Need to write a website brief? Here is your quick guide to doing just that.
• The web designer or company that will be doing the design work will need to know about your company in order to understand the best way to design your website. Let them know about products you sell, the company size, whether or not you are international and the length of time you’ve been in business. It may also be a good idea to describe your company using 5 – 8 adjectives.
• If you have a pre-existing website, give the URL to your web design team. They’ll need to know what works, what doesn’t, how much traffic the site was pulling in, and how often the website has been responsible for your sales.
• You should also let your designer know what the aims of the new website are, who your target audience will be, and even perhaps give them the websites of a few competitors that you feel are “doing it right.”
• Be sure to discuss budget, and how this will play into the look and feel of the new website. Also consider the technical aspect, such as how you’d like the content to fit on the page of the site, whether or not you own the domain, the type of server you’re on, and whether you’ll need hosting.
• And remember, don’t overlook things like maintain and promotion. These are two of the more important things that somehow always remain forgotten.
• Lastly, you’ll want to conclude your brief that outlines what your expectations are from the designers. In most cases, your design team will offer you a full proposal, detailing how your site will be build, the layout, costs, timelines, and their own company conditions.
These are the solid points you should include in your brief, but don’t hesitate to speak with your design team to nail out all the fine print details as well.