A Website Brief Template for Small Businesses Hiring a Designer

Hiring a website designer can feel like trying to describe a place you have never been. You know the current site is not doing the job, but terms such as “modern,” “easy to use” and “good for SEO” do not give a designer much to work with.

A useful website brief turns those impressions into decisions: who the site is for, what visitors should do, which pages matter, what materials are available and what is outside the project. It does not need to be a polished specification. For a small business, a few clear pages of context are often more useful than a long document full of technical language.

This website design brief template for small business owners is designed to start a productive conversation. Fill in what you know, mark what you are unsure about, and use the gaps as questions for potential designers.

What a website brief should—and should not—do

A brief is a shared starting point, not a guarantee that the first design will be perfect. It helps a designer estimate the work, identify risks and propose a sensible approach. It also gives you a basis for comparing proposals: are two designers quoting for the same pages, content support and functionality?

You do not need to decide every detail before speaking to a designer. You should, however, be clear about the business problem. “We need a new website” is a request. “People cannot tell which areas we serve, so we get enquiries we cannot fulfil” is a problem a website can help address.

Website design brief template for small business

Copy the sections below into a document and answer them in plain language. Use “not sure yet” rather than guessing. Add links, examples or screenshots where they explain something more clearly than a paragraph.

1. Business and project overview

Business name and website: [Name, current URL, and any relevant social or booking profiles.]

What we do: [Describe your main products or services in two or three sentences. Explain what customers buy, not only how you describe the business internally.]

Why we are working on the website now: [For example: the site is hard to update, a new service needs explaining, mobile visitors struggle to book, or the business has changed.]

What needs to improve: [Name the observable issue. “The contact form is difficult to find” is more useful than “the site feels dated.”]

Launch timing: [Give a preferred date and explain any fixed reason, such as a seasonal opening. Note what is flexible.]

Example: “We are a two-person residential plumbing business serving the north side of Leeds. We want visitors to check our service area and request a callback. The current site lists services but does not make our coverage or emergency availability clear.”

2. Audience and the action you want visitors to take

Main audience: [Who is most likely to use the site? Include useful distinctions such as location, situation or level of familiarity with your service.]

What they need to know before acting: [Price range, eligibility, process, delivery area, qualifications, turnaround or other decision factors.]

Primary action: [Call, request a quote, book an appointment, buy a product, visit a shop or another specific action.]

Secondary actions: [For example, read a guide, compare packages or sign up for updates. Keep these secondary actions genuinely secondary.]

A business may serve several audiences, but naming every possible visitor as equally important makes design choices harder. If a dog groomer mainly wants local owners to book, the brief should say so, even if the site also needs to reassure landlords or refer existing customers to policies.

3. Scope: pages, content and functionality

Pages we know we need: [List likely pages, such as Home, About, Services, individual service pages, Pricing, FAQs and Contact.]

Pages or features we are unsure about: [Describe the question. For example: “Should each service have its own page?”]

Required functionality: [Forms, appointment booking, payments, search, customer accounts, language options, maps or integrations. Explain what each feature must let a visitor do.]

Content responsibilities: [Who will write, edit, photograph and approve each type of content? Note whether existing copy can be reused.]

Be specific about what “booking” means. A link to an external booking service is different from a custom booking flow with availability, deposits and automated messages. The distinction affects cost, testing and maintenance.

Page count is also more than a menu list. A service business with five distinct services may need five useful service pages, while a business offering similar options may be better served by one well-organized page. If search visibility is part of the goal, decide which customer questions and services deserve their own page. This small-business keyword checklist can help you prioritize topics without turning every phrase into a separate page.

4. Brand, examples and content materials

Brand materials available: [Logo files, colors, fonts, photography, product images, brand guidelines or printed materials.]

What should the site feel like? [Choose a few useful descriptors and explain them. “Friendly” might mean plain language and real staff photos, not bright colors or jokes.]

Sites or designs we like: [Add links and say what works: navigation, product photography, page layout, tone or another specific detail.]

