Business website project brief
A better website starts with a clearer brief
A website project becomes expensive to manage when the important decisions are left vague. Before comparing designs, agree what the site needs to help customers understand and do.
Define the visitor and the action
Who is the website for, and why would they arrive? A service business might want a relevant enquiry; another organisation may need applications or bookings. Name the action and what information the visitor needs before taking it.
List the pages with a purpose
Create a sitemap that groups related information. Give each page a distinct job and identify the route to the next useful page. If two pages say much the same thing, consider whether they belong together.
Agree who supplies the content
Decide who writes and approves copy, supplies images and confirms factual claims. Set out which business details, examples and service information are needed. Content should not become an unnamed task that delays every page.
Specify the practical requirements
List the forms, integrations, CMS needs and accessibility expectations. For a redesign, include an inventory of existing URLs and a redirect plan. Agree how search titles, metadata and internal links will be managed.
Put approval and handover in writing
Identify feedback rounds, decision-makers, milestones and what completion means. Clarify ownership, source files, access, licences, hosting and ongoing maintenance. Keep third-party costs visible.
Keep the brief usable
A short, accurate brief is better than pages of visual preferences without a business goal. Once the essentials are agreed, design and development have a clear basis for decisions.
Ready to move this forward?
Start with the service or project you want to improve. We will explain the next step. —