Last Christmas Day, I published a free PDF guide on our website to help people who were struggling to put together a useful project brief. There is no form to fill in and no email address required. You can simply download it and use it.
Why? Well, one thing I often find is that even technically minded people can struggle to explain why they want a new website or software project.
They may know the current site looks dated, is difficult to manage or is not generating much business, but they have not yet turned those frustrations into a clear project brief. That is completely normal. Working through a few basic questions is often enough to give an agency something useful to respond to.
I wanted to revisit the checklist because we have recently received a couple of enquiries that were simply too vague for us to provide even a rough estimate. We knew the businesses wanted new websites, but we did not know enough about the problems, priorities, budget or technical requirements to suggest what the work might involve.
Meet “Peter”
So, for this example, I have created a fictional client persona based loosely on someone I met at a networking event earlier this year. We will call him Peter.
Peter is a Manager at an established small-to-medium-sized technology company. He understands the company’s services, customers and internal systems, and he is comfortable discussing software and technical problems.
However, he is not a website, marketing or digital-project specialist (and his current website shows this).
Peter knows the current website is not doing the business any favours. It looks dated, does not explain the company’s services particularly well and is not bringing in much new work. He wants to replace it, but he does not yet have a detailed specification or a firm idea of what the new website should include.
Below is a simple example of how Peter might complete our Brief Your Agency Properly checklist. The answers are deliberately basic. They are not intended to be a finished technical specification. They simply give an agency enough information to understand the opportunity, ask better questions and begin a useful conversation.
Question Set 1: The Foundation
The Business “Why”: Clearly state the primary business problem this project is solving rather than just listing features.
A good basic answer might be:
Our current website feels old and does not explain what we actually do very well. We want something clearer that gives people confidence we know what we are doing and makes it easier for them to get in touch.
Success Metrics: Define what “good” looks like, whether it is reducing support tickets, increasing conversion, or automating a manual process.
A good basic answer might be:
More relevant enquiries would be the main thing. It would also be good if people understood our services before contacting us, rather than us having to explain everything from scratch.
Target Audience Profile: Describe who will use the system and what their specific pain points are.
A good basic answer might be:
Mostly business owners, IT managers and operations people who have problems with software, databases or older systems. They are usually fairly technical, but they might not know exactly what kind of solution they need.
Current Limitations: List what is wrong with your current system, for example, it is slow, “decrepit,” or technically un-updatable.
A good basic answer might be:
The current site looks dated, is awkward to update and has grown a bit messy over time. Some of the wording is too technical, while other parts are too vague.
Budget Transparency: Provide a realistic budget range to allow the agency to suggest the most effective solution for your resources.
A good basic answer might be:
We are thinking somewhere around £15,000 to £25,000, but we are not completely sure what that gets us. We would be happy to look at different options.
Timeline & Hard Deadlines: Identify any immovable dates, such as a product launch or a legacy system “End of Life” date.
A good basic answer might be:
There is no absolute deadline, but we would ideally like it live within four to six months. Sooner would be nice, but we do not want to rush it and end up with another site we are unhappy with.
Question Set 1: Technical Scope
Integration Requirements: List any third-party systems, ERPs, or CRMs that the new site must talk to.
A good basic answer might be:
We use a CRM, Microsoft 365 and an email newsletter system. The contact forms probably need to connect to some of these, although we would need help working out exactly how.
Content Migration Strategy: Decide if you are moving all legacy data, like 20,000 pieces of content, or starting with a clean slate.
A good basic answer might be:
We would keep the useful pages, but we definitely do not need everything. Some content can be rewritten, combined or deleted.
Internal Resources: Identify who on your team will be the “co-pilot”, AKA the primary point of contact for feedback and decision-making.
A good basic answer might be:
Our Operations Manager will be the main contact. They can get information from the technical team and chase the directors when decisions are needed.
Platform Specifics: State if you have a preferred platform or if you are open to honest advice on whether to use a custom build vs. off-the-shelf tools.
A good basic answer might be:
We have used WordPress before, so that seems like the obvious option, but we are open to advice. We mainly need something reliable and easy to update without calling a developer every time.
Compliance & Security: Detail any specific industry regulations, accessibility standards, or SLA requirements for 24/7 support.
A good basic answer might be:
It needs to be secure, GDPR compliant and reasonably accessible. We do not need someone watching it 24/7, but we would want proper backups, updates and support if something breaks.
The “Red Flag” Check: Ensure you aren’t saying “we’ll figure it out as we go”, but if you are, mark those areas for a Discovery Phase.
A good basic answer might be:
We do not really know what the final structure should be, how much content needs rewriting or exactly how the CRM connection should work. Those are probably the things we need to figure out with the agency before the main build starts.
Get the Guide
You do not need to arrive with a perfect specification, a finished sitemap or every technical decision already made. You just need to give your agency enough information to understand the problem, ask sensible questions and suggest a realistic way forward.
You can download our free Brief Your Agency Properly checklist here:
FREE CHECKLIST
Brief Your Agency Properly: The Ultimate Project Checklist
Most web projects fail because of vague instructions, not bad code. Download our non-technical guide to help you define your business “Why,” identify technical red flags, and ensure you get exactly what you need from your next digital partner.
And when you are ready to start the conversation, take a look at how Make Do can help:
- New website projects and custom development
- Taking over, stabilising or rescuing an existing website
- Ongoing WordPress support and improvements
Even a rough brief is better than no brief at all. Send us what you have, tell us what is not working and we can help you work out the rest.
