Why a brief gets you a better quote
Knowing how to write a website brief is one of the most valuable skills a business owner can have, and almost nobody does it well. When designers receive a vague request — "I need a website, how much?" — they either pad the quote to cover the unknowns or lowball it and hit you with extras later. A clear brief removes the guesswork, so the price you are quoted is the price you pay.
A brief is not a technical document. It is simply you explaining what you want, who it is for and what success looks like. Spend an hour or two on it and you get sharper quotes, easier comparison between designers, fewer misunderstandings and a finished site that actually does its job. It also forces you to think through decisions that are far cheaper to make on paper than mid-build.
Start with the goal, not the design
Open your brief by stating what the website is for in plain terms. Is it to generate enquiries, take bookings, sell products, build credibility, or reduce time-wasting phone calls? Every later decision flows from this one answer, and designers price very differently depending on it. A site built to capture leads is a different job from one built to sell forty products with stock control.
Be specific about success. "More customers" is vague; "I want visitors to phone or fill in a quote form, and I currently get about five enquiries a week" tells a designer exactly what to optimise for. If you have a target — a number of bookings, a sales figure, ranking for a particular search term — write it down. It shapes the whole project.
Describe your business and your customers
Give a short paragraph on what you do, where you operate and what makes you different from competitors. Then describe your typical customer: their age range, whether they are local or national, what worry or need brings them to you, and whether they will mostly visit on a phone. A dental patient nervously comparing clinics needs a very different tone from a procurement manager booking a courier.
This context is what separates a generic template from a site that converts. Designers who understand your customer can write better calls to action, choose the right imagery and structure pages around real decisions. If you serve several distinct audiences, list them in priority order so the build focuses on the ones that matter most.
List the pages and features you need
This is the single biggest driver of price, so be as concrete as you can. List the pages you expect, then note any functionality each one needs. The difference between a five-page brochure site and one with online booking, payments, a member login or a multi-language version can be thousands of pounds, and designers cannot price what they cannot see.
- check_circlePages: home, about, services (one each or one combined?), pricing, blog, contact
- check_circleFeatures: contact or quote form, online booking, payments, live chat, newsletter signup
- check_circleIntegrations: a CRM, accounting software, a booking calendar, WhatsApp
- check_circleContent: who writes the words and supplies photos — you or the designer?
- check_circleLanguages and locations: any need for multiple regions or languages
Show examples of what you like and dislike
Words struggle to describe design, so use examples. List three or four websites you admire — they can be competitors or businesses in other industries — and say in one line what you like about each: the clean layout, the bold colours, the way the booking works. Just as usefully, name a couple you dislike and why.
This does more than convey taste. It reveals expectations about quality and complexity that affect price, and it prevents the painful situation where a designer delivers exactly what you asked for but not what you pictured. If you have brand colours, a logo or fonts already, mention whether they are fixed or open to a refresh.
Be honest about budget and timeline
Many owners hide their budget thinking it gets them a lower price. It usually does the opposite — it forces the designer to guess, and guesses come with padding. Sharing a realistic range, even a wide one, lets a good designer tell you honestly what is achievable within it and where to spend or save. It also filters out anyone who is the wrong fit before you waste each other's time.
State your timeline and any hard deadline, such as a product launch, a trade show or a seasonal peak. Tight deadlines can raise the price because they squeeze the schedule, so flag them early. If the date is flexible, say so — that flexibility can sometimes be traded for a better rate.
Cover the practical details people forget
A few unglamorous items cause most of the friction later, so put them in the brief. Note who owns your domain and hosting, or whether you need help setting them up. Say whether you will need ongoing maintenance, updates or SEO after launch, because that changes whether a designer quotes a one-off build or a longer relationship.
Finally, name who will sign things off and how quickly they can respond. Projects stall most often not because of the designer but because feedback takes three weeks to arrive. Agreeing that you will review drafts within a few days keeps the build — and the price — on track.
- check_circleDomain and hosting: who owns them, or do you need them set up?
- check_circleAfter launch: do you want maintenance, hosting or SEO ongoing?
- check_circleDecision-maker: who approves the work and how fast can they reply?
- check_circleExisting assets: logo, photos, copy, brand guidelines you can supply
Keep it short, send it to several designers
Your finished brief might be a single page or two — it does not need to be long, just clear. Send the same document to two or three designers and you will get comparable quotes, which makes choosing far easier and exposes anyone whose price is wildly out of step. Identical information in means you are comparing like with like, not one detailed proposal against one back-of-an-envelope guess.
Treat the brief as a living document. The designer you choose may suggest changes, drop features that are not worth the cost, or add ideas you had not considered. That conversation is exactly what a good brief is meant to start — and it is far cheaper to have it before a single page is built.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a website brief be?expand_more
One to two pages is plenty for most small businesses. The goal is clarity, not length. Cover your goal, your customers, the pages and features you need, a few example sites, your budget range and your timeline. If you can answer those clearly, a designer has almost everything needed to give an accurate quote without endless back-and-forth.
Should I really tell the designer my budget?expand_more
Yes. Hiding your budget forces designers to guess and pad their quotes to be safe. Sharing even a wide range lets an honest designer tell you what is realistic, suggest where to spend or save, and avoid quoting for things you cannot afford. It speeds everything up and usually gets you better value, not a higher price.
What if I don't know exactly what I want?expand_more
That is fine and very common. Focus on what you do know: the goal of the site, who your customers are, and a few websites you like or dislike. A good designer fills the technical gaps and advises on the rest. The brief is a starting point for a conversation, not a finished specification you have to get perfect.
Can I reuse the same brief for several designers?expand_more
Absolutely, and you should. Sending the identical brief to two or three designers gives you comparable quotes built on the same information, which makes it easy to spot who is overpriced or who has misunderstood the job. It is the simplest way to compare fairly without writing the whole thing out again each time.