A website brief template covers ten points: your business, goals, customers, pages, features, content, design preferences, examples you like, budget and deadline. Filling it in takes about 30 minutes, and sending the same brief to every developer gives you accurate quotes you can compare fairly. Copy the template below.
Key Takeaways
- A brief is one or two pages, not a technical specification.
- Goals and customers matter more than colours and fonts.
- Listing features precisely is what makes quotes comparable.
- Share your budget range; it helps developers suggest the right scope.
- Send the identical brief to every developer you approach.
Why Write a Website Brief?
Without a brief, every developer guesses what you need, and their quotes describe different projects. With a brief, quotes become comparable, timelines become realistic, and the first design is much closer to what you want. A brief is not technical: it describes your business and what the website must do, in your own words.
Website Brief Template: Copy and Fill In
- Business: name, what you sell, where you operate, years in business.
- Goal: what the website must achieve, such as enquiries, bookings, online orders or credibility with overseas buyers.
- Customers: who they are, what they search for, and which device they mostly use.
- Pages: the list of pages you expect, for example Home, About, Services (one per service), Contact.
- Features: WhatsApp button, contact form, booking, online payments, cash on delivery, courier booking, Urdu version, blog.
- Content: who writes the text and who supplies photos, and whether you have a logo.
- Design: brand colours, tone (formal, friendly, premium), anything you dislike.
- Examples: two or three websites you like, and what exactly you like about each.
- Budget: a range, for example Rs 40,000 to Rs 90,000.
- Deadline: launch date and the reason for it, such as a product launch or season.
Copy the ten points into WhatsApp, email or a document and fill in a few lines for each.
Worked Example: A Lahore Dental Clinic
| Point | Example answer |
|---|---|
| Business | Two-dentist clinic in Johar Town, Lahore, open since 2015 |
| Goal | More appointment requests from new patients through Google and WhatsApp |
| Customers | Families and working adults nearby; 80% visit on mobile phones |
| Pages | Home, About the dentists, 6 treatment pages, Prices, Contact |
| Features | WhatsApp button, appointment request form, Google Map, patient reviews |
| Content | We supply photos; we need help writing treatment pages |
| Design | Clean, calm and trustworthy; blue and white; no stock photos of models |
| Examples | Two clinic sites we like for their clear prices and booking button |
| Budget | Rs 60,000 to Rs 100,000 |
| Deadline | Live within six weeks, before our second branch opens |
Common Brief Mistakes
- Describing the look, not the goal. "Modern and attractive" tells a developer less than "more bookings from mobile visitors".
- Leaving out features. Online payments, Urdu pages or courier integration change the price significantly; mention them early.
- Hiding the budget. A range helps developers propose a sensible scope instead of guessing.
- Forgetting content. Content is the most common cause of delays. Say who writes it.
- Sending different briefs to different developers, which makes quotes impossible to compare.
Briefs for Web Applications
For a portal, booking system or marketplace, add three more points: the types of users (customer, staff, admin), the main tasks each user must complete, and any software it must connect to. Writing each task as a short user story, such as "as a patient, I want to book an appointment so that I do not have to call", helps developers estimate accurately. Our web app cost guide explains how scope affects budget.
What to Do After Writing the Brief
Send it to three or four developers along with our 20 questions, then compare the replies using our guide on why website quotes vary. If you would like, send the brief to us on WhatsApp and we will reply with a written scope and fixed price within one business day.
Frequently Asked Questions
How We Researched This Guide
The template reflects the questions we ask on every first call, condensed into ten points. The dental clinic example is illustrative and not a real client. User-story guidance follows the Agile Alliance glossary; the focus on goals and users follows Nielsen Norman Group's usability principles.
Sources
- Agile Alliance — User stories
- Nielsen Norman Group — Usability 101
- GOV.UK Service Manual — Agile delivery
- W3C — Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2
Disclosure: Kamboh Associates sells the web development services discussed here. Other providers' prices are quoted from their own public pages on the dates shown and may have changed. We correct errors as soon as they are reported. First published ; last reviewed .
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