The single best thing you can do before contacting web developers is write a short brief. It does not need to be long or technical. A clear one-to-two page brief gets you accurate quotes, fewer surprises and a faster project.
1. About your business
- What you do, in one or two sentences
- Where you operate and who your customers are
- What makes you different from competitors
2. Goals
What should the website achieve? Be specific: more consultation bookings, more quote requests, fewer phone calls asking the same questions, selling products online. Goals shape every design decision.
3. Audience
Who visits, what they are trying to do, and what worries them. A patient booking physiotherapy, a homeowner with raccoons in the attic and a procurement manager comparing suppliers need very different websites.
4. Pages and features
List the pages you think you need and any features: booking, forms, e-commerce, integrations, member areas. Do not worry about getting it perfect; a good developer will help refine it.
5. Content
Who will write the text and supply photos? Do you have a logo and brand guidelines? Content is the most common cause of delays, so be honest about what exists today.
6. Examples
Share two or three websites you like and say why: the layout, the photography, how easy it is to book. Also share anything you dislike.
7. Requirements and constraints
- Accessibility obligations, such as AODA in Ontario or ADA in the US
- Systems the site must connect to
- Your current website and domain, and who controls them
8. Timeline and budget
Share your deadline and a budget range. A range is not a trap; it lets a developer recommend what is realistic instead of guessing.
9. After launch
Will you update the site yourself? Do you need hosting and ongoing maintenance? Planning this up front avoids a neglected site a year later.
Ready to share your brief? Send it to us for a fixed, no-obligation quote, or read how our projects work.
Need a hand?
TheWebsiteMakers.ca is a Toronto-based team with 19+ years of experience building websites for businesses across Canada and the US. We design accessible websites, host them on servers we manage ourselves, and look after them every month. Get a free, no-obligation quote.