What we do not want: [For example: stock photos that look unlike the business, long pages without headings, or an automatic pop-up on arrival.]

Examples are reference points, not instructions to copy another company’s design. A neighborhood bakery might like a large, appetizing image on a competitor’s homepage but need a more prominent opening-hours panel because walk-in visits are central to its business.

5. Practical requirements and constraints

Platform or existing setup: [Name the website platform if known. Include the domain registrar, hosting provider and any systems the site needs to connect to.]

Technical requirements: [List known needs, such as redirecting old URLs, keeping an existing email service, or connecting a payment provider.]

Accessibility and usability: [Note any requirements for keyboard use, readable text, captions, contrast, forms or other visitor needs.]

Privacy and compliance: [Mention data the site collects, such as enquiry details or payment information, and who will advise on applicable notices and consent.]

Accessibility should be considered during design, not treated as a decorative finish. The W3C’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) explain criteria including text alternatives, keyboard access and sufficient contrast. You can ask a designer how these considerations will be addressed, while recognizing that a site review is not a substitute for legal advice.

6. Budget, decision-making and measures of success

Budget range: [Give a realistic range if possible, and clarify whether it includes tax, writing, photography, hosting or ongoing support.]

Who will decide and approve: [Name the decision-maker, contributors and who gives final approval. Identify any dates when they are unavailable.]

How we will judge the project: [Choose outcomes the website can influence, such as more relevant quote requests, fewer calls asking basic questions, or easier updates by staff.]

How we will track it: [For example: form submissions, calls from the site, online orders, or a simple record of enquiry quality. Note any analytics already installed.]

“More traffic” is rarely enough as a success measure. A local accountant may prefer fewer enquiries from outside its service area and more requests from businesses that match its client profile. Your designer can help implement measurement, but the business needs to define what a useful enquiry or sale means.

How to use the brief when comparing designers

Send the same brief to each designer you are considering. Ask them to identify assumptions, explain what they would clarify first and list what their price includes. A proposal should make clear whether it covers content writing, mobile layouts, redirects, training, testing and post-launch fixes. These items are easy to overlook when comparing headline prices.

Pay attention to how a designer responds to uncertainty. A good fit will ask relevant questions and explain trade-offs, not simply agree to every feature. If your budget cannot cover custom booking and a full content rewrite, a designer might suggest launching with a simpler enquiry flow and improving the site in stages.

Before signing, confirm ownership and access: who controls the domain, hosting, design files and website account? Also agree how revisions work, what counts as a revision, and who is responsible for updates after launch.

Common brief-writing mistakes to avoid

• Listing solutions without the reason. Instead of demanding a chatbot, explain the recurring customer question it should answer. A clear FAQ may solve the problem with less complexity.
• Asking for every audience and action to be primary. Pick the most important visitor and next step. Other needs can be accommodated without giving them equal prominence.
• Assuming existing content is ready to reuse. Old copy may describe retired services, outdated prices or a different audience. Identify what needs review.
• Setting a deadline without naming dependencies. The launch date may depend on photographs, product details or approvals. State who supplies them and when.
• Leaving ongoing ownership vague. Agree who can edit the site, who handles updates and what support is available after launch.

FAQ

How long should a website design brief be?

There is no required length. A small business can often explain the project in a few pages. Prioritize clear answers and useful examples over filling space; a designer can follow up on missing details.

Do I need to know exactly how many pages I want?

No. List the pages you expect and flag uncertain ones. Explain the services, products and visitor questions the site must cover so the designer can recommend a structure.

Should I include a budget in the brief?

Yes, if you can. A range helps a designer suggest an appropriately scoped solution. Clarify what the budget includes and be open about which features could be delayed or simplified.

Who should write the website copy?

Agree this before work begins. You may provide drafts, hire a writer or ask the designer to include copywriting. In every case, a business expert should review details such as prices, service areas and claims.

Can I use the brief as a contract?

No. The brief describes needs and context; a contract or proposal should define deliverables, fees, schedule, responsibilities, ownership and revision terms. Make sure the signed agreement reflects the scope you have discussed.