1. Business context and goals
Describe the business, its core offer, the audience and why the project is happening now. State one primary goal and how you will recognise progress. Examples include making product information easier to find, increasing qualified quote requests or reducing the manual work required to update content.
2. Audience and main user journeys
List the visitor groups and what each needs to do. A prospective customer may compare services and request a quote; a returning customer may need support information; an internal team member may need to update a service page. Define the critical path for each important group.
3. Sitemap and content requirements
List the pages, their purpose and any pages that need unique functionality. Identify who provides final copy, images, downloadable files, product data and legal content. Document which existing URLs must be retained and which require redirects if this is a redesign.
4. Functionality and integrations
Specify forms, search, filtering, ecommerce, booking, account access, CMS features, payment systems, CRM integrations, analytics and any external APIs. For each function, describe inputs, outputs, error states and who owns the connected account. Avoid listing technology choices without explaining the business need they serve.
5. SEO, accessibility and performance requirements
Include crawlable navigation, clear headings, page metadata, canonical URLs, a sitemap, useful alt text, responsive breakpoints and a custom 404 page. Agree expectations for keyboard navigation, contrast, form labels, image optimisation, font loading and the handling of large media such as video.
6. Ownership, security and operations
List the domain registrar, hosting, DNS, analytics, Search Console, code repository, content management and backup arrangements. Decide who holds administrator access, where credentials are stored and how updates are reviewed. Define maintenance, security updates and backup responsibilities after launch.
7. Deliverables and acceptance tests
Create measurable acceptance checks for desktop and mobile layouts, navigation, forms, integrations, content, redirects, accessibility basics, performance, analytics events and deployment. Agree the review process, number of revision rounds, delivery milestones and how change requests affect time and cost.
8. Handover and launch readiness
Confirm that the site can be updated by the people responsible for it, the domain and connected accounts remain under business control, and documentation is delivered. Before launch, test the live contact flow, redirects, sitemap, analytics and error pages. After launch, review Search Console and the lead log regularly.
Next step
Use the brief to scope your next build, then discuss requirements through our website development service or contact page.