When taking the first steps to working with a website development team, many people underestimate how much information they need to provide about their initial details as well as the project timeline to get the best return from their investment.
Ignoring how important a brief is will start your collaboration with a web development agency in London on the wrong foot. A brief not only explains what you want to create, but it also aligns everyone's expectations, minimizing delays and limiting the amount of revisions needed. Whether it's launching an e-commerce site, changing your branding, or fixing some glitches, the guidance you provide will directly impact your website from day one.
Now, accelerated project timelines don't just mean getting the work done quickly; What impresses them most is the communication and precise planning between the teams. The right brief will help a web developer prevent scope creep, establish a workable schedule, and reduce ambiguity. So how do you make sure your standards are up to par?
We explain the essential characteristics of a strong web development direction below, providing practical tips and tricks to ensure you collaborate efficiently with your team for a successful outcome.
What are your business objectives?
Let's start with the basics. Why are you updating your current website (or creating a completely new website)? Business owners often go wrong when they focus all their attention on the features and looks of their web design rather than what it's actually for.
It is important to ask yourself:
● What are the most important outcomes you hope to achieve from this project?
● Should this project generate new leads, increase brand awareness, improve reliability, reduce customer frustration or increase your online bookings/sales?
● Once launched, how are you looking to measure its success?
These clear objectives will provide website developers with the insight and expectations to prioritize what is right for you. They will also provide you with the most suitable technical solutions.
Who is your target audience?
Users navigating your site will have their own set of expectations. These are the people we're trying to impress, not only with the product you offer, but also with the website experience. Understanding your audience and providing this information to the web agency helps create a site that delivers the right message, design, and functionality, ultimately leading to happier, paying customers.
Include audience details in your brief; These may be:
● Demographics of people browsing, including their age, location, jobs, interests, etc.
● Their behavior, from how they use your new website to the actions they take.
● Current challenges these potential customers may face and how you plan to solve them.
Providing this context early reduces guesswork for developers and designers, resulting in faster decision making and improved end results.
Scope and Features
Can you guess a website developer's worst nightmare? A vague, evolving scope of work. This is one of the biggest reasons why many such projects are running ahead of schedule, creating friction between teams. Your brief should be specific, think about:
● Core functionality of your new and improved site, from membership login and e-commerce features to search capabilities.
● Always reference how many pages you will need with any template.
● Your design requirements, including layout, avoidable features and most importantly, the branding guidelines of the business.
● Along with a brief description, send your website designer any copywriting, third-party integrations, and existing content that should be added to your pages.
You can always explain these projections in business terms if it's easier for you. The agency you are working with can translate this into a technical approach to the project.
Branding and style guidelines
Making assets available is a big advantage, as designers and developers will waste less time guessing. Providing clear direction when it comes to branding and styling saves time from creating mock-ups that meet your expectations and guidelines.
Your branding and styling assets can have these characteristics:
● Examples of competitor websites that you like and why you like them
● Your logo and other relevant images
● Color palettes and typography preferences
● Message and tone of voice
● Any other branding elements you deem necessary
Visual direction doesn't have to be complicated, but developers and designers do need to have an identity of your brand before they can get started.
What is your ideal timeline?
Deadlines not only keep things on track, they also keep everyone on the same page. Instead of a deadline for the entire project, ask your agency to provide a clear tracker for all stages of the website development process.
These steps may be:
- Discovery Call and Briefing Deadline
- Design mock-up and first phase approval
- front-end development
- back-end development
- quality assurance
- testing and refinement
- launch day
- Post-launch support if previously agreed
For accountability, reference points, and seamless project management, these clear steps will allow everyone to monitor progress, without the team feeling micromanaged or pressured to reassure you that the process is on the right track.
Other factors to keep in mind while hiring a website development agency:
● Technical access to hosting, CMS and third-party tools to avoid delays
● Clear communication roles and response expectations to prevent barriers
● Testing parameters defined to ensure quality before launch
● Support post-launch expectations to maintain continuity and success
So what did we learn?
A polished brief is much more than a basic document to hand to someone who works for you. It can be a strategic tool that defines alignment on your business objectives, scope of work, relevant brand assets, required technical access, and timelines. Providing information to your prospective web development agency before starting a project will ensure high quality of work as well as quick turnaround. Align your expectations with those of your website developer, and watch the success of your partnership blossom.