When you contact a developer or agency, the first question is usually “What do you need?” A short brief answers it before the first call. It gets you more accurate quotes, makes proposals easier to compare, and saves weeks of back-and-forth later. It doesn’t need to be long or technical; one or two pages is plenty.
1. About your business
What you sell or do, who your customers are, and where you work or ship. Two or three sentences is enough.
2. The goal of the website
Be specific about what success looks like:
- “Take online orders with cash on delivery and card payments.”
- “Get more enquiries for our catering service from offices in Lahore.”
- “Replace our slow old site and make updates without a developer.”
If you have one main goal, say so. It shapes every other decision.
3. Your audience
Who visits, what they’re looking for, and what makes them choose you. Mention languages and whether most people will be on phones.
4. Pages and content
List the pages you think you need (home, products or services, about, contact, blog…) and who will write the text and provide photos. Content is the most common cause of delays, so be honest about what’s ready.
5. Features
Note anything beyond basic pages: online store, booking, payment gateways, courier integration, WhatsApp, multiple languages, member areas, integrations with tools you already use. Mark each one as “must have” or “nice to have”.
6. Examples you like (and don’t)
Share two or three websites you like and say what you like about them: the layout, the feel, how easy they are to use. Examples you dislike are just as useful.
7. Branding
Logo, colours, fonts and any brand guidelines. If you don’t have these yet, say so; it may need to be part of the project.
8. Technical details
Do you have a domain and hosting? An existing site whose content or search rankings need to be kept? Any platform preference (WordPress, Shopify) and why?
9. Budget and timeline
A budget range helps a developer suggest what’s realistic instead of guessing. Mention any fixed deadline, such as a launch or a campaign.
10. After launch
Who will update the site? Do you want ongoing support, maintenance, or help with marketing? Planning for this early avoids surprises.
Copy-paste template
Business: what we do, for whom, where.
Main goal: the one result the site must deliver.
Audience: who they are, devices, languages.
Pages: list, plus who provides text and photos.
Features: must-have / nice-to-have.
Examples: sites we like and why; sites we don’t.
Branding: what exists, what’s needed.
Technical: domain, hosting, current site, platform preference.
Budget range and deadline:
After launch: who updates it, support needed.
Tips
- Write in plain language; there’s no need for technical terms.
- Put the main goal at the top.
- Send the same brief to everyone you’re comparing, so quotes are comparable.
- Expect questions back; a good developer will ask them.
You can also skip the document and simply describe your project in your own words. I’ll ask the right questions and send back a clear summary of what I’d build.