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How to write awebsite briefBONUS: SAMPLE BRIEF INCLUDEDCO PY RI G H T 2020 H EL IO S DESIGNWWW. HE L I O SDESIGN.CO M
Table of contentsJ INTRODUCTIONJ SECTION 1GIVE US AN OVERVIEW OF YOUR ORGANISATIONJ SECTION 2GIVE US AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROBLEMSYOU ARE SOLVINGJ SECTION 3TELL US ABOUT YOUR TARGET AUDIENCEJ SECTION 4OUTLINE THE WEBSITE SCOPE AND FEATURESJ SECT I ON 5O UTLINE THE PROJECT RESPONSIB ILITIESJ SECT I ON 6H OW WILL YOU MEA SURE SUCCES S?J SECTION 7P L E AS E IN C LU D E L EG AL AN DTEC H N IC AL R EQ U IR E M E N TSJ SECTION 8O U TL IN E TH E P ROJ ECT TIM E L IN E , KE YCO N TACTS AN D AG E N C Y R EQ U IR E M E N TSJ BONU S: SA M PL E WE BSITE BR IE FJ SHA R E THIS GU IDEJ A BOU T HE L IOS DE SIGN
IntroductionWhen it’s time to build your website, a detailed websitebrief is your road map to success. This documentoutlines your project goals, requirements andconstraints, allowing a prospective agency to ascertainwhether they are the right fit for the project, and whatthe project timeline and budget will be.In short, a detailed brief: Gives clarity to the project scope Saves time on project discovery Reduces the likelihood of costly assumptionsHow long does it take to write a brief? A brief on a simple “about us” website may take a few days to puttogether. However, a brief on an enterprise-level site or custom online application may take several weeks tocompile, especially if it requires input from multiple stakeholders. The time spent on your brief is time wellinvested because it means you’re focused on your project’s success before it even begins.
S ECTION ON EGive us an overviewof your organisationLet’s dive into the website brief. Where do you start?Many briefs forget to include background informationon the business or organisation. While it is useful toinclude links to any existing offline / online marketingcollateral, a quick overview of your organisation isimmensely helpful at the briefing stage.Start your brief with information like: When was your organisation established? Wheredo you operate? What are the main products orservices you offer? Who are your major competitors? What is the main message that you wish yourwebsite to convey? (If you have an existing contentstrategy, please include your key messaging fromthat strategy here.) Examples are: We are market leaders in [X] We deliver thought leadership in the areas of[X] and [Y] We have an international [X] team of [Y] We are technical experts in [X] We have vast expertise advising clients on all formsof [X] Tell us about your DNA. What are you known for?What is your vision and mission? How do youdifferentiate yourself from your competitors?CO PYR I GH T 2 0 2 0 H E L IO S DES IG N WWW.HELIO S DES IG N.COMPAGE 4
S ECT I O N T WOGive us an overviewof the problems youare solvingNow that we know who you are and what you standfor, it’s time to tell us more about the overarchingbusiness problem you want your website to solve.If you are revamping an existing site, what are yourreasons for doing so? Are you hoping for the website to drive sales? Buildbrand awareness? Generate leads? Is the existing site dated? Does it have issues withtraffic, stickiness or customer retention? Does itneed to be refreshed to reflect an updated brandidentity? What business function will the website supportthrough its existence? What are the major paint points that users havedescribed on the current website?If you are building a new site, we want to know: What are your main likes and dislikes about yourcurrent web presence? Are there existing processes (such as billing,invoicing and content management) that could bestreamlined or improved?Here are examples of high-level business goals for a site: Help raise the firm’sprofile in the areas of [X] Reflect updated brandmessage of [X] Communicate ourexpertise and experiencein [X] Rank alongside ourcompetitors butdifferentiate us in termsof [X] Drive [X] amount of highquality monthly leads Increase the scope ofenquiries from [X] typeof clientCO PYR I GH T 2 0 2 0 H E L IO S DES IG N WWW.HELIO S DES IG N.COM Drive subscriptions Boost online sales ofproducts / services Attract the best recruits Build a community of [X] Build and strengthen ournetwork of [X] Serve as a hub forconnecting [X] to [Y] Consolidate existingcontent channels into [X] Streamline existingprocesses (such as onlinebilling and invoicing) Increase efficiencies inareas of [X]PAGE 5
