Website Brief Template: What to Send Your Developer for an Accurate Quote
A simple website brief template for business owners: goals, audience, pages, features, content, references, budget and timeline, so you get accurate quotes and fewer surprises.
On this page
- A brief covers goals, audience, pages, features, design direction and content status.
- Include technical details, budget range and your launch date.
- A clear brief gets you accurate, comparable quotes and a faster start.
"How much for a website?" is impossible to answer accurately without details, which is why quotes for the same project can vary so much. A short brief fixes that. It helps developers quote accurately, avoids misunderstandings and gets your project started faster. Copy the template below and fill it in.
1. About your business
- Business name and what you do, in two or three sentences
- Your location and the areas or countries you serve
- Your current website (if any) and what you don't like about it
2. Goals
What should the website achieve? Be specific:
- More enquiries, calls or WhatsApp messages
- Online sales
- Bookings or appointments
- Credibility for investors, partners or tenders
- Recruitment
3. Target audience
- Who are your ideal customers?
- What problems do they have, and what do they worry about before hiring or buying?
- Do they mostly browse on mobile?
4. Pages you need
A simple list is enough, for example: Home, About, Services (one page per service), Portfolio, Blog, FAQ, Contact. Note any pages that need special layouts.
5. Features
- Contact forms, WhatsApp, click-to-call
- Online store (how many products?)
- Online payments, bookings, memberships
- Multiple languages
- Blog, newsletter sign-up, downloads
- Integrations: CRM, email marketing, Google Sheets
6. Design direction
- 2–3 websites you like, and what you like about each
- Your logo, brand colours and fonts (if you have them)
- Anything you definitely don't want
- Existing designs in Figma or XD, if any
Brand assets checklist: logo, favicon and brand basics.
7. Content
- Who will write the text? Is it ready?
- Do you have good photos of your work, team and premises?
- For stores: is product data in a spreadsheet?
Content readiness is the biggest factor in timelines; see how long a WordPress website takes. For help writing it, see how to write website content.
8. Technical details
- Do you own your domain? Who manages hosting?
- Business email needs
- For redesigns: pages that currently bring traffic and must be kept
9. Budget and timeline
- A budget range, which helps developers suggest the right approach. The website cost calculator gives a ballpark.
- Your ideal launch date, and any hard deadlines
10. After launch
- Who will update the site?
- Do you want training, maintenance or ongoing SEO?
Deciding who to send it to? See freelancer vs agency and the questions to ask before hiring.
Once you choose a developer, agree the details in writing; see the website contract checklist.
Send it and compare
With a brief like this, you'll get quotes you can actually compare, and a developer can often reply within a day. When you're ready, send your brief on WhatsApp or through the form to hire a WordPress developer.
Need help with your website?
I'm Sameer, a freelance WordPress developer building fast, SEO-friendly websites since 2020. Tell me what you need and I'll reply with a plan and a fixed quote within 24 hours.
Freelance WordPress developer and founder of Samverse, building websites for clinics, manufacturers, agencies and online stores since 2020.
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