the website development brief · website development can include web design, web content...

The Website Development Brief …abestpracticeguidetobriefingwebdevelopmentagencies

THE WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT BRIEF

… a best practice guide to briefing web development agencies

THE WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT BRIEF


Joint guidelines and template for business owners, to enable more effective working with

web development agencies/companies.

Supported by:

DISCLAIMER:

Whilsteveryefforthasbeenmadetoensuretheaccuracyoftheinformation/materialcontainedinthisdocument,theauthorandtheLocalEnterpriseOfficeassumenoresponsibilityforandgivenoguarantees,undertakingsorwarrantiesconcerningtheaccuracy,completenessoruptodatenatureoftheinformationprovidedinthisguideanddonotacceptanyliabilitywhatsoeverarisingfromanyerrorsoromissions.


©2016PatriciaO’Sullivan

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“Failing to prepare is preparing to fail”

Thisguidecameaboutbecausemylocalenterpriseofficeencounteredaverycommonconcern.Their client companieswerespendinghugechunksof theirbudgetsonwhatoftenendedupbeingnon-functioning, incompleteordisappointingwebsiteprojects. Ihavesufferedthispainmyselfdespitemycomputersciencequalifications,andI’veseenmanyofthe200+smallbusinessownersI’vementoredandcoachedfall intothesametrap.Perhapsyouthinkyouarenotoneof‘thosepeople’butbelieveme,wecanallfindourselvesinthatpredicament.

Five years ago I established a business specifically to tackle this dilemma, so I wasdelightedtobeaskedtoproducethisguide.ItaffordsmetheopportunitytotakewhatI’velearned,testedandrefinedandplaceitinthehandsofasmanyothersmallbusinessownersaspossible.

Whilstaguidelikethiscanneverbetotallycomprehensive,itwillcoverthemajorareasthatyouneedtoputdown inwritingbeforestartingawebsitedevelopmentproject. Ihope it will be an invaluable resource that helps you formulate your brief for webdevelopmentagencies/companies.

It relies on the premise that to maximise your chance of success, your eventualdevelopmentpartnerneedstoknowwhereyouarenow.Andtheyneedtoknowwhereyouwanttogetto,whatsuccesswilllooklikeforyou,andhowitwillbemeasured.Aboveall else, you need tomake that crystal clear. If you can do that you’ll find thatmostagencies/companieswillbeprettygoodatgettingyouwhereyouwanttogo.

Thatiswherethe‘brief’comesin–itisthebestwaytocapturethepertinentinformationconcisely,yetcomprehensively,soeveryonewillbesingingoffthesamehymnsheet.

Ifthereareothermembersofyourbusinesswhoseperspectivewillenrichyourprojectbrief,andwillensureitisascomprehensiveasyoucanmakeit,thenitisaexcellentideatoinvolvethem.

Don’tcutcornershere.Theproblemsthatresultwill takemanytimes longerandcostmanytimesmoretorectify.Aruleofthumbusold-schoolsoftwaredevelopersusedwasto spend 20% of the total time/budget of any project getting the requirements welldocumented.Thatismychallengetoyou.

PatriciaO’Sullivanhttps://ie.linkedin.com/in/pattios

P.S.Ifyouwanttoskipsectionsofthesuggestedbriefsobeit,perhapstheyareunsuitedtoyourproject,butmorelikelyit’sbecauseyoucan’tbebotheredtocompletethem.Onyourheadbeit!



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WHAT IS WEB DEVELOPMENT? Websitedevelopment, alsoknownaswebsitedesign, is theprocessof creatinganewwebsite or implementing changes to one already in use, e.g. adding a significant newsectiontoalivesite.

Itisundertakentoattractandcommunicatewithusersandbuyers,toenhancebrandsandtolaunchspecificcampaigns.

Websitedevelopmentcanincludewebdesign,webcontentdevelopment(alsoknowasthecopy,orwords),clientliaison,webserverandnetworksecurityconfiguration,ande-commercedevelopment.

Websitedevelopmentcanrangefromdevelopingasinglepageofplaintexttothemostcomplexweb-based internet applications, electronic businesses, or social networks. Ifyourgoalisanadvancedinternetormobileapplicationthenyouwillneedtoprovidealittlemorethantheseguidelineswillcover,butyouwillfindthemusefulnonetheless.

