Developing and executing the perfect marketing strategy for your company is difficult. We are happy to give you a helping hand.
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The existing website needs a makeover. A new successful website does not just happen; an Internet agency needs good input for it. About why your briefing should be as complete as possible, we’ve written before. We have also provided some helpful documents. Download them below:
As an Internet agency, we’ve seen a lot of briefings go by. The form and content varies widely, leading us to suspect that there is quite a bit of ambiguity about the perfect website brief. That’s why we want to get you started on this page.
With a website brief, you tell agencies what you need and what you expect from them. This helps to see if you can work well together. The brief states what is important to you in an online partner. The goal is to see if an Internet agency is a good fit for you before you talk further and make a choice. We place enormous value, beyond the desired functionalities, on the kind of desk you’re looking for. You are going to work together for a long time. It is best to send this information to three different agencies.
The ideal website brief as we envision it, consists of six parts or chapters – from introduction to budget indication. In our white paper, we go through them with you one by one, giving you a guide to preparing your website briefing from start to finish. Below you can see all the components we would include in a clear briefing:
First, you want to give prospective Internet agencies the opportunity to get into your skin. That way, they understand your needs and requirements a lot better, resulting in a partner that actively thinks along and offers customized solutions. Also, the final result-the new website-then better aligns with your proposition, which in turn leads to better conversions. Indicate what in the current website is not working to your liking, or if you are not currently achieving current goals.
In the introductory piece of your briefing, then, tell concisely about your organization. What kind of company or institution are you? What is your mission and vision and what are the goals, especially when it comes to your online presence? How much organic traffic do you have on the current website? Who are the competitors and what sets you apart? It is important that agencies look into your organization and want to learn more. The more information, the better!
In this section of the Web site briefing, you tell what areas of concern you have. These are not rock-hard, measurable requirements, but rather general prerequisites that you take for granted. This is valuable information for creating your new website and achieving your goals.
This could mean, for example, that a Web site should be search engine friendly, easy to manage with different roles for contributors, examples of Web sites and that you want good security.
Make sure you make it clear what the website is for. By giving a good briefing to an Internet agency candidate, they can give you a good recommendation. It is important to put clear agreements in writing to avoid disappointment in the future.
The tougher, functional requirements deserve their own chapter. Here you tell how many websites you need, whether you want versions in multiple languages, what hosting you care about, what external systems you want to link to, and whether you want the site to be accessible to people with disabilities.
Some Internet agencies choose standard solutions, such as Elementor or Webflow (templates). This will get your website online in the new house style faster and cheaper, however, it is less likely that you can properly build in complex links at a later date.
Proper security and maintenance is often underestimated. Many different types of attacks are carried out every day. That’s a good reason to properly protect your new website. A website needs continuous maintenance to ensure security and speed. To unburden you, the right party can take care of this for you. Ask yourself if you would want this. Are you having the hosting done by another party? What functionalities need more care to keep this always up-and-running ?
You can also tell us here what your content migration requirements are: do you want to migrate (some of) the current content to your new website(s), or will you provide new content? This can play a big role in planning and the final budget. Having an Internet agency create and post the content can greatly relieve your internal marketing team. You do need a larger budget for this and they may make different choices “content-wise.
It can be difficult to write down a good brief for your new website. We have prepared everything you need: white paper (information and explanation), checklist, template (.docx).
The beauty of a website brief is that the client is king. You are in control and get to set the terms – compare it to a tender for a construction project. And among those terms in your brief are the requirements you set for the Internet agency’s presentation or pitch.
The presentation can be held online, or you can invite people on location. How long should it last? What content do you expect? What compensation do you offer the web builder for the time and effort taken?
It is also important for the Internet agency to know what deadlines you have in mind for the various goals. Due to other ongoing jobs, the web builders can see if your project is feasible. In this regard, it is nice for both parties if you create some slack, in case a technical challenge or content delivery causes a delay.
This is not just about planning the project, but also the decision or selection criteria. The Internet agency is going to put time and effort into the presentation. So being transparent is not a problem.
Another item important to Internet agencies is the available budget. Not always is there a real budget available and sometimes an agency is pushed to the limits of its creativity to implement the desired solutions. In other cases, there is more than enough budget available and it does not need to be addressed in its entirety. It is good if a range is sent along. That way everyone knows immediately where they stand.
Either way, it is wise to break down this budget into the one-time amount for updating or building the new website; the ongoing development process; and the online marketing(if any). Should the need arise, you have the ability to delete things.
If you work hard to create a clear explanation for your website, there may still be questions. Some functionalities take a little more effort. It’s smart to say at the end that they can ask questions. Then everyone knows the same thing and it’s fair to all the companies you ask to help. You can give the questions and the answers you give to anyone.
If all goes well, you have already gotten a good idea of all the topics. It is important that you choose the desk you are most comfortable with. This will help you properly compare different Internet companies. Make it easier on yourself and download our ready-made downloads now:
Are you ready? We are happy to check with you to make sure everything is clear or complete. Send your document to [email protected]. You get quick advice from an expert in Internet marketing who has had experience since 2006. Hope you can share the new website on social media soon!
