A website brief: what to prepare before ordering a site

"We need a website, how much would it cost?" — a client who comes with only this question cannot be given an accurate price. The reason is simple: "website" can mean anything from a one-page business card to a store with a thousand products. A brief removes this uncertainty: you clearly write what you want, and the contractor can say exactly what they will do and what it will cost.

A good brief does not need to be long. A simple 2–3 page document is enough. Fill in the sections below.

1. The business and the website's goal

In one or two sentences: what you do and why you need the site. Make the goal measurable:

"get 30 enquiries a month from the website";
"accept online orders from the catalogue";
"a corporate website to present the company in tenders".

The goal determines all later decisions about design, structure and features.

2. Audience

Who will visit the website? Individuals or companies? What age, which city, which language? Do they browse on a phone or a computer? What are they looking for when they open the site — prices, examples, contacts? These answers determine the languages, the tone of the texts and what goes on the first screen.

3. List of pages

Write the site structure as a simple list:

Home;
Services (a separate page for each main service);
About us;
Projects or examples;
Blog;
Contact.

Next to each page, add a short note: what should be on it. The number of pages directly affects the price, so mark the "we will add later" pages separately.

4. Features

What should the website do? Be specific:

contact form — which fields, and where should the enquiry go (email, CRM);
WhatsApp and Telegram buttons, a map;
product catalogue — approximate number of products, filters, ordering method;
languages — which ones, and will every page be translated;
integrations — online payment, CRM, accounting software, a bot.

Split each feature into "must have" and "later". This keeps the price and timeline of the first phase realistic.

5. Design preferences

Design is hard to describe in words, so show examples:

3 websites you like and what you like about each;
1–2 websites you do not like — this is very useful too;
logo, brand colours and fonts (if any);
the overall mood: serious, warm, minimalist, bright.

6. Content

Who prepares the texts and images? If they are ready, in what format? If not, this should be planned as separate work. Experience shows that content is exactly where projects get delayed most — the design is ready, but the texts do not arrive for weeks.

7. Technical questions

do you have a domain, or do you need a new one? In whose name is it registered?
is there a current website? What should be kept from the old pages?
do you need business email?
who will edit the site — you or the contractor?

8. Timeline and budget

Write when the website needs to be ready and your approximate budget. Hiding the budget wastes time: the contractor can propose the best solution within it. Also compare one-off payment and monthly subscription options — the 2-year total cost often shows a different picture from the upfront price.

9. Success criteria

Three months after launch, how will you measure success? Visitor numbers are a good indicator, but for a business enquiries and orders matter more. When forms are connected to a CRM, this number is visible automatically.

A short template

If you are in a hurry, answer at least these questions: who we are, what the site is for, who will visit it, which pages, which features, which languages, websites we like, who prepares the content, by when and with what budget.

Common brief mistakes

"Make it modern and beautiful" — that is not a requirement; show a concrete example.
Wanting everything at once — as the first phase grows, the timeline and price grow, and the site launches late.
No single decision-maker — when five people approve the mock-up, revisions never end; appoint one responsible person.
Forgetting the enquiry path — where the form sends enquiries is as important as the design.

At SBT Web the brief starts with a short questionnaire: your field of business, colours and websites you like. We clarify the rest together, and the first mock-up is usually ready within 7 days. To see which plan suits you, see the SBT Web plans.