WHY WRITE A BRIEF? TherearethreecompellingreasonswhyitisworthwritingabriefforEVERYprojectyoucommissionadevelopmentagencytoundertake:

1. Yougetabetterjob.2. Itsavesyoubothtimeandmoney.3. Thecosttoyou,andfeepaidtotheagencyarefairer.

1. A BETTER JOB Abriefisthesinglemostimportantpieceofinformationyoucanprepare.It’sfromthisthateverythingelseflows.Thesuppliercannotbeexpectedtoreadyourmindorknoweverythingyoudo;thereforeit’sessentialthateveryeffortbetakentopreparethebestpossibledocumentationofwhatisrequired.

Givingthetightestofparameterstocreativethinkers(andthat’swhatwebdevelopersare) will often stimulate the most creative of outcomes. You need to stimulate theircreative imagination,notrestrict it.Ultimatelyyouarebuyingtheircreativity,butyouwantthatcreativitytobefocusedinthecorrectdirection.That’swhyyourbriefshouldbeastartingpoint;discoveringhalfwaythroughtheprojectthattheyareheadedinthewrongdirectioninevitablyleadstobothsidesplaying‘theblamegame’.

Yourbriefwillbetheplatformforyourbusinessonline.Hundreds,thousandsorhopefullyhundredsofthousandsofpotentialcustomerswillseeit.Thereforeitbehovesyoutotakealittletimeoutofyourbusyscheduletothoughtfullydescribeyourbrand,yourofferings,yourmarketandyourmessage.Ifyoudon’tdothatthenyouarerelyingonmiraclesasyourstrategyforsuccess.Frommyexperience,miraclesarelikebuses-thereisneveroneinsightwhenyouneedit.



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2. SAVE TIME AND MONEY Mostpeoplewouldagreethatsloppybriefsandmovinggoalpostswastebothtimeandmoney.Aclearwrittenbrief,ontheotherhand,canmaximisethechancesofgettingit‘rightfirsttime,ontime,onbudget’.

Iknowthat ‘timepressures’are themainreasonmostofyoureading thiswillgive forproducinganinadequateprojectbrief(ornobriefatall).Butinfactnotwritingabrieftosavetimeisafalseeconomy,asmoreoftenitleadstore-work,orevenafailedproject.

Youshouldnotbeusingtheagencytohelpyouclarifyyourstrategyandrequirements.That is not their job and not something they are skilled at. You should have thispreparationworkcompletedbeforeyoumakeanapproachtothem.

Clearlythescaleoftheprojectwilldictatethedepthandcomplexityofyourbrief.Butbeforeskippingoveranyofthesuggestedquestionsinthisdocument,askyourselfthis:areyouskippingpartsjustbecauseyoudon’tfeellikeanswering?Andisnotansweringworththeriskofblowingyourbudget?

Youdonotneedcomputerorsoftwareskillstowritethebriefyourself.Marketingskillsare useful but not essential. Knowledge of your company, its offerings and its targetcustomersisallthatreallymatters.

3. A GOOD LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIP One of the criticisms that marketers and software developers face is that they lackaccountabilityfortheverysignificantsumsofmoneytheyspend.

Tobefair,theyoperateinareasthathavesignificantuncertaintyandoftentrialanderrorisanecessarypartoftheprocess.However,youneedtoactprofessionallybyreigningtheminearly.Theprojectbriefisanessentialstart.

Of course, youwant results.Butpaymentbasedon results is impossiblewithout fullydefiningyourbusinessobjectives,yourprojectobjectives,andoutlininghowyouplantomeasure success. And let’s face it, without the ability to measure/demonstrateeffectiveness,youwillfeelyouarepayingtoomuchforwhatyougetandtheagencywillfeeltheyearnedtoolittlefortheirefforts.

Putting an agency through the process of developing a solution repeatedly, withoutconcretedirection,wearsontherelationshipandiscostlyinwastedstafftime(onbothsides).

WHAT MAKES A GOOD BRIEF? Thereisaconsensusonwhatmakesagoodbriefamonglargercompaniesandtheagenciestheyhire.Itcontains3elements:

1. Awrittenthenverbalbrief.2. Clarityofthought.3. Clearlydefinedobjectives.



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1. A WRITTEN BRIEF Anecdotalevidenceshowsthat thecombinationofawrittenandverbalbriefing is theideal.Thereareenormousbenefitstostartingwithawrittendocument(producedbyyou,theclient),whichisthenanalysedbytheagencyandinconsistenciesdiscussedbybothparties at the subsequent verbal briefing. The process of developing, discussing andagreeingthebriefinthismannerinitselfaddsvalue.

Ifyouencounteranagencythatsays“wedon’tneedallthatstuff”orgivestheimpressionthattheyhaven’tstudiedyourbrief,thenmybestadviceistorunintheotherdirection.

