Website Brief Template For Accurate Quotes

By Author: Bharathan
Total Articles: 5
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What to put in a website brief, a template that gets accurate quotes

Vague briefs get vague quotes. A one-page brief with these nine sections lets any developer quote accurately, and makes quotes from different developers comparable.

Key takeaways

•A short, specific brief beats a long wish list.

•State the one action you want visitors to take.

•List must-have features separately from nice-to-haves.

•Share a realistic budget range and deadline, it saves everyone time.

The nine-part website brief

1.About your business
What you sell, to whom, and where, in three sentences.

2.The goal of the site
The one action you want visitors to take: call, book, enquire, buy.

3.Your customers
Who they are and what they search for when they need you.

4.Pages you need
A simple list: Home, About, each service, Contact, Blog.

5.Must-have features
Booking, WhatsApp chat, payments, Arabic version, forms.

6.Nice-to-haves
Things you’d add if budget allows, kept separate.

7.Content
Who writes the text ...
... and supplies photos: you or the developer?

8.Sites you like
Two or three links, with what you like about each.

9.Budget range and deadline
A realistic range and any fixed launch date.

Common brief mistakes

•“Something modern and professional”, every business wants that; say what makes yours different.

•Mixing must-haves and wish-list items, which inflates every quote.

•Leaving out who will write content, often the biggest hidden cost and delay.

•Hiding the budget, which forces developers to guess.

Using the brief to compare quotes

Send the same brief to each developer and ask them to price each section. Differences become obvious: one includes copywriting, another doesn’t; one includes SEO setup, another charges it later.

Frequently asked questions

What should a website brief include?

Your business, the site’s main goal, your customers, the pages and must-have features you need, who supplies content, sites you like, and your budget range and deadline.

How long should a website brief be?

One or two pages is enough. Specific beats long.

Should I share my budget with a web developer?

Yes. A realistic range lets the developer propose what fits, rather than guessing high or low.

Why are website quotes so different?

Usually because each developer assumed a different scope, especially around content, SEO and features. A clear brief makes quotes comparable.