Why one page, and why the same page to everyone
Most quotes are incomparable because each studio was told something different on a different call. One page, sent identically, fixes that. It also filters: a studio that quotes without asking a single question back has not read it, and a studio that asks good questions has told you how it works before you have paid anything.
A brief is also not a specification. Telling the designer the site needs twelve pages, a slider and the brand blue is telling a doctor which pills you want. Say what hurts and what better looks like; let them propose the treatment.
The eight things, in order
- The business, in two sentences. What you sell, where, to whom, since when. Include the things that make you different if there are any; say so if there are not.
- The job. The one thing the site must do: bring quote requests, sell products, take bookings, reassure people who were referred. If there are several, rank them.
- The current site, if any: the address, what works, what does not, what customers have said about it, and any numbers you have (visitors, enquiries).
- The customers: who they are, how they find you now, what they ask before buying, what makes them choose someone else.
- What you like, and why. Three sites, with a sentence each on what specifically. The why is what the designer can use; the sites alone are not.
- What must carry over: domain, existing content, product data, booking or payment systems, email marketing, tracking.
- Budget range and deadline. Hiding the budget wastes everyone’s time and gets you quotes at three different scales. A range is fine.
- How you will judge success in six months. Enquiries a month, sales, position for a search, load time. If you cannot name one, that is worth discovering now.
What to leave out
- Page counts. The designer proposes the pages from the customers’ questions.
- Feature lists. A slider, a chatbot, animations: say what the visitor needs to do, not which widgets.
- Colour and font preferences, unless you have brand guidelines, in which case attach them.
- Company history beyond a sentence. It goes on the about page, not in the brief.
- Jargon from your trade. Write it as you would explain the business to a neighbour.
The one-page template
| Heading | What to write |
|---|---|
| About us | What we do, where, for whom, since when. What makes us different, if anything. |
| What the site must do | The one job