Theindustryhasitsfairshareofsocalled‘experts’whothinktheyknowyourbusinessandyourcustomersbetterthanyoudo.Theywillignoreeverythingyoutellthem.Thereinliesthesourceofthesecondmajorreasonforfailedwebdevelopmentprojects(thefirstbeingyourfailuretoprepareanadequatebrief).

Awrittenbriefisalsovitaltoensurethe‘buy-in’ofotherkeypeopleinyourcompany,inenterprisesupportagencies,onyourboardandamongstinvestors,suppliersandotherbusinesspartners.Thisbuy-inisessentialtoavoidthewasteoftimeandresourcesthatcanhappenwhenotherschallengethekeyassumptionsduringoraftertheprojectbuild,leadingtobelatedchangesindirection.Ideally,yourwrittenbriefshouldhavethebuy-inofallinterestedpartiesbeforeitisdeliveredtopotentialagencypartners.

2. CLARITY OF THOUGHT Agoodbriefisnotthelongestormostdetaileddocument.It’stheonewhoseclarityandfocusallowstheagencytounderstandyourcustomers,andwhataneffectivesolutionforthemwillentail.

“Ididn'thavetimetowriteashortletter,soIwrotealongoneinstead.”

―MarkTwain

Briefsarecalled‘briefs’becausetheyaremeanttobebrief!Theyareasummationofyourcurrentthinking.Toomuchinformationcanconfusetheprocess.Relevanceandcontextare more important than reams of data. However, you should attach all relevantsupportinginformationasappendices.

Yourbriefshouldcontainkeynuggetsofinformationanditshouldsetouttheobjectivesofyourproductorservice,whichthewebsitedevelopmentprojectistoplayakeyroleinachieving.

Thisclarityandobjectivityisnotanattempttoreduceyourcreativity,orindeedthatoftheagency.Emotiveanddramatiseddescriptionsofyourcompanyandthekeyissuesitfacesmakeitmemorableandcansparkoffgreatcreativethinkingandsolutionsyouhadnotconsidered.Anditcanchallenge,inspireandexcitethosecreativetypesintheagencyyouhire.



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3. CLEARLY DEFINED OBJECTIVES Ultimatelythepurposeofyourbriefistogetyourchosenagencytoprovideyouwithasolution.Butwhatproblemsshouldthissolutionsolve?Thatisthebasisofaprojectbrief.Everythingelseisdetail.

Start by making sure that your objectives are crystal clear. Use concrete businessobjectives like ‘to double online revenue’ rather than woolly suggestions such as ‘toimprovebrand image’.RememberthatSMARTacronym?ObjectivesshouldbeSpecific,Measureable,Achievable, Realistic andTimely… and remember, every objective startswiththeword‘to’...

That’snotwhereitends.YouneedtospelloutexactlyhowyouplantomeasurethoseSMARTobjectives.Nocontractthatexpectstopaybasedonresultscanbemadetoworkwithoutappropriatemeasuresofperformance.So,clearlydefiningtheobjectives(‘successcriteria’),whatthatsuccesswilllooklikeandhowwillitbemeasuredisthenumberonerequirementforwritingagoodbrief.

LET’S FACE FACTS Manyagenciescomplainthatthebriefstheyreceivefromclientsareofteninadequateandmissing key information. In particular, the criteria for success and the metrics ormeasurementsofthatsuccessareoftencompletelyignored.It'salsoraretofindonethatprovides all the necessarymarket data, the full scope of the business objectives, anddiscussesthevariousmediachannelsthatmightbeusedtodrivepeopletothesite.

Rectifying this, or worse forcing the agency tease out and write the complete briefthemselves, requires considerable work by the agency. If they’re not getting paid toundertakethiswork,thenwhyshouldtheyspendmuchtimeonit?

Ifpropertimeandattentionhasnotbeengiventoabriefbeforetheprojectstartsthenthechancesofsuccessprobablyequatetothechancesofwinningthelottery.Therearehuge quantities of anecdotal evidence that show the bestway to brief an agency is acombinationofdocumentationandverbaldiscussion,withthedocumentationprovidedfirstandtimegiventoallowtheagencytoreviewandaskquestions.

Ifadevelopmentcompanyoragencyyouapproachsuggestsskippingthebriefbecausetheyknowwhatyouwant,alarmbellsshouldberinging.Youmightbeasmallcompanybutthis isprocurementandinvolvesasignificantsumofyourownandperhapsotherpeople’smoney.Takingshortcutswillplaceyouinaveryunenviablepositionlater.

