How to write a website brief for a new business

Start with the customer, not the pages

A website can’t fix an unclear offer by looking polished. So the brief starts with three plain questions: who do you serve, what problem do you solve for them, and why would they choose you over the alternatives? Use the words your customers would use. If you have several audiences, pick the one that matters most for launch.

Then describe the one thing you want a suitable visitor to do next: send an enquiry, book a call, buy something, or visit you in person. These are very different journeys. A site that helps someone decide whether to hire a consultant needs different content from one selling a standard product.

List the questions that stop people acting

Write down what a customer needs to know before they take that step. What exactly do you offer? Is it for someone like me? What happens after I get in touch? Why should I trust you? How much does it roughly cost? How do I reach you?

Those questions shape your page structure far better than a generic list of sections. For a specialist consultancy, a clear service description and one relevant example might do more than a big portfolio. For a new local shop, opening hours, what’s in stock and an easy way to call might be everything.

Gather honest evidence

Collect proof you can stand behind: your experience, qualifications, examples of work, testimonials (with permission) and clear descriptions of what you do. If you’re a new company, be careful to separate your personal track record from the new business’s clients. “Before starting the business, I spent ten years at...” is honest and still persuasive.

Avoid logo walls and impressive statistics you can’t explain. If your evidence is thin, be specific instead: about the service, the process and what’s included. Clear expectations build more trust than vague claims.

Plan the content before the visuals

Make a simple content list for the launch pages. For each item, note who’s responsible and whether it exists, needs editing or has to be written from scratch. Include photos, logo files, contact details, opening hours and legal information as well as the main copy.

Google’s guidance on helpful content keeps coming back to the same idea: write for real people, and make it clear who’s behind the site. For a new business, that means publishing information that helps a customer decide, not padding the site with pages for the sake of it.

Decide what’s in the first release

Split the brief into launch essentials and later ideas. A focused first version that works is better than a big site that’s half-finished. Define the pages, forms or booking routes you need, and only the integrations you really need on day one.

Then answer the practical questions:

• Who owns the domain and the platform accounts?
• Who can update the content after launch?
• Who answers enquiries, and how quickly?
• What accessibility and performance checks are included?
• What data do you collect, and which privacy notices do you need?
• Who handles updates, backups and support?

If you’re a UK limited company, your site also needs your registered company name, number and registered office address. It’s easy to forget and it’s a legal requirement.

Use the brief to choose who helps you

A brief doesn’t need to dictate the final layout or technology. It should make your business needs, responsibilities and constraints clear enough to compare approaches. Visual references are useful, but say what you like about them rather than asking for a copy.

Digital Foundations brings your brand essentials, website and launch presence into one agreed scope. Tell us about your business and your launch plans and we’ll start with the decisions that matter.