A website project can lose time and money before a designer has opened a design file. The usual reason is not poor design. It is an unclear brief. Knowing how to brief a web designer gives your business a stronger starting point, helps you compare quotes fairly and makes it far more likely that the finished site will bring the right enquiries.
Your designer does not need you to speak in technical terms. They do need a clear picture of your business, customers and priorities. A good brief turns what may feel like a broad request – “we need a better website” – into practical decisions about pages, content, functionality and outcomes.
Start with the business result you need
Before thinking about colours, fonts or competitor websites, decide what the website must achieve for your business. A trades business may need more local quote requests. A restaurant may want more table bookings. A consultant may need to establish credibility before a prospect gets in touch. An online retailer may be focused on increasing sales and average order value.
Be specific where you can. “Get more leads” is a useful starting point, but “generate enquiries for kitchen fitting projects in Brighton and Hove” gives your designer something concrete to design around. It influences the structure of the homepage, the calls to action, the service pages and the local SEO approach.
You should also explain how you will judge success after launch. This might be a rise in phone calls, quote form submissions, bookings, online sales or newsletter sign-ups. Not every result will happen overnight, particularly where SEO is involved, but agreed measures help keep the project commercially focused.
Explain who the website needs to persuade
Your website is not for everyone. Tell your designer who your best customers are, where they are based, what they are trying to solve and why they choose you over alternatives.
For example, a local accountant may serve owners of growing small businesses who value straightforward advice and quick responses. A wedding venue may need to appeal to couples looking for a particular style, budget and location. These audiences will respond to very different content, imagery and website journeys.
Share the questions customers ask before they buy. Mention their common concerns too. Price, reliability, turnaround times, guarantees, qualifications and availability are often deciding factors. A capable designer can use this information to make the right answers easy to find rather than burying them in a generic About page.
It also helps to identify your secondary audience. A care provider, for instance, may need to reassure both the person receiving care and the family member arranging it. The website needs to work for both without becoming confusing.
Give a clear picture of your offer
Do not assume your services are self-explanatory because you work with them every day. Describe what you sell in plain English, which services or products matter most and how the buying process works.
Include typical project values or price ranges if you are comfortable doing so. This does not mean every price must appear on the site. It helps your designer understand whether the site should attract high-volume, lower-value transactions or fewer, more considered enquiries. The user journey for a £30 product is different from the journey for a £15,000 renovation project.
Clarify the action you want visitors to take. They may need to call, request a quote, book an appointment, buy online, visit your premises or download information. A website can offer several actions, but there should usually be one primary action on each key page.
How to brief a web designer on pages and features
A useful brief outlines the main pages you expect, but it should not become a rigid sitemap before you have had expert input. Your designer may recommend a simpler structure that is easier for customers to use and easier for search engines to understand.
Start by listing what you believe the site needs: a homepage, service pages, an About page, contact details, testimonials, case studies, a blog or an online shop. Then explain why each page matters. If a service generates most of your profit, it deserves more than a short paragraph on a general services page.
Next, note any functionality that is essential. This may include:
- An enquiry or quote request form
- Online booking or appointment scheduling
- Ecommerce and secure payment options
- A members’ area or customer login
- Integration with a CRM, mailing list or booking system
- Google reviews, social feeds or location maps
Be honest about what is essential for launch and what would simply be nice to have. Extra functionality can add cost, testing time and future maintenance requirements. A staged approach is often sensible: launch the pages and tools that support your immediate objectives, then add further features once the website is proving its value.
Bring content, brand assets and evidence
Design works best when it has real material to work with. Supply your logo, brand guidelines, existing brochures, product information, photographs and any approved copy you already have. If your branding is inconsistent or dated, say so. Your website project may be the right time to improve it, but that should be planned rather than treated as an afterthought.
Original photography is particularly valuable for local service businesses. Customers want to see your team, completed work, premises or products. Stock photography can help in some cases, but it rarely builds the same trust as genuine images of the people behind the business.
Your brief should also include proof points. These could be qualifications, accreditations, years of experience, awards, client testimonials, guarantees, delivery areas or measurable results. Designers can make these details visible at the moments where a visitor needs reassurance.
Content ownership needs an early conversation. Will you provide final copy, work collaboratively with a copywriter or ask the web team to shape your existing information? Delays often happen because everybody assumes someone else is writing the content. Agree what is needed, who is responsible and when it must be supplied.
Share references without asking for a copy
Examples are helpful, especially if you explain what you like about them. You may like one site’s clear navigation, another’s photography and a third’s booking journey. This gives the designer direction without forcing your business into someone else’s visual identity.
Avoid saying only, “Make it look like this website.” Your business has a different audience, offer and position in the market. Copying a competitor’s layout can also mean copying their weaknesses. A better approach is to describe the feeling you want to create: established, friendly, premium, practical, creative or highly local.
Equally, explain what you do not want. If your customers are not comfortable with overly corporate language, cluttered pages or hard-to-read small text, say so. Clear preferences save unnecessary revision rounds.
Set a realistic budget, deadline and decision process
A budget range is one of the most useful parts of a website brief. It allows a designer to recommend the right scope rather than offering a vague estimate that later grows. A bespoke website can be shaped around your priorities, but the number of pages, content support, integrations and SEO work will all affect the investment.
If budget is limited, ask what will have the greatest impact first. A focused, well-built website with clear service pages and strong calls to action is often more effective than a large site full of thin content.
Give a real deadline and the reason behind it. A new business launch, seasonal campaign, event or lease opening may create a fixed date. If the deadline is flexible, say that too. Rushed decisions can affect quality, particularly when content, photography or third-party systems are involved.
Finally, name the people who will provide feedback and approve the work. Too many uncoordinated opinions can stall a project. It is better to gather internal feedback, agree on a position and send one clear response to the designer. This keeps collaboration constructive and protects the launch schedule.
Ask what happens after the website goes live
Launching a site is a milestone, not the finish line. Ask how updates, security, backups, hosting, performance checks and support will be handled. You should also discuss analytics and conversion tracking so you can see whether the site is generating the results set out in your brief.
SEO deserves the same practical approach. A well-designed website provides a strong base, but visibility depends on page content, local relevance, technical setup and ongoing effort. If search visibility is a priority, raise it at the briefing stage rather than adding it after the pages have been designed.
At BONI Technology, we find the strongest projects begin with an open conversation about business goals, not a hurried list of design preferences. Bring the information you have, be clear about what you do not yet know, and ask your designer to challenge assumptions where needed. A well-briefed website is not simply a better-looking asset. It is a clearer route between the customers you want and the action you need them to take.
