20 min

How to Create a Brief for a Professional Website

Learn how to create a complete professional website briefing: objective, target audience, page map, visual identity, content, functionalities, and approval criteria.

O que você vai conseguir: Complete website briefing ready to share with the agency or developer.

Ferramentas necessárias

  • Google Docs — To write and share the briefing with the team.
  • Google Sheets — To map pages, functionalities, and deadlines.

Passo a passo

  1. 1
    Define the main objective of the website.

    Respond clearly: should the site generate leads (contact form, WhatsApp)? Sell products? Present a portfolio? Inform and build authority? The objective defines the structure, the main CTA, and the success metrics. A site with a vague objective becomes a site that does not convert.

  2. 2
    Map the target audience and the persona.

    Describe who will access the site: age range, profession, position, city, pain points, objections, how they search online, and what devices they use. The more specific the briefing, the better the design, copy, and UX decisions will be. If you have documented personas, attach them to the briefing.

  3. 3
    List all the pages and their functions.

    Create a page map: Home, About, each Service (one page per service or a general one?), Portfolio or Cases, Blog, Contact, Privacy Policy. For each page, write 2 lines about what it should communicate and what action the visitor should take at the end.

  4. 4
    Define visual identity and references.

    Information: Does the logo already exist and in what format (AI, SVG, PNG)? What are the brand colors (hex code)? What is the typography? Share links to 3 to 5 websites that you visually admire. Also, make it clear what you do not want.

  5. 5
    Gather all the necessary content.

    List everything that needs to be produced: texts for each page, professional photos, videos, client testimonials, partner logos. For each item, define who produces it (you or the agency?) and the delivery deadline. The lack of content is the main cause of delays in website projects.

  6. 6
    Specify integrations and functionalities

    List each necessary feature: contact form, WhatsApp button, online chat, blog, members area, CRM integration, e-commerce, scheduling system. Each feature has a development cost — list all to avoid surprises during the project.

  7. 7
    Establish deadlines, budget, and approval criteria.

    Define: expected delivery date (professional sites take 4 to 12 weeks), maximum budget available, who are the internal people that need to approve, how many rounds of revisions are included in the contract. Clear rules prevent projects that never finish.