Website Project Brief: A Simple Template to Get Comparable Quotes
A good brief fits on a few pages. It saves you time and money, and protects you from unpleasant surprises.
Send "we want a modern website" to three agencies and you'll get three quotes you can't compare. A brief doesn't need 40 pages: a few well-structured pages are enough for every provider to price the same project. Here's the template we recommend.
1. About your company
Who you are, what you sell and to whom. A few lines on your business, target customers and main competitors. Add your current site if you have one.
2. Website goals
The most important section. Write concrete goals: get quote requests, sell online, recruit, reassure partners, cut repetitive calls. If you can, say how you'll measure success.
3. Sitemap and pages
- The planned pages (home, services, work, about, blog, contact…).
- Pages with special behaviour (configurator, booking, client area).
- Languages: French only, or also English, Arabic?
4. Features
List what the site must do, separating must-haves from nice-to-haves: CRM-connected form, booking, online payment, WhatsApp button, blog, search, filters. This split lets you launch a first version quickly and add the rest later.
5. Content
Who writes the copy? Who supplies photos? Missing content is the number-one cause of delays in web projects. If you want the agency to write or optimise copy for SEO, say so.
6. Design and references
Share your logo, brand guidelines if you have them, and two or three sites you like (and why). Also say what you definitely don't want.
7. Technical constraints
- Required or open technology (WordPress, Shopify, Next.js…).
- Existing hosting and domain name.
- Tools to connect: CRM, ERP, email marketing, point of sale.
- Who will manage the site day to day, and their technical level.
8. Budget and timeline
Sharing a budget range doesn't weaken your position: it lets the agency propose the best solution within your budget rather than an ideal one out of reach. Add your target launch date and why (trade show, launch, season).
Want help writing it?
On a free discovery call, we build this brief with you, then send a detailed quote. See our website development service or book a call.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a brief for a small website?
It isn't mandatory, but even a one-page brief (goals, pages, features, budget, deadline) makes quotes clearer and easier to compare.
Should I tell the agency my budget?
Yes, a range is enough. It leads to realistic proposals and avoids quotes that are out of reach or undersized.
Who owns the website after delivery?
Put it in the brief: you should own the domain, the content, the delivered code or theme, and the admin access.
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