How to brief a business website project
A useful website brief connects your audience, content and business goals before design begins.
Start with who the website helps, what they need to understand and the action you want them to take. Then list the content, functionality and constraints that support that journey.
Define one primary customer journey
A website can serve several audiences, but a brief needs priorities. Describe the person most likely to visit, the problem they want to solve and the information they need before contacting you. A consultancy might need a clear route from a service page to a qualified enquiry. A product business might need a route from collection to specification to purchase or enquiry.
- Who is the primary visitor?
- What question brings them to the website?
- What should they understand or do next?
Inventory the content before choosing the pages
List the material you already have: brand files, service descriptions, product information, photographs and approved project examples. Identify what needs writing or creating, and assign an owner. Content gaps affect the design and schedule. A concise, accurate service page is more useful than a large set of empty pages.
- Mark content as ready, needs revision or missing.
- Identify who approves copy and imagery.
- Record existing pages that must be retained or redirected.
Separate essential functionality from later ideas
Describe what an integration needs to accomplish, rather than only naming a tool. An enquiry form, customer portal and booking system have different data, permissions and maintenance requirements. Separate launch essentials from ideas that can follow later, so the first release has a clear purpose.
- Describe the inputs and desired output.
- List the tools involved and access available.
- Explain what should happen when a step fails.
Agree the launch and handover checks
A clear brief includes how the work will be reviewed. Test the main journey on mobile, confirm content and links, and check the enquiry destination. Agree who will maintain the website, which access will be handed over and what support is included. Ask for a scope with deliverables and milestones before treating a timeline or price as a commitment.
- Use realistic customer tasks for review.
- Agree responsibilities for launch and ongoing edits.
- Keep scope changes visible throughout the project.
Have a project in mind? Use these questions to shape your brief, then share the basics with us.
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