Websites
What to include in a small business website brief
Prepare a website brief covering audience, services, content, inquiry handling, ownership and launch decisions.
Describe the decision your visitor needs to make
A website brief should explain what someone needs to understand before contacting you. Are they comparing services, checking credibility or deciding whether you can handle a particular project? Start with that decision, then describe the business and audience in plain language.
For example, a new service business may need visitors to understand its scope and submit an inquiry. That is a different brief from a store that needs product selection, payments and order management.
Define the content and its owner
List the services that can be described accurately today. Mark planned services clearly. Gather approved names, contact details, brand assets and any photographs you have permission to use. Identify who will supply and approve the copy.
Missing material is manageable when it is visible. A placeholder testimonial or invented project result creates a different problem: the website looks complete while its claims are unsupported.
Include the work behind the pages
Specify where inquiries should arrive, which fields are necessary and who responds. Identify ownership of the domain and hosting account. Discuss how future edits will be made and what documentation should be delivered.
A form can be visually finished while its notifications are untested. A launch plan should distinguish appearance checks from an actual submission-and-receipt check.
Agree on a bounded starting scope
Record the pages, required features and decisions still outstanding. Separate the initial launch from later additions such as articles, booking systems or an online store. Ask what changes would affect the schedule or cost rather than assuming every future idea is included.
MarketMerit's own website started with a defined set of pages and a tested inquiry route. The public project story provides a concrete example of connecting brand decisions, implementation and handover.