How to Write a Website Brief That Gets Accurate Quotes

A useful website brief does not need to be long. It needs to answer the questions that affect scope, design direction, development time, and launch planning.

Start with the business goal

Before listing pages or features, explain what the website needs to achieve. Do you need more qualified enquiries, better trust, ecommerce sales, a cleaner service presentation, a resource hub, or a site that your team can edit more easily?

The goal helps shape the structure. A lead-generation site, for example, needs strong calls to action and forms. An ecommerce site needs product flow, payment, shipping, customer communication, and stock thinking.

Include the practical details

• Business name, website URL, and contact details.
• Whether this is a new site or redesign.
• Target customers and the problems they need solved.
• Pages you already know you need.
• Functionality such as forms, ecommerce, bookings, memberships, downloads, or integrations.
• Brand assets, logos, colour references, and fonts if available.
• Content status: ready, needs editing, or still needs to be written.
• Important deadlines and why they matter.
• Budget range, even if approximate.

Be clear about what is not working

If you already have a website, the most useful brief often starts with frustrations. Tell us whether the current site is hard to update, slow, visually outdated, confusing on mobile, not generating enquiries, or missing important services.

Add examples, but explain why

Website examples are helpful when they include comments. Instead of only sending links, note what you like about each one: navigation, typography, product pages, form layout, mobile simplicity, visual tone, or animation. Also include examples you dislike if they help define the boundaries.

Mistakes to avoid

• Only saying “modern website” without explaining the business goal.
• Requesting a quote before listing required functionality.
• Leaving out ecommerce, membership, booking, or integration requirements.
• Assuming content writing, image sourcing, SEO, or hosting is automatically included.
• Not mentioning approval layers or deadline pressures.

FAQ

Can I send a rough brief?

Yes. A rough brief is often enough to begin the conversation, especially if you are willing to answer follow-up questions.

Do I need a sitemap before asking for a quote?

You do not need a final sitemap, but a rough page list helps a lot. If the site structure is unclear, discovery may be needed before a fixed scope is possible.

Should I include my budget?

Yes. A budget range helps match recommendations to what is realistic. It also prevents a proposal from being shaped around the wrong level of work.

Next step

Use the Simply Graphic questionnaire to collect the key information for a quote, then review our services if you are unsure what type of support you need.