Whenyoudoprepareyourbrief,youmay findthatsomeagencieshavea tendencytoignoreyourbrief andwrite theirown, thusapparentlyduplicatingeffort andperhapsevenmisinterpretingyour requirements. In truth theyarenot ignoringyourbriefnorintentionallymisinterpretingyourrequirements(inmostcasesatleast).

Thetruthisthattheyneedtoconsidertheprojectfromtheirperspective,whichwillbetechnologyanddeliveryfocused.Iftheydon’tdothisstepthentheyareoperatingonawingandprayerandagain,thisisnotwhatyouwanttosee.Theydon’thavetobeabigcompany to act professionally so insist on it withwhomever your chosen partner is.Peoplewhoactprofessionallycareaboutdoingagoodjob,careaboutpleasingcustomersandcareabouttheirreputations–othersthinktherearemanyfishintheseasoitdoesn’tmatter.Whichdoyouwanttoriskyourmoneyandthefutureofyourbusinesson?



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Ifitlooksliketheagency’sbriefismisinterpretingsomething,oritmissedsomethingkeyinyourbrief,pointitout.Moreoftenthannotitwasamisunderstandingoranoversight.Gettingthesethingsclearedupbeforeaprojectsstartsisvital,sobepreparedtospendmoretimeontheseinitialstagesoftheprojectthanyouoriginallyplanned–thisiswherethesuccessofyourprojectlies.

FINAL WORDS Don’tforget…youneedtoconsiderthe‘words’(knownascopy)thatwillappearonyourwebsite. Ideally this should be ready, or at least drafted, before you start buildinganything.Ifyouarewritingityourselforhiringanotherpartytoprepareitthengetthatmoving,orbetteryetcompleted,beforestartingworkonthetechnology.Toallowthistohappenyoucanlookatotherwebsitesandpreparesimilarlysized‘chunks’oftextthatthewebsitedeveloperscansimplypastein.

Keep inmind that people don’t read long-windedwebsites nowadays; they consumeinformation in small chunks. So copy the approach of proven winners and don’t tryreinventingthewheel.

Something I personally do is look through website templates on themeforest.net anddecideontheoneortwoIlikebest.ThenIpreparethewords/copyandsupplysampleimagestosuitmychosentemplates.

Ithengooutlookingforagenciesthatarepreparedtousethethemeforest.nettemplatebecauseIknowthatwillsaveusconsiderabletime(don’tbelieveanyonewhotellsyouotherwise).Thatequatestosavedmoney,whichallowsmetodomore.UsuallyIwillinsistongettingthetemplateupandlivewithmycopyandtheimageswechosetogetherasmyfirstmilestone.AtthatpointIknowIhaveawebsitethatis,presumably,bug-freeandlookslikeitcostafortunetodesignandbuild.OtherthingsIwanttoachievewiththewebsitecomelaterassubsequentdeliveryandpaymentmilestones.ThisensuresthatIhavesomethingliveandusefuleverystepoftheway,andthatIcantestbeforewemoveon.

CONCLUSION Wehavenowdiscussed thekey sections in abestpracticeproject brief andwhyyoushouldwriteone.Thekeysectionsshouldbecompletedforeverybriefyouwrite.Thedetailwithin each sectionwill vary according to your circumstances andyourprojectrequirements.

Generallyyourbriefshouldfocusondefining‘wherewearenow’and‘wherewewanttobe’. It isthenthejoboftheagencytobridgethegapbetweenthetwo.Howtheygoaboutthatistheirspecialism,oritshouldbe,anditshouldhappenwithinthecontextofyour‘whatwearedoingtogetthere’description.

Acrucialpointistobeasexplicitaspossibleaboutthemeasuresofsuccess,i.e.“howwewillknowwe’vearrived”.Andthentherearethefinaloperationaldetailsaboutprojectmanagementandpracticalities.Soenoughtalk,let’sgetstarted…


TEMPLATE

WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT BRIEF


CONTNETS

1. PROJECT CONTEXT 1

2. WEBSITE REQUIREMENTS 5

3. COMPANY OVERVIEW 7

4. SPECIAL FUNCTIONALITY 8

5. GRAPHIC DESIGN 10

6. WEBSITE ANALYTICS 12

7. WEBSITE ADMINISTRATION 14

8. ADDITIONAL DETAILS 16



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1. Project Context The Project Context (also know as Context, Setting or Prerequisites) is thecircumstances,factsoreventsthatinfluencetheproject.

They explain the general idea and key prerequisites of the project, includingproblems to be addressed, objectives, desired results, and parties interested inand/orimpactedbytheproject.Italsodescribesthefinancialelements,resources,timelinesandotherpossibilitiesandlimitationsoftheproject.

