Having a website built: a checklist for working well together

You do not need to write a hundred-page technical specification before commissioning a website. You should not have to design the page structure or choose the technology either. Those are part of my job. What I do need is reliable information about the business. Without it, even a good web developer has to make decisions based on assumptions.

These nine points cover the preparation most projects need:

1. Define the purpose of the website and the visitor’s main action.
2. Decide which services or products have priority.
3. Describe your customers and the questions they ask before buying.
4. Confirm which prices, conditions and facts may be published.
5. Collect existing copy, photographs, logos and other material.
6. List the functions and connected systems you need.
7. Find out who controls the domain, hosting and current website.
8. Give a budget range and the genuine target launch date.
9. Appoint a coordinator and decide who gives final approval.

This does not need to become a perfect brief. One document, an email exchange or a conversation can be enough. I mainly need to understand the facts, priorities and boundaries of the project.

A brief should start a conversation, not feel like an exam

OROS does not currently use one universal questionnaire that every client must complete before the first contact. I prepare for each project separately. I look at the business, its market and the current website, then work out which questions could change my proposal.

I personally prefer to collect information gradually in writing. I send a small set of questions, the client can check the facts or ask a colleague, and I then follow up on the next point. The answers remain available when I prepare the proposal and website. Written communication also gives both sides more time to be precise when they do not share the same first language.

A video call can still be useful. A live conversation sometimes reveals more context in less time and lets me ask the next question immediately. A short introduction also makes the relationship personal. The client knows who is responsible for the work and whom they will speak to during the project. For a small business, I consider that a positive sign.

A combination often works well. We collect most information in writing and use a short video introduction or call for a difficult decision. Every stage does not need a meeting. We confirm the main decisions in writing afterwards so that both sides have one record of what was agreed.

I see little value in sending the same hundred questions to a photographer, an online shop and a company with a long sales process. The client will skip a large part or fill it in mechanically. I would rather ask fewer questions that fit the business and the assignment.

The first answers normally lead to a few targeted follow-ups. I review the market, propose a direction and bring unclear points back to the client. That process gradually produces an agreed scope with the right pages and functions.

What should a website brief include?

A website brief describes the business problem and its boundaries. It does not need to design the solution before a specialist has reviewed it. If you do not yet know how many pages you need or which technology fits, leave those decisions open. The business context matters more.

Website brief example: copy this template

Copy the text below into an email or document and add short answers. Anything you do not yet know can be discussed during the intake.

Company and current website:
Reason for the new website or change:
Main purpose of the website:
Primary audience and service area:
Priority services or products:
Prices, conditions and facts that may be published:
Available copy, photographs and brand material:
Help needed with content:
Required pages and functions:
Domain, hosting, CMS, CRM and other existing systems:
What the first version must include:
Budget range:
Target launch date and the reason for that date:
Main contact:
Who gives final approval:
Where all feedback will be collected:

Do not add passwords or recovery codes to this brief. At this stage, only list the systems and the person who can provide access through a safe method.

What should you explain about the business?

Do not start with a favourite colour or an attractive example website. Start with the reason someone will visit the page.

Which service or product category matters most? Who are you trying to sell it to? Where does the company operate? What do customers ask before contacting you? What makes them hesitate? What should they do on the website: call, send a message, book, request a price or pay immediately?

A web developer can review competitors and see how similar businesses explain their offer. Internal priorities still need to come from the client. A website might give equal space to five categories of machinery. If the company wants to sell one category more actively, I cannot reliably derive that from market research.

The same applies to prices, warranties, service areas, delivery times and other claims. I can help make them clearer. The company must supply or confirm the facts.

What should you give the web designer?

Start by collecting what already exists: the logo and source files, photographs, service descriptions, price lists, presentations, manuals, reviews and examples of completed work. For an existing website, I also need its address and a list of known problems. Available analytics can show which pages people already visit.

The material does not need to be ready for publication. Rough copy, a table of prices and an unsorted folder of photographs are more useful than a promise to send everything later. I can then assess what is usable, what is missing and who will prepare the rest.

Missing copy or images do not necessarily stop a project. We agree in advance what the client will prepare and what I will take on. With enough information, I can propose the structure, write the copy and define a visual direction. The client checks the facts and approves the final version.

Check that the material can be used on the website. Record where photographs, partner logos, reviews and other files came from. This prevents unclear material being placed online without permission.

Describe functions by what they need to achieve

You do not need to know product names or technical terminology. Explain what needs to happen.

After an enquiry, for example, the details may need to enter the CRM. A visitor may need to choose an appointment, pay for an order or receive an initial calculation. Perhaps a member of staff needs to edit certain pages after launch.

This description gives me enough to propose an approach and ask focused follow-up questions. A CRM, payment service, booking system or calculator will require access and agreed rules. One line saying “connect the CRM” can hide several different business processes.

Do not place passwords or recovery codes in an ordinary brief or email. At first, it is enough to list the accounts, who owns them and who can grant access. We agree a safe way to transfer sensitive information separately.

Who should be the contact person?

One contact person makes the work easier when they have information and authority. Simply naming an employee is not enough.

In one anonymised example, an owner handed the communication to a department manager. The employee could answer some questions but did not know the product priorities and was not authorised to approve key decisions. When I asked for specifics, the answer was: “Review it yourself and choose.” Every proposal then still had to go back to the owner.

The owner believed the project had been delegated. The employee was waiting for the owner. The developer kept communicating but did not receive the information needed to build the right website.

