialist, whether you have target keywords, and whether the site needs to support ongoing content work after launch.
Things like clean URL structures, fast load speeds, mobile responsiveness, and proper heading structure all need to be built in from the start, not added afterwards. Your SEO team should be involved at the brief stage, not brought in after launch.
Website Maintenance After Launch
Many businesses don't think about what happens once the site goes live. Who updates it? Who handles security patches? Who fixes things if something breaks?
If your business isn't set up to manage a website in-house, you'll need a plan. Website maintenance covers software updates, security fixes, backups, and ongoing content changes. It's worth thinking about this at the brief stage so your designer can recommend a platform that's practical for your team to manage day to day.
If you're building on WordPress, regular upkeep matters. WordPress maintenance keeps your site secure and running without the disruption of unexpected issues further down the line.
What Happens If You Skip the Brief?
Skipping the brief doesn't save time. It costs it.
Without a proper brief, your designer has to guess what you want. Guessing leads to revisions. Revisions lead to delays. Delays lead to extra costs. And sometimes the final site is simply the wrong solution for your business.
Research from We Are Tenet shows that 75% of users judge a business's credibility based on its website design. A site built without clear direction is unlikely to make that credibility case for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Business owners ask us these questions regularly before starting a website project. Here are straight answers to the ones that come up most.
How long should a website brief be?
There's no set length. A brief for a simple five-page business website might be two pages. A brief for a complex build with custom features could be ten pages or more. The goal is to cover all the relevant points clearly, without padding. Too short and there are gaps. Too long and it becomes hard for anyone to read.
Do I need to know what CMS I want before writing the brief?
No. You can state a preference if you have one. WordPress is the most widely used platform for UK businesses and is a solid default for most projects. If you're unsure, tell your designer and ask for their recommendation based on how you'll manage the site after launch. A good designer will advise you based on your goals and technical comfort level.
What if I don't have a budget in mind?
Give a range rather than nothing at all. Even saying your budget is between £3,000 and £6,000 gives your designer something to work with. Without any context, it's very hard to propose the right solution. Most reputable web designers will ask for this information early on, and that's a good sign, not a red flag.
Should my IT team be involved in writing the brief?
Yes, if you have one. Your IT team or managed IT provider can advise on hosting, security, data protection requirements, and technical integrations. Getting that input early saves problems down the line. If you don't have an in-house team, an outsourced IT support provider can fill that gap before the project starts.
How do I know if I've found the right web designer?
Ask to see examples of sites they've built for businesses similar to yours. Ask how revisions are handled and what's included in the project cost. Check whether they offer support after launch. A reliable web design provider will answer all of these questions clearly before any contract is signed.
What's the difference between a website brief and a website specification?
A brief is high-level. It explains what you want and why. A specification goes into technical detail, covering exact functionality, integrations, and system requirements. For most small business websites, a brief is enough to get started. For complex builds with custom development, a specification may be needed too. Your designer or developer will advise once they've reviewed your brief.
Get the Right Website for Your Business
A good website starts long before anyone opens a design tool. The time you put into a clear, detailed brief pays off at every stage of the project, with less back and forth, faster delivery, and a website that actually does what your business needs.
If you're planning a new website and want to talk through your requirements, the UK IT Services team is here to help. We build websites for UK businesses that need to look great, load fast, and generate leads. Get in touch today for a free consultation.