S ECTION TH RE ETell us about yourtarget audienceTo create a website that addresses your goals, we need to getto know your target audience. Specifically, we wouldlike to know: What does your typical client look like? What sectors and geographies do they operate in? What are the main problems they are trying to solve whenenlisting your services? Is your audience segmented into specific groups withdifferent needs (e.g. clients, prospective employees, mediaand press)? What online user activity would you define as a “success”?Examples of “success” could be: Purchase a product / subscription Sign up for a newsletter Contact a member of your team Access resources in a knowledge centre Sign up for events / webinars Fill out an enquiry / registration / quote formCO PYR I GH T 2 0 2 0 H E L IO S DES IG N WWW.HELIO S DES IG N.COMPAGE 6
S ECT I O N FO UROutline the websitescope and featuresWith a fuller picture of what you do, who youraudience is, and what you want to achieve, it’s timeto dive into the details of your prospective website.We consider this the ‘meat and potatoes’ of thebrief because it’s where the technical and creativepossibilities are addressed. Blog or news platformPlease give us an outline – a rough draft is okay – ofyour prospective website navigation structure. Search functionalityNext, please list the major features that need to becoded. Here is an example overview of potentialfeatures: Events and online bookings Knowledge centre Help desk Vacancy portal Contact forms or other online forms PDF converter Interactive map User registration and login Social media integration Member management interface Multi-lingual platform Member restricted resourcesWhere possible, please include a brief description ofeach feature, with links to online references. Ecommerce platform and online billingCO PYR I GH T 2 0 2 0 H E L IO S DES IG N WWW.HELIO S DES IG N.COMPAGE 7
H INTInformation is power,so you can neversend us too manyillustrative examples.
S ECT I O N F I VEOutline projectresponsibilitiesWho’s going to do what as we work togetheron this project? It’s time to outline the projectresponsibilities: Translations: If the site is multi-lingual, do yourequire the services of a translation agency or willyou provide all translated text? Design: Does your firm have existing brandguidelines that dictate the suitable approach withregards to fonts, colours and photography, or dothese need to be compiled as part of the project?Do you have other branding collateral (brochures,guides) that the site should tie in with? Post-launch marketing: What are your postlaunch website marketing plans (e.g. PPC, socialmedia marketing, email marketing) and do youneed assistance with post-launch marketingefforts? Content: Will you be writing the content for thewebsite, or do you expect a web agency to providecopywriting services? Do you require assistancewith the editing and proofreading of content? Imagery: Do you have professional photographyavailable for the project, or does the projectrequire custom photography services? Do youanticipate using stock photography / illustrations inthe project? Post-launch content updates: Do you requireassistance managing the website content overtime, or do you have an in-house team that will beresponsible for post-launch content updates to thesite?If you’re not sure where some of the elements willcome from yet, that’s okay. Let us know what pieces aremissing, and we can help you source them.CO PYR I GH T 2 0 2 0 H E L IO S DES IG N WWW.HELIO S DES IG N.COMPAGE 9
S ECTION S IXHow will youmeasure success?Imagine: your brand-new website is up and running.It’s fast, user-friendly and feature-rich. But is it solvingthe problems you articulated early on in your brief?There’s no way to find out without testing.We would like to address success metrics at thebriefing stage of a project. Here are examples you mightwant to consider: Google Analytics usage metrics Number of subscribers and their usage of the site Monthly increase in leads Scope of event registrationsCO PYR I GH T 2 0 2 0 H E L IO S DES IG N WWW.HELIO S DES IG N.COM Scope of newsletter subscriptions Website rankings compared to competitors in apost-launch client survey Feedback from clients during project pitches Feedback from prospective job applicants Company press coverage Recognition from external bodies and industryawards Cost savings achieved as a result of specific onlinefeaturesPAGE 1 0
TIPIdeally, the metricsused to measureyour site’s successshould be “SMART”:specific, measurable,attainable, relevant,and time-bound.
S ECTION S E VE NPlease includelegal and technicalrequirementsWhere are nearly there! Before you hit send,please give us an overview of legal and technicalrequirements relevant to your region. Do you have a preferred payment gateway when itcomes to online billing?Here are a few questions to get you thinking: Do certain features of the site need to integrate withan existing CRM or accounting platform? Does the site need to meet WCAG or ADAaccessibility requirements? Does the site require integration with third-partyAPIs? Does it need to comply with EU cookie regulationsand GDPR? What are your hosting requirements, and do youhave an existing hosting provider? Is there a specific platform it needs to tie in with? Doyou have a preferred CMS?CO PYR I GH T 2 0 2 0 H E L IO S DES IG N WWW.HELIO S DES IG N.COMPAGE 1 2
S ECT I O N E IG H TOutline the projecttimeline, keycontacts and agencyrequirementsFor the concluding portion of your brief, please let us know when the project is due, how many people will beinvolved, and what you are looking for in a prospective agency.Please outline the projecttimelines:Please also tell us about yourteam:Please tell us about your agencyrequirements: What is the proposal due date? How many decision-makers willbe involved in the project? What are you looking for in aweb agency? Will the project have multiplepoints of contact or a singleproject manager at your firm? What skills and experise do theyneed to demonstrate? How long will you take to reviewthe proposal and by when willyou appoint an agency? What is the targeted projectkick-off date? Do you have a target launchdate? Should this be dividedinto specific project phases? Who is the point of contactfor questions surrounding theproject brief?CO PYR I GH T 2 0 2 0 H E L IO S DES IG N WWW.HELIO S DES IG N.COM What aspects of the proposalare most important to you?PAGE 1 3
Bonus: Samplewebsite briefThe following is a fictional brief based on a non-profit organisation.All names, email addresses and organisational references are fictional.1 . I N TROD UCTI O N3. ABOUT TH E ORG AN IS ATIONThe Green Foundation is currently accepting proposals to redesign andredevelop its website on www.greenfoundation.org. The project willcover concept, design, development and hosting, as well as post-launchmaintenance and support.2 . BI D T I M E L INESThe Green Foundation was founded in August 2005 and is a non-profitorganisation that aims to assist rural communities in Sub-Saharan Africathrough restorative eco-projects and agroforestry. We have raised more thanR 40 million to date and have won the HOPE Award in 2012. To date, we haveassisted 85 rural communities in South Africa, Botswana and Zambia andplanted more than 800,000 trees. For a full outline of our projects, please seeour projects booklet, attached.Bids should be submitted to Samantha Green via email (samantha.green@greenfoundation.org) by September 30th 2020.Our key message is “Uplifting communities and alleviating poverty throughrestorative eco-projects”.We will choose a supplier within two weeks of receiving bids. All othercandidates will be notified by October 31st 2020. The project will commenceon November 1st 2020 and our target launch date is June 1st 2021.4. CURRE NT W E BS ITE IS SU E SHere is a summary of timelines:Agency appointed: 16 October 2020Desired project kick-off: 01 November 2020Target launch date: 01 June 2021Our current website was developed 6 years ago and is slow, dated and hardto navigate. It is also difficult and time-consuming to maintain. We would liketo revamp the site to better reflect our mission and messaging, as well asmake better use of our project photography and multimedia. A summary offeedback from previous web surveys is attached.Please address any questions to Samantha Green via telephone on 27 11 7820759. In her absence, please contact Christina Henley(christina.henley@greenfoundation.org; 27 11 782 9851).CO PYR I GH T 2 0 2 0 H E L IO S DES IG N WWW.HELIO S DES IG N.COMPAGE 1 4
5 . TA RGE T AU D I ENC E AND G OALS6. W E BS ITE ACTIVITIE S A ND OBJECTIV E Sa. The general public. 75% of our funding comes from individuals whohear about our message through our marketing channels. The remaindercomes from corporate sponsorship and internal profit generation (such asfundraising activities and sale of our branded merchandise).We would like users to engage in the following activities on our website.b. Businesses. Businesses contribute 15% to our funding. We would like tostrengthen our focus on corporate sponsorship during 2021 and use the websiteto support co-branded sponsorship projects like the SASA green campaign.c. Volunteering students. Once a year we run a volunteer program inconjunction with Rand University. Social studies students donate 100 hoursof their time to an
ABOUT HELIOS DESIGN J J J J J. When it’s time to build your website, a detailed website brief is your road map to success. This document outlines your project goals, requirements and constraints, allowing a prospective agency to ascertain whether they are the right fit for the project, and what the project timeline and budget will be. How long does it take to write a brief? A brief on a .
