Creating a clear and effective website brief is crucial for ensuring a smooth and successful web development process. Regardless of whether you're building a new site from scratch, have inspiration for a portal tool or redesigning an existing site, a well-constructed brief can make all the difference.
Here are five essential tips from us for crafting a great website brief:
- Clearly Define the Purpose and Goals
A successful website begins with a clear understanding of its purpose and goals. In your brief, articulate why you need the website and how you want to utilise it.
Specify your primary objectives, such as:
- Brand awareness: Enhance the visibility of your brand.
- Integration: Integrating all your tools and APIs into one system.
- E-commerce: Sell products or services online.
- Informational: Provide valuable content to visitors.
By defining these goals, you help designers and developers understand the direction and focus of the project and give context of what the project means to you.
- Prioritise
Understanding what your must haves’ are in the near term and what is desirable but are not as urgent is super helpful as it can allow us to create a quote and timeline that fits your business needs.
We have many projects at Boxharry where we start by creating a good quality foundation and then build upon this in an agile way.
The more detailed and specific you can be about your essential requirements, the better the design team can create a site that resonates with your stakeholders and meets your needs.
- Provide Examples and Inspiration
Offering examples of websites you like (and don’t like) can be incredibly helpful. Include URLs of websites that inspire you, noting specific elements you find appealing, such as:
- Design aesthetics: Colour schemes, typography, imagery.
- User experience: How the site flows, ease of navigation.
- Functionalities: Special features, interactivity, animations.
Explaining what you like about these examples can guide the design team and give them a clearer idea of your vision, helping to avoid misunderstandings and aligning expectations.
- Set Clear Timelines and Budget
Finally, your website brief should outline the project's timeline and budget constraints. Include:
- Project milestones: Key dates for deliverables, reviews, and approvals.
- Launch date: The expected go-live date.
- Budget: A clear understanding of your financial limits and where you’re willing to invest more if necessary.
Being transparent about your timeline and budget helps the project team manage resources efficiently and avoid scope creep, ensuring the project stays on track and within budget.
Conclusion
When creating an RFP or tender website brief it’s important to cover all these points. It is a cornerstone of a successful web development project. A proactive and pragmatic approach not only streamlines the design process and builds a strong and transparent partnership with us but also significantly enhances the chances of achieving a website that meets your needs and even exceed your expectations.