Thepurposeofthissectionistogiveanoverviewoftheproject,toprovideinitialimpressionsabouttheprojectandtoinitiatetheplanningprocess.Itdoesnotcoverspecificrequirements,methodstobeusedoranyothermoredetailedinformation.

What is the main objective/outcome of your project? Lettheproviderknowwhatyouareaimingtoachievefromtheprojectandhowyouseeitsendresults.Clarityheregoesalongwaytopreventprojectfailure,misunderstandingsorincorrectexpectations.

What challenge/opportunity gave rise to the project? It is helpful to the provider to understand where you are coming from. Are you facingcompetitive challenges, launching a new product, seeing a downturn in revenues, ormeasuringapotentialopportunity?

Forexample,‘ouroldwebsitewashackedsoweneedsomethingnewthatissecure’;‘ournewChairmanofboardisamarketingguruandwantsawholenewimage’;‘wearelaunchingnewproductsandthoughtthiswouldbeagoodtimeupreplace/updatetheoldwebsite’...


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What is the budget for project? Thisisathornysubject.Attheveryleastyouneedtotelltheproviderifyourbudgetforthisprojecthasbeenapproved,ifitwillonlybeapprovedaftertheirquotationisreceived,orifitwillonlybeapprovedwhensomethingelsehappense.g.grantapproval.

Youmaybeuncomfortablestatingyourbudgetupfrontbelievingthatthewebdevelopmentagencywillsimplyaskforitall.Thatisunderstandable,butputtheshoeontheotherfootforamoment.Ifthetableswereturnedwouldyounotwanttogiveyournewclientthebestpossible result youcouldwithin theirbudget?Wouldyounotwant todoeverythingyoucouldtodemonstratetheycantrustyouandthatyouaregenuinelytheretohelpthem?

Despitewhatwemightthinksometimes,thatisthenorminbusiness.Ofcoursetherearealwaysgreedypeople,butifyouhavepreparedadetailedbrief,thequestionstheyfailtoaskandtheirproposedsolutionwillusuallyrevealtheirtruecharacter.Notdemonstratingtrustinthesuppliersyouapproachisalittledisrespectfulatbest.Atworst,itcanleadtotimewastedanddisappointingresults.

Overall,itisbetterifyoucansupplyanindicationofbudgetfromtheoutset.Atechniqueoftenusedis‘scenariobudgeting’.Forinstance,youmightsupplyoneormorehypotheticalbudgetse.g.‘Whatwouldyourrecommendationsonbudgetsof€x,€y,and€zbe?’

Anupfrontunderstandingofbudgetwillallowtheagencytoaccuratelydescribeanticipatedresults.Italsoaffordsthemtheopportunitytoconsiderdifferentapproachesanddifferentsequencesthatallowthemtoprovideyouwiththebestpossibleoutcomeforyourbudget.Remember‘best’isnot‘most’;itiswhatachievesyourobjectivessuccessfully.

Alternatively,youcanrequesttheagency’srecommendedbudgettoachieveyoursetofgivenmeasurable objectives.More often thannot however thiswastes everyone’s time annoyspeoplewhenyoulatercomebacktoadviseonarealisticbudget.

Are subcontractors allowed? Manyprovidersuseoutsidecontractors they trust forcertainprojectactivities.Let themknowifyouhaveanyconstraintshere.


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Are there project documentation requirements? Let the provider know if you need any project documentation (e.g. status update, user’smanual,etc.)and/orpresentationspreparedfortheproject.

Do you have a firm deadline for project delivery? Tell the provider if there are any specific dates or events that constrain the project’stimeframe.

Will there be revisions during the project? Doyouanticipateclarifications/revisionsduringtheproject?Ifyes,explainwhatandwhy.


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Any other practicalities? Isthiswebsitepartofamediastrategy/plan?Explainhowittiesintotheseotheractivities;arethereanylegalconstraintsinyourmarket?Doyouhaveasetofbrandguidelinesthatmustbecompliedwith?Areyoureceivingsupport fromasourcethatrequirestheuseoftheirlogoonthesite?Wherewilltheproviderobtainitandanyguidelinesassociatedwithitsuse?

Who is responsible for approval/acceptance? Whoinyourbusinesshastheauthoritytosignofftheworkthattheagencyproduces.Howwilltheyreview,teststageddeliveries,andsigneachoffascomplete?

Will you need support after completion? Is on-going support required from the agency following completion of the project tomaintainthewebsite(e.g.securityupgrades,etc.)and/ortomakeoccasionalchangestothesite?


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2. Website Requirements This is a detailed explanation (also known as Project Needs or ProjectSpecifications)ofwhat isneededordemanded fromtheproject. Inessence it iswhereyouwanttobepost-project.

