Website brief checklist before hiring a developer

Most website projects that go wrong were badly briefed, not badly built. A developer can only work from what you give them, and "just make me something modern" is not enough to go on. The more clearly you explain your business up front, the closer the first version lands and the less money you waste on rounds of changes. So before you approach anyone, it is worth pulling a few things together.

Be clear on why you are building it

Start with the goal, because it changes everything else. Are you trying to get more phone calls, take bookings, sell products online, or just have somewhere to send people who Google you? A site built to generate quote enquiries looks different from one built to take online orders. If you do not know what success looks like, neither will the person building it.

Gather the business basics

This is the part owners underestimate. A developer cannot invent your business for you, and a logo alone is not a brief. Pull together:

• What you sell or do, in plain words.
• The areas you serve.
• Your contact details, hours and any WhatsApp number.
• Real photos of your work, premises or team.
• Your logo and brand colours, if you have them.
• Any login or domain access you already own.

The businesses that hand this over get a good first draft quickly. The ones that send a logo and a vague idea spend weeks going back and forth filling in the gaps.

Decide what pages you actually need

You do not need to design it, but you should know roughly what the site must contain. A home page, an about, a few service pages, a contact page, maybe a gallery or a booking page. Listing the pages helps the developer scope the work honestly and helps you spot anything missing before it becomes an expensive afterthought.

Sort out proof and content

A site is only as convincing as what goes on it, and content is usually the thing that holds a project up. Do you have reviews you can use? Photos of finished work? Text describing your services, or does that need writing? Being honest about what you have and what still needs writing avoids the classic stall where the build is done but the site sits empty waiting for words.

Know your budget and rough timeline

You do not have to name an exact figure, but a range helps enormously. It is the difference between being pointed at a simple starter site and a full booking or online-store build. A realistic budget lets a developer tell you honestly what is possible, instead of guessing and then surprising you. The same goes for timing: if you need it live before a busy season, say so early.

Say who decides and how it gets updated

Two practical things people forget. First, who signs off. One decision-maker keeps a project moving, five opinions stall it. Second, how the site gets updated later. If you want to change prices or add photos yourself, say so up front, because it affects how the whole thing is built.

A quick self-check before you send it

Before you approach a developer, ask whether your brief answers:

• What is the site for, and what would make it a success?
• What does the business do, and where?
• What pages and features do I need?
• What content and proof do I already have?
• What is my rough budget and deadline?

Get a brief like this together and you will get better quotes, better work, and far fewer expensive misunderstandings. If you already have a site that just needs sorting rather than rebuilding, a fix and upgrade is often the quicker route. And if you would rather talk it through than write it all down, get in touch and we can work out the details together.