A PRACTICAL STARTING POINT
A useful website brief does not have to be technical. These eight steps help small businesses and online stores prepare the information needed for a realistic design proposal.
Jump to the checklist ↓Write down the action you want a visitor to take: request a quote, book a conversation, explore a service, or buy a product. Keep the main action clear. Secondary actions can support it, but should not make the homepage harder to understand.
Explain who the website is for and what they are trying to find out. A service business may need to explain its process and suitability. A product brand may need materials, dimensions, delivery information, and product choices. Use the language customers use.
Start with Home, About, your key Services or Collections, and Contact. Add a page only when it answers a distinct question or supports a useful task. A small site with clear, complete content is a better starting point than many near-identical pages.
Collect your approved name, logo, colour references, copy, and images. For each image, note what it shows and whether you have permission to publish it. Add authentic case studies or customer feedback only where you can substantiate the claims and use them appropriately.
A product spreadsheet can list titles, descriptions, prices, variants, stock, sizes, images, and collection names. Identify delivery regions and the policy information customers need before buying. Payment and tax configuration should be confirmed for your own business account.
Write down what is required for launch and what can wait. Note a target date, content deadlines, who approves the work, and which subscriptions are separate. Agree the revision process and ownership before the build starts. Do not share account passwords through an enquiry form.
Choose a specific topic for each service page. Write clear, unique titles and short descriptions, use understandable links, and include a sitemap. Check that production pages allow indexing. A domain and Search Console setup can follow once your account and business details are ready.
Ask which content you can edit, where enquiries arrive, how updates are deployed, and what support is included. Confirm where the domain, hosting, subscriptions, and original files live. Keep an accessible record of those responsibilities for your business.
MAKE THE FIRST CONVERSATION USEFUL
Use the simple text checklist to gather the essentials, then share a short summary in the enquiry form.
YOUR NEXT STEP
Share your business, goals, and current website if you have one. I'll use your brief to discuss a realistic scope and quote.