Thissectionisusedtodefinethebusinessneeds,theproblemstobeaddressed,theimplementationmethodsandapproachestobeapplied,andyourdesiredgoalforthe project. The goal should be set in the context of your overall business andmarketing plan, as well as what you believe will be achievable by this specificprojectwithinyourproposedtimeframeandbudget.

Thisdefinitionofrequirements is themostcrucialpartof theproject. Incorrect,inaccurate,orexcessivedefinitionofrequirementsmayresultinscheduledelays,wastedresources,oryourdissatisfactionwiththefinaloutcome.

Everywebsiteisdifferentbutasingle-mindedandmeasurableobjectiveisusuallyapre-requisiteforsuccess.Typicalobjectivesaretoincreasesalesbyafactorof‘x’,to increase usage by ‘y’, awareness, image, reputation, profitability, customerprofile,shareholdervalue,responselevels,etc.

What website development services do you need? Whatkindofwebsitedesignservicesareyoulookingfor?Abrandnewfirsttimewebsite,acompletere-designofanexistingwebsite,maintenanceoforsmallupgrades/correctionstoanexistingwebsite?

What are the goals of the website? Whatareyourspecificshort,mediumandlong-termgoalsforthewebsite?


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How will the website be structured? Whatpagesdoyouhaveinmindforyourwebsite?Forexample,ahomepage,productspageandindividualproductpages,aboutus,contactus.Howmanyoverallpageswithhowmanydifferentstructures?

Do you require optimization for mobile devices? Wouldyoulikeyourwebsitetobeoptimisedformobileusersinanyspecificwayorwillatypicaldeviceandorientationresponsivesitesuffice?

How will you measure success? Describetheformsuccessandfailureinthisprojectwilltake.Howwillsuccessbemeasured?Whowillmeasureit?Aretherespecific‘objective’measurementsthatcanbeused?Howwillpaymentsbetiedtothosemeasurements?

Rememberthatyourwebsiteisonlypartofthemarketingandcommunicationsstrategyforyourbusiness.Itisasteponthepathofalongerjourney.Itcannotachievemiraclesinandofitself;itmerelyprovidesprogresstowardsyourbiggerandlonger-termcompanygoalsandshouldbemeasuredaccordingly.


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3. Company Overview TheCompanyOverview(alsoreferredtoasProduct&Market)shouldcontainthefollowinginformation,whererelevant:productorservicedescription(includingkey attributes and benefits); manufacturing or service delivery; distributionchannels;marketsize(volumeandvalue);customerusagedataifavailable;yourcompanybrand’spositioning;itshistoryofbrandcommunications,etc.

This section is used to define a more specific context for the project and todeterminethemostsuitableapproachesandmethodstobeused.

Above all, remember that despite every website being different, they are allintendedtoelicitsomeformofresponsefromaparticulargroupofpeople.Yourtargetgroupsshouldbeclearlydefinedandprioritisedasaccuratelyaspossible-usedemographics,lifestyle,productusage,attitudes,etc.

Equallyandperhapsmore importantare the insights thatyouhaveabout thesetargetgroups.Theseinsightscanbeusedasaplatformtobuildonandasaguideforthevariousdecisionsthatneedtobemade,inawaythatwillcreatethedesiredreaction.

What is the website’s primary audience? Defineyourwebsite’s targetaudience. Includeasmuchdetailaspossible. Ifyourwebsiteaudienceisdifferentfromyourcurrentcustomer/user/purchaserprofiledescribewhatthedifferenceis.Forexample,parents,particularlymothersofchildrenaged0-5years;retireesinthe55-65agegroup.

How do you want people to perceive your website? Writedown3-5adjectivesthatdescribehowausershouldperceiveyoursite.Forexample,conservative,progressive,friendly,formal,professional.


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4. Special Functionality TheSpecial Functionality (orAdditional Functionality) sectionof thebrief is anoverviewofspecificfeaturesthatyoumightwishtohaveonyourwebsite,andthatmightincreasethebudgetandtimefortheproject.

Itisusedtoplanandbudgetforfeaturessuchasanonlineshop,customerportal,memberinteraction,networking,etc.

Planningwebsitefunctionallyhelpstoseehowyourwebsitecanbecomemorethanjustaplatformforpromotionandselling.Withtime,itcanbecomeatooltobuildrelationshipswithyourcustomersandtoimproveyourservicedelivery.

Do you need a feedback form? Wouldyouliketoincludeafeedbackformcapturingsomeuserdetailsonyourwebsite?

