A good brief saves weeks. It helps an agency understand what you need, quote with fewer assumptions, and tell you early if the plan does not fit the budget or timeline. A weak brief usually leads to vague proposals that are hard to compare, followed by a scope that changes once work has started.
You do not need a long document. A clear two or three pages is often enough. This guide covers what to include, what you can leave out, and how to compare the responses you receive.
Start with the problem, not the solution
The most useful thing you can write is a plain description of what is not working today. "We need a new website" is a solution. "Most inquiries come by phone because the website does not answer basic questions about pricing and availability" is a problem an agency can work with.
Describe:
- What happens today: how customers find you, what they do, and where the process breaks down
- Who it affects: customers, staff, or both
- Why now: a launch date, a seasonal peak, a system being retired, or a growth plan
If you already have a solution in mind, include it, but label it as a preference. A good agency should either confirm it or explain a simpler alternative.
Describe what success looks like
Agree what you will measure before anyone designs anything. Useful measures are specific and within the project's influence, for example:
- More qualified inquiries through the website form
- Fewer support emails about order status
- Staff spending less time copying data between systems
Avoid targets that depend mostly on factors outside the project. Search rankings, for example, depend on competitors and search engines as well as on your website.
List what already exists
Agencies quote more accurately when they know what they are working with. Include:
- Current website, store, or software, and who hosts it
- Tools you use and want to keep, such as your CRM, accounting software, or email platform
- Content you have and content that still needs writing
- Brand assets: logo files, colors, fonts, and any guidelines
- Access you can provide, and who on your side owns each account
Be honest about gaps. "We have no product photography yet" is useful information. It does not make your project less attractive; it makes the quote more accurate.
Be clear about constraints
Constraints shape the right approach as much as goals do. Share:
- Budget range: even a broad range helps an agency propose the right scope rather than guess
- Timeline: fixed dates, and the reason behind them
- Decision-makers: who approves designs and spending, and how quickly decisions can be made
- Requirements: accessibility, languages, data storage rules, or industry regulations
If you are not sure about budget, say so and ask for options at different levels. That is a reasonable request.
Separate must-haves from nice-to-haves
A short prioritized list helps an agency suggest a sensible first phase. For example:
| Priority | Example |
|---|---|
| Must have | Online booking linked to the existing calendar |
| Should have | Automatic reminder emails |
| Could have | Customer accounts with booking history |
| Not now | Mobile app |
This also gives you room to adjust scope later without starting the conversation again.
What you can leave out
You do not need detailed specifications, wireframes, or a technology choice. Those are part of the agency's job. Long lists of competitor websites you like are less useful than two or three examples with a sentence on what specifically works about each.
How to compare proposals
When responses arrive, compare them on more than price. Check whether each proposal:
- Restates your problem accurately in its own words
- States what is included and, just as importantly, what is not
- Explains assumptions, such as who writes the content or supplies photography
- Describes how you will review progress and approve work
- Explains what happens after launch, including support and ownership of accounts
A proposal that asks good questions is often a better sign than one that answers everything immediately.
A simple brief outline
- Background: who you are and who your customers are
- The problem and why it matters now
- What success looks like
- What exists today
- Constraints: budget range, timeline, decision-makers, requirements
- Priorities: must have, should have, not now
- Questions you want answered in the proposal
If you would like a second opinion on a brief before sending it out, you can describe your project and we will tell you what we would ask next.