A clear website brief makes proposals easier to compare and projects easier to deliver. Before you ask for a new website or a redesign, write down what the site must help customers do, what needs to carry forward from the current site and who will supply and approve the content.
Define the decisions visitors need to make
List your main audiences and the actions each one should be able to complete: understand a service, review relevant work, request a quote, book an appointment or buy a product. Describe current problems in concrete terms. “Visitors cannot find the right service” is far more useful to a web team than “make the website modern.”
Take an inventory of the existing site
- List the important pages and their current addresses.
- Identify useful content, original images and brand assets to keep.
- Record forms, booking tools, payment systems and other integrations.
- Note who controls the domain, hosting and website accounts, without putting passwords in the brief.
- Mark the pages that already bring in search traffic or enquiries, where you have that information.
Not every page needs replacing. Record any proposed address changes separately so their effect on existing links and search visibility can be planned before launch. Our website redesign checklist covers that part in more detail.
Assign content and approval responsibilities
For each planned page, name who supplies the service information, images and supporting details. Flag statements that still need confirming rather than presenting them as facts. Confirm you have permission to use every supplied asset, and name the person who approves design and copy.
Describe functionality with real examples
For a quote form, say who receives it, what information it asks for and what the visitor sees after sending it. For booking, say whether the site links to a tool you already use or needs a new connection. For online sales, outline the product information, shipping and payment steps that need to be planned.
These details separate what the site needs on day one from what can come later, and they make it much easier for each web team to quote the same work.
Agree review and launch checks
Ask to review a few representative pages before the full build. Decide who checks mobile navigation, content accuracy, forms and integrations. Include a plan for backing up the current site, setting up redirects for changed addresses and confirming that tracking works after launch. Name who looks after the site once it is live.
Use the brief to compare proposals
Measure every proposal against the same page list, functionality and content responsibilities. Ask each web team what it assumes, what is excluded and how many review rounds are included. A shorter timeline means little if content preparation or integrations are left out. For a closer look at pricing, read what goes into a website design quote.
Next step
See our Toronto web design services for how we plan, design and build business websites. When your brief is ready, talk to Canada Create™ and bring your current website address.
We design and build fast, accessible websites for Canadian businesses, with SEO built in from day one.
Frequently asked questions
What is a website project brief?
A short document that explains what your website must help visitors do, what carries over from the current site, the features you need and who supplies and approves content.
Why write a brief before asking for website proposals?
A brief means every web team quotes the same scope, so you can compare proposals fairly and avoid surprises once the project starts.
How long should a website brief be?
Two to four pages is usually enough. Clear goals, a page list, required features and named content owners matter more than length.
Should I list every page on my current website?
List the important ones and their addresses, especially pages that bring in traffic or enquiries, so nothing valuable is lost in the rebuild.
Do I need to write the website content before the brief?
No. The brief should say who will supply each piece of content and who approves it. The writing can follow once the structure is agreed.
What features should the brief describe?
Forms, booking, online payments, integrations with tools you already use and anything visitors must be able to do, each with a short real example.
Should I share passwords in the brief?
No. Note who controls the domain, hosting and accounts. Access is shared securely once the project begins.
How do I protect my search rankings during a redesign?
Record your current page addresses and plan redirects for any that change. Your web team should check search settings and tracking at launch.
What should I ask web teams when I compare proposals?
Ask what is included, what is excluded, how many review rounds you get and what they assume you will supply.
Can Canada Create help me write the brief?
Yes. We can review your current site with you and turn your goals into a brief and a written proposal.