Do you require eCommerce functionally? Doyourequireanonlinestoreonyourwebsite?

Do you require a member’s area? Amember’sareaprovidesmemberswithspecifictoolsandresourcesthatarenotavailabletonon-members.Wouldyouliketohaveamember’sareaonyourwebsite?


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Do you require a search facility? Wouldyouliketohaveasearchfacilityonyourwebsite?

Any other tools / features? Wouldyouliketoincludeanyspecifictoolsinthewebsite?Forexample:

• AContentManagementSystem(CMS)toallowyouorotherstoquicklyandeasilymanage,modify,edit,upload/remove/replacetheinformationonthewebsite.

• Theabilitytochangespecialoffersonproducts.• Shoppingcartfunctionalitytoenableasitevisitortobrowseandaddproductsto

theircartandlatertocompletethepurchase.• Aninteractiveonlinequotationbuildertoenablesitevisitorstoselectproductsthey

wantandtogetaquotebasedonvariousbulkquantities.• Training/online learning functionality to show videos and to supply training

materials.• Communityfeaturesoraforumtoenableuserstointeractwitheachother.• Other features–whatandwhere can thewebdevelopment company seeagood

example?


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5. Graphic Design GraphicDesign(alsoknownasWebsiteDesignorVisualDesign)istheprocessofarrangingwebsitecontenttoenhanceyourvisitor’sonlineexperience,totransmityourcompanyvaluesandtoevokeorreinforceadesiredemotionalresponse.

Itisusedtooptimizecommunicationwithyourvisitors,toorganizeinformationina cohesive and pleasing layout, and to improve the efficiency of contentpresentation.

Website design encompasses information architecture, interaction, interface,navigation,informationandvisualdesign.Itismuchmorethancoloursandfonts.

What is your company logo? Doyouhavealogo?Doyouhaveit indigital format?Canyougettheoriginal files fromwhoeversuppliedit?

What are your colour preferences? Doyouhaveanycolourpreferencesforyourwebsitedesign?

Itmightinterestyoutoknowthatdifferentcolourshavedifferentassociationsforus.Youshouldtrytousecoloursthatreflecthowyouwantyourbusinesstoberepresented:

• White:Innocence,cleanliness,space,neutrality,purity;• Black:Authority,power,strength,intelligence;• Grey:Neutral,timeless,practical,functional;• Red:Love,warmth,energy,intensity,blood;• Orange:Happy,excitement,enthusiasm,warmth,stimulation,prosperity;• Yellow:Laughter,optimism,warmth,hunger,attention-getting;• Green:Natural,growth,money,health,tranquillity,fertility;• Blue:Serenity,cold,wisdom,loyalty,truth,focus;• Purple:Wealth,sophistication,exotic,spiritual,creative,mystery;• Brown:Stability,friendship,sadness,security,organic;• Pink:Romance,gentle,calm,feminine,love.


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Do you have icons, favicons or images to use? Doyouhavespecificimagesoriconsthatyouwish,ordonotwish,tohaveinyourwebsite?

Any other colour/style ‘don’ts’? Arethereanycolourorstyleelementsthatyouwouldliketoavoidinthedesign?Alinktoaphotoorawebsitewouldbehelpfultoo.Forexample,“Acolourwewanttoavoidisbrightorangebecauseitseemstobeoverusedbyourcompetitorsatpresent.”

Can you provide examples of compelling websites? Listatleast3websitesthatyoufindcompellingandstatewhatinterestsyouaboutthesites.It doesn’t matter if they are related to your business or not - it’s about the navigationelements,style,colours,typographyandothervisualconceptandwhyyoulikethem.

Can you provide links to your competitors’ websites? Listat least3competitors’websites.Discusswhyyou think theyhave takenaparticularapproachandwhatyourthinkworksordoesnotworkabouteachsitee.g.theirmessage,the site structure (pages), the navigation elements, style, colours, typography and othervisualconceptsofnote.


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6. Website Analytics WebsiteAnalytics(alsoreferredtoasGoogleAnalytics)isthefunctionallyusedformeasuring website traffic. It’s also useful for business research and marketresearch, and for determining and improving upon the effectiveness of yourwebsite.

Thissection isused todefine therequirementsof theanalytics functionality foryourwebsiteandtodecideonthemostappropriatevendorforthoseanalytics.

Which website analytics tool do you want to use? Wouldyouliketohaveananalyticstool?Areyoualreadyusingatool,ifsowhichone?Doyouhaveaparticularpreferenceforatoolyouwouldlikethewebdevelopmentagencytouse?

What are your search keywords? What keywords might your typical customer use when searching for your products ofservices?Listasmanyasyoucanthinkofinorderofimportance.


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Should comprehensive keyword research be performed? Experts say that proper keywords take precedence over all other online marketingtechniques.Thepositionofyourwebsiteinasearchengine’slistofresultswilldependlargelyonyourkeywordchoices.Wouldyouliketheprovidertoconductcomprehensivekeywordresearchtorefineyourkeywordsandkeyphrases?

Is your metadata ready? Mostwebsites includemetadata (information about the length of documents, size of animage,author,publicationdate,summary,etc.).Searchenginesusethisdatawhenaddingpages to their search index.That iswhymetadatawill havea significant impact on thevisibilityofyourwebsiteinsearchengines.Lettheproviderknowwhereyouareplanningtosourceit,ifyoualreadyhaveit,orifyouwantthemtosourceit.


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7. Website Administration Thisisthespecificinformationneededbytheprovidertomakechangestoyourexistingwebsiteor tomakeanewone live.Theyneedthis informationtoallowthemtoimport,export,upload,makechangesandeditinformationinyourwebsitedatabases,CMSandothersystems.

Typicallyyouwillhaveonelocationwhereyourdomainname(thewwwaddressorURLyouwilluse) ishostedanda separate locationwhereyourwebsite (thepages,copyandimagestheyagencywillbuild)willbehosted.Theymaybeatthesameplace,buteitherwayyouwillneedtosupplythelogincredentialstoenabletheprovidertodotheirjob.

YoumightalsohaveanaccountwithsomeonelikeCloudFlaretoenhanceyoursite’sperformance and security, or an account with Google Analytics tomonitor andmeasuresitestatistics.Again,logincredentialsareessential.

Can you provide account credentials? Listall therelevantaccounts that theagencywill requireaccess toandsupply the logincredentialstheywillneed.

Itisquitecommonforwebdevelopmentcompaniestoretainthisinformationtoallowthemtoprovideongoingsupportandchanges.Ifyouareuncomfortablewiththis,youcanalwayschangethepasswordswhenthejobhasbeencompleted.

Always,alwaysensurethatyouhavethelogincredentialsforeveryaccountwhentheprojectis completed in theevent that there isadisputewith the supplieror that theygooutofbusiness.Ihaveseentoomanysmallbusinessessuffer,orgetblackmailedformoremoneytohandthedetailsover.Youneedaccesstoyourownaccountstoallowotherstotakeoveranymaintenanceandupgradessoensurethatyouhavethecredentialsyourselfatalltimesandinsistthattheagencydonotchangeyourpasswords.Theseareassetsofyourbusiness.

NOTE:Youshouldpreparethesecredentialsnowbutdonotsupplythemwhenlookingforquotations,simplysaytheyareavailableandwillbesuppliedtothewinningprovider.


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Which technologies do you want to use? Ifyoualreadyhaveawebsiteandknowwhichtechnologieswereused(e.g.WordPress,PHP,Laravel,Node.js,MongoDB,MySQL,etc.)theninformtheagency. Ifyouknowwhereyourwebsiteishostedthiscanbeimportantinformationsoincludethat.Iftherearetechnologiesyouparticularlywantthemtousethentellthemandexplainwhy.Theagencymaysuggestalternatives,andtheymaybebetter,ortheymayjustbetheirpreference.Toooften,theyarejustthe‘flavourofthemonth’,sobeware.

If you are getting into discussions about technologies then find yourself a broadlyexperiencedtechiewhounderstandsbusinessdecisions,orpostquestionsonQuora.com–youneedindependentpeoplegivingyouadviceonthis.Evenwhentheydo,youareoftenleftwithconflictingrecommendationssoalwaysgowiththeonethatmakesthemostsenseforyourbusiness.


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8. Additional Details Thelastsectioninanybriefiswhereyoudocumentanyfurtherinformationthatmightinfluencetheproject.

Itenablesyoutosupplycompleteproject informationandenhancetheagency’sunderstandingoftheproject.

Additional Details may take the form of brief comments, longer supportingdocumentsoranyotherinformationworthconsideringbeforestartingtheproject.

Any final comments? Ifyouhaveanyfinalcommentsorinstructionsfortheprovider,pleaseaddthemhere.

Additional Information? Ifyouhaveanyadditionaldocumentsthatmaybeofusetotheprovider,pleaseaddthemhereasappendices.Alternatively,mentioneachoneandputtheminanonline/offlinefolderyoucansharewiththeprovider.Thiscouldincludeusermanuals,functionalspecifications,designs,orevenmemosande-mails.

the website development brief · website development can include web design, web content...

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