At that point there are two options: wait or continue on assumptions. I prefer to obtain confirmation first. I can produce an attractive page without it, but it may promote the wrong service, speak to the wrong customer or publish a claim the company did not intend to make.

When should the owner take part personally?

In a microbusiness, the owner is usually best placed to explain the offer, customers and direction of the company. Their involvement is particularly useful at the beginning. An assistant can gather photographs, documents and minor corrections later.

A small or medium-sized business can appoint a coordinator. That person gathers materials, combines comments and obtains answers from colleagues. Agree which decisions the coordinator may make and when the owner or head of a department needs to be involved.

A larger organisation still benefits from one main contact. Marketing, sales, IT and legal colleagues review the parts they understand. The coordinator makes sure I receive one final answer rather than four separate versions of the assignment.

The owner does not need to attend every conversation. Their input matters when we define the purpose and positioning, when the budget or scope changes and when a decision affects the business itself. Gathering information can be delegated. A decision should only be delegated to someone with the knowledge and authority to make it.

Keep all feedback in one place

For my projects, I prefer one email thread or shared document. The history remains available and I can check the comments before the next stage.

If the client prefers a messaging app, create one group containing everyone responsible for the project. Private messages from several employees, some corrections in WhatsApp, other comments by email and another list in a separate tool create confusion. I then have to work out which response is current and who approved it.

A video call can help resolve a difficult point, but it should not be the only place where decisions are made. Record the outcome in the main project channel afterwards. Otherwise, a week later everyone is trying to reconstruct the agreement from memory.

Resolve conflicting comments inside the company before sending them. One colleague asks to make a button larger, another wants it removed and a third sends replacement copy directly. I can explain the consequences of each option, but I cannot settle an internal disagreement for the client.

Useful feedback explains what is not working and what the person wants to achieve. “This section does not feel convincing yet” gives me more to work with than an instruction to double the size of everything. Once I understand the reason, I can propose an appropriate solution.

Separate errors, required changes and personal preferences. A typo can be corrected immediately. A new service or extra page changes the assignment, so its effect on time and cost needs to be assessed separately.

Budget and launch date belong in the brief too

A budget range helps me propose a suitable scope. It is not an attempt to spend the maximum amount. Without financial boundaries, we can spend a long time discussing an approach that is not viable for the project.

A target date also needs context. “As soon as possible” does not explain what happens if the website launches a week later. An advertising campaign, opening or trade show creates a real deadline. We can then decide what the first version must include and what can move to a later phase.

An initial conversation or quote request does not reserve time in my diary. The start date is confirmed after the assignment, scope and price are agreed, the deposit is received and the essential information is available. For typical timings, read how long it takes to have a website built.

The client keeps final approval

I am happy to make independent decisions when I have enough information. I begin by asking questions, review the market and then present the solution I believe fits the assignment.

Independent work does not mean the client has nothing to check. The owner or authorised employee reviews prices, services, claims, legal information and the main priorities. Even when the client does not want to write the copy or select images, they confirm that the final website represents the business accurately.

It helps to assign these five responsibilities before the project starts. In a small company, one person may hold several roles.

Good preparation does not need to become bureaucracy

I do not need a perfect document. Honest answers, access to people who understand the business and a clear way to make decisions are enough to start.

The intake can happen in writing or during a conversation. I review the market and help turn the initial request into a defined assignment. After a few follow-up questions, we record the scope, materials, roles and approval points. The client retains control without having to become a web designer or project manager.

Are you planning a website, or is an existing project stuck between several employees and suppliers? Describe the situation in writing. I will identify which information is missing, who needs to join the decision and what the next practical step could be. You can also use the website calculator for an initial project indication.

FAQ

What should I provide when commissioning a website?

Provide the goal, audience, priority services or products, confirmed facts and conditions, available copy and images, required functions and information about existing accounts. The material can still be rough. Do not include passwords or recovery codes in an ordinary email or brief.

Do all copy and photographs need to be ready before the project starts?

No. Agree who will create the missing material and when it will be needed. OROS can help with structure, copy and visual direction when the client supplies the facts and approves the final version.

Who is the best contact person for a website project?

Choose someone who understands the purpose, can obtain answers from colleagues and has clear authority. If final approval remains with the owner, agree in advance when their input will be needed.

How should I give feedback on a web design?

Combine comments in one email, document or shared group. Resolve contradictions inside the company first. Explain the problem and the desired result so the web designer can recommend a suitable solution.

Can a web designer create the brief with me?

Yes. At OROS, the intake can take place through a short brief, a written conversation or a video call. Daniel reviews the business in advance, asks focused follow-up questions and turns the answers into a proposal and agreed scope.

Is a video call required for a website project?

No. Most information can be collected gradually by email or in one messaging channel. A short video introduction can be useful for getting acquainted or discussing a difficult issue. Other stages do not require video, and decisions are confirmed in writing afterwards.

What should a website brief include?

Include the reason for the project, goal, audience, priority offer, available content, functionality, existing systems, expected scope, budget, target date and decision-making roles. You do not need to choose the technical solution in advance.

Do I need a complete website brief to request a quote?

No. A realistic first proposal needs at least the goal, approximate scope, main functions, state of the content, budget range and a clear approval process. OROS can collect the remaining information in writing or during a call.

About the author

Daniel Orosz

Web developer & founder

Daniel builds websites and digital systems from Kerkrade. He has worked with web technology for more than 16 years and explains complex choices in plain language.

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