A good website brief will give prospective web design agencies the understanding and background they need to create a really well thought-out proposal in response. It will also make shortlisting and selection easier for you, the client.

IE Digital has been designing and building engaging websites and apps for charity, health and education websites for over 15 years. We’ve distilled all that experience into a comprehensive website brief template for you to adapt.

Read on for our summarised tips on creating a brilliant website brief. Simply complete what you can and use the rest to pinpoint the gaps you may need to fill in, as part of the discovery phase.

If you find this useful you might also like our digital whitepaper book: "Not-for-profits: why, when and how to build websites, apps and digital services". 

And if you're also interested in your organisation's branding, try our book: "Not-for-profits: Why, when and how to rebrand" and our brand brief template. 

Request the template

Complete your details below to request a copy of our full website brief template as a Word document. It'll be sent to you by email, so please check your inbox, and if it doesn't arrive, also check your junk/spam folder.

The key points to include in your website agency brief:

Background and objectives

• Your current situation
• Why now? What has been the trigger to commission a new website?
• What's the primary purpose for the website?
• What are your objectives, and how will you measure success?

Insight

• What's working well on your current site?
• Who are your audiences and what do they need?
• Who are your competitors?

Process

• Will there be an agreed specification, or a more agile, collaborative process?
• Who are the stakeholders you need to include in the process?
• Content – does existing content need to be migrated, reorganised, reshaped or rewritten?
• Do you need additional services like photography, video, learning content creation etc?

Technical

• Will your requirements and deliverables be led by the initial discovery phase, or are there certain must-haves? E.g. Third-party system integration, business-critical processes, or a preferred CMS (content management system)?
• Are there any notable data protection, security or accessibility requirements?

• Do you require hosting and support, post-launch?

Selection process

• Timescales for appointing an agency
• Decision-making process and criteria
• The stakeholders involved
• Your budget – being open about your budget as well as your timetable will naturally define the scale and scope of the exercise. Also be clear if your budget includes or excludes VAT.
• Allow opportunity to meet candidates face-to-face, to ensure chemistry between your two organisations.

Request a free Website Brief template

IE Digital's free website brief template contains a full list of questions to ask yourself before you reach out to web design agencies. This will help you to identify any gaps in your understanding and pinpoint the areas your agency will need to focus on. Complete the form above to request your copy.

Should you need more advice, IE’s digital consultants will be more than happy to help you with brief creation, and help you get your website project off the ground.