Website Brief Template: What to Prepare Before You Hire a Designer
Short answer: before you hire a designer, prepare your goals, audience, list of pages, key features, examples you like, the content you have, your brand assets, domain and hosting details, budget range and deadline. A one- or two-page brief gets you accurate quotes and a faster project. You can also use our website brief template.
A vague request like “we need a website” gets vague quotes that are hard to compare. A clear brief means every designer quotes for the same thing.
| Brief section | Example |
|---|---|
| Goal | “Get 20 quote requests a month from Nairobi homeowners” |
| Audience | “Homeowners aged 30–55 in Nairobi and Kiambu” |
| Pages | Home, About, Services (4), Projects, Contact |
| Features | Quote form, WhatsApp, gallery, blog |
| Examples | Two sites you like, and why |
| Content | “We have a logo and photos, need help with text” |
| Budget | A range, e.g. KES 65,000–95,000 |
| Deadline | “Live before end of next month” |
1. Goals
What should the website achieve? More calls, online sales, bookings, credibility with investors? Measurable goals help the designer make the right choices.
2. Audience
Who are your customers, where are they and what do they need to know before contacting you?
3. Pages
List the pages you think you need. A designer can refine it, but a starting list speeds things up.
4. Features
Contact forms, WhatsApp button, online shop, M-Pesa, bookings, member logins, multiple languages. Each feature affects price and time.
5. Examples you like
Share two or three websites you like and say what you like about them: layout, colours, simplicity.
6. Content
Say what you have: text, photos, videos, testimonials. Missing content is the most common cause of delay. Read how long it takes to build a website.
7. Brand assets
Logo files, colours and fonts. If you don’t have a brand yet, see branding and logo design.
8. Domain, hosting and email
Do you already own a domain? Who has the login? Read .co.ke or .com.
9. Budget range
Sharing a range helps the designer recommend what’s possible. Our sites start from KES 65,000 (USD 600). See our website cost guide.
10. Deadline and decision-maker
When do you need it live, and who approves the work?
What happens next with us
We review your brief on a discovery call, then send a fixed written quote that doesn’t change. You pay a 60% deposit, we build, you review on a preview link and pay the balance at launch, with handover training included.
We’ve delivered 1,200+ projects since 2012 and are rated 5.0 on Google.
Frequently asked questions
What is a website brief?
A short document describing your goals, audience, pages, features, content, budget and deadline.
How long should a brief be?
One or two pages is enough for most business websites.
Do I need all my content before I hire a designer?
No, but say what you have and what you need help with, so it’s planned into the timeline.
Should I share my budget?
Yes. A range helps the designer recommend the right scope.
Can you help me write the brief?
Yes. We go through it with you on the discovery call.
Brief ready, or want help writing one?
Book a call and we’ll go through your brief together, or help you write it. During working hours (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm EAT) we reply within minutes on phone or WhatsApp at +254 705 828 000.
Prefer it in writing? Request a quote.
Written by Vincent Ochieng, founder of Butterfly Prime Solutions (since 2012). Last updated: 7 November 2026.
