Quick answer
A useful website brief describes the job the site must do, not just how it should look. A five-page company site, a member portal and a marketplace have very different costs and delivery plans. Start with the audience, the action you want visitors to take, and the problems with your current site.
Practical scope
List the pages and languages you need. For each function, describe the user action: for example, a visitor sends an enquiry, staff receive an email and the lead enters the CRM. State who will supply text, photos and translations. Share examples of sites you like, but explain which features matter. Include any existing domain, hosting, analytics, payment service and CRM that the developer must work with.
Finally, give a target launch window and a realistic budget range. Ask each developer to separate discovery, design, development, content entry, testing, hosting and ongoing support. That makes proposals easier to compare and exposes assumptions before work begins.
What to define before requesting proposals
- Business goal and the primary action visitors should take
- Required pages, languages and content owner
- User-facing functions and the staff process behind each one
- Existing domain, hosting, analytics and systems to retain
Questions to ask service providers
- Which assumptions are excluded from the quote?
- Who will write, migrate and approve content?
- What will be delivered at design, testing and launch?
How to assess the answers
Compare every proposal against one page-and-feature list. Separate essential launch requirements from later improvements so a lower price cannot hide a smaller scope.
A brief vendors can estimate
Use a requirements sheet with five columns: user, action, information needed, result and acceptance check. For example, a fictional appointment service could specify that a customer chooses a slot, staff see the booking and a cancellation releases the slot. Separately list payment collection, reminders and any calendar connection; these are different pieces of work.
Questions to settle before requesting proposals
- Who can edit pages, prices and availability without developer help?
- Which existing system controls each record, and what happens if a transfer fails?
- What is included after launch: defect fixes, content changes, hosting or new features?
- Which functions are essential for launch, and which can wait?
Can a reference website replace a brief?
No. A reference helps explain a design or interaction, but does not define permissions, staff work, integrations or exceptions. Ask vendors to write down their assumptions against your requirements sheet.
Website requirements sheet
Copy these items into your brief, adapt the requirements and assign an owner and status. Examples illustrate planning decisions, not customer case studies. Fill cost fields with HKD quotations you obtain and state the billing period.
| Decision / item | Information to provide | Acceptance / comparison check |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor enquiry | Audience, required fields, language and receiving team | One enquiry is recorded once and reaches the named owner |
| Fictional booking example | Customer selects a slot; staff can view and cancel it | A cancellation releases the slot; payment is specified separately |
| Content editing | Pages, prices and images staff must change | Staff update a sample page without developer assistance |
Download the editable worksheet (CSV)