{"id":504,"date":"2026-10-19T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-19T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-project.com\/?p=504"},"modified":"2026-10-18T22:53:36","modified_gmt":"2026-10-18T19:53:36","slug":"a-website-brief-a-10-point-checklist-to-avoid-overpaying-and-reworking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp-project.com\/en\/blog\/a-website-brief-a-10-point-checklist-to-avoid-overpaying-and-reworking\/","title":{"rendered":"A website brief: a 10-point checklist to avoid overpaying and reworking"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The most expensive words in website development sound like this: \u201cCan we also add this?\u201d. They appear in the third week, when the design is already approved and a new idea seems minor. Almost always it would have been free if it had been said on the first day. That is exactly what a brief is for.<\/p>\n\n

In short:<\/strong> a brief is written answers to 10 questions: why you need a site, who it is for, what it should contain, what already exists and what is missing, and the deadline and budget. Based on such a brief the developer gives an exact price and does not guess \u201cfrom context\u201d. It takes 15\u201330 minutes to fill in, while a mistake in it costs weeks of rework.<\/p>\n\n

How a brief differs from \u201cmake it look nice\u201d<\/h2>\n\n

A brief is not a 40-page technical specification. It is a conversation on paper: you describe the task in plain language, and the developer turns it into an estimate and a plan. The difference between a weak and a strong brief lies in specifics:<\/p>\n\n

Weak<\/th>Strong<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
We need a website for the company<\/td>We need a dental clinic website so patients can book online: currently 8 out of 10 appointments come by phone, and the administrator cannot keep up<\/td><\/tr>
To look modern<\/td>We like sites X and Y: lots of space, large photos, short texts. We do not like Z: too dark and heavy<\/td><\/tr>
The budget is small<\/td>Up to 15,000 UAH, launch by the end of November, we can add sections later<\/td><\/tr>
We will somehow write the texts<\/td>The texts about services are ready, team photos will be done by the 5th, we are collecting reviews<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n
\"A
A good brief fits on one or two pages.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

10-point checklist: what to prepare<\/h2>\n\n

It is not a problem if you do not have answers to some questions yet. \u201cI don\u2019t know\u201d is also an answer, and one you can work with. It is worse when an item is skipped silently.<\/p>\n\n

  1. The goal of the site.<\/strong> What should happen when a person arrives? Leave a request, buy, book, call, simply believe you are real? Choose one main action.<\/li>
  2. Who it is for.<\/strong> Who your client is, what problem brings them, and what they have already tried? The more precise the portrait, the less \u201cfor everyone\u201d in the text and design.<\/li>
  3. What makes you better.<\/strong> Three facts that can be verified: experience, timelines, guarantee, price, a unique technology. Without words like \u201chigh quality\u201d and \u201cprofessional\u201d.<\/li>
  4. Examples.<\/strong> Two or three sites you like and what exactly you like about them. One or two you definitely do not like. This saves a week and a half of clarifications.<\/li>
  5. Structure.<\/strong> Which pages are needed: home, services, about, case studies, blog, contacts? If you do not know, outline the blocks and we will help you draw up the site map.<\/li>
  6. Content.<\/strong> What already exists: texts, photos, videos, reviews, price list? What is missing? Missing content is most often what delays the launch, not development.<\/li>
  7. Brand identity.<\/strong> Logo, colours, fonts, guidelines. If there is nothing, say so directly: the style can be created together with the design.<\/li>
  8. Features.<\/strong> Request forms, online payments, several languages, calculator, catalogue filters, CRM integration, product import. Each feature has a price, so it is better to know about them in advance.<\/li>
  9. Technical.<\/strong> Do you have a domain and hosting, does a current site exist, who has access? When rebuilding an old site, it is important to know what should be kept.<\/li>
  10. Deadlines, budget and the decision-maker.<\/strong> The deadline and its reason (promotion, exhibition, season), the budget range and the person who gives final approval. Three \u201cbosses\u201d in one project is a straight road to endless revisions.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n

    What happens when the brief is \u201cquick and dirty\u201d<\/h2>\n\n

    Imagine a typical situation. A caf\u00e9 owner orders a website and writes: \u201cI want a site, a menu, contacts\u201d. In the second week it turns out he also needs online booking, a page for corporate orders and an English version for tourists. Each item is additional scope, not a \u201cminor detail\u201d. The price goes up and the deadlines shift. This is not malice, just the result of nobody discussing the requirements before the start.<\/p>\n\n

    The second classic scenario is missing texts. The design is ready, development is finished, but the site shows \u201cLorem ipsum\u201d because the texts are still not written. The launch is delayed by a month, and the cause is not the developer.<\/p>\n\n

    Common mistakes in a brief<\/h2>\n\n