When you’re planning a website, you will most likely be asked to write a design brief, or your web developer will write one for you. The process of writing your design brief is a great way to have focus the thoughts of your website project and define the goals you’re trying to achieve. Your design brief will also save you a lot of money in the long run.

Here’s the essential things you consider including in your brief:

Company Background

Write a couple of paragraphs about your business. Think about your company history, current staffing levels and how your product or services range has evolved. Your web designer will be trying to establish what type of business you are, and what style of website would suit you.

Target Market

This is an area lots of businesses struggle to define, but it is important as it sets the mood of your website. When deciding on your target market, consider the following demographics:

• Age - what age does your product or service appeal to
• Income - are your customers high earners, or of a low socio-economic background
• Occupation - which jobs are your customers likely to have
• Intelligence - what level of education do your products appeal to
• Gender - does one particular gender buy your products more than the other

Websites You Like (and Dislike)

Scour the web for similar businesses in your industry, both locally and abroad. Look for aspects of these sites that capture attention and include them in your design brief.

Be sure to pay attention to anything you don’t like, or anything that captures your attention in a negative way.

Promotional Strategy

It’s important for your web developers to know how you plan to promote your website, as they can help you track the performance of your endeavours. Consider including both online and offline promotional activities.

If you’re a bit stuck for ideas download our Website Design Brief, and just fill in the blanks.