Website brief: what to prepare before development starts

A good brief explains the business goal and the limits of the project. You do not need to know how to code. What matters is who will use the site and what should happen after they get in touch.

What to say about the business

Describe your services, audience, service area, and main way of selling. Choose one priority action: a call, an enquiry, an appointment, or an order. Add a few questions customers ask before buying. Their real questions make useful page content, unlike generic claims about “quality and personal service.”

What materials to gather

Prepare current contact details, service descriptions, prices, photos, and work examples you have permission to publish. If something is missing, note it in the brief and agree separately who will create it. Do not copy someone else’s text or images. Assign someone to verify each business fact and approve it for publication.

How to describe features

Use specific examples. Instead of “easy admin,” say that a staff member must be able to change a phone number and price without a developer. Instead of “CRM integration,” explain that an enquiry with a name, phone number, and selected service should reach the responsible manager. List the required fields, notifications, and what should happen if something fails. Never put passwords in a shared brief.

How to define a finished result

List the pages, devices to test, review rounds, and handover steps. Set checks you can verify: the form records an enquiry, email delivery is tested, buttons go to the right place, and an editor can update content. Keep future ideas in a separate list so the first release does not expand without end.

Further reading

• What kind of website does a business need? From a simple profile to an online store
• How much does a website cost, and how do you compare quotes?
• Can a website be built in two or five days? What needs to be ready first
• App MVP: how to test an idea before a larger build

Tell AlgaLab what result you need, which materials are ready, and who will manage the site. That gives the first release a clear scope. Contact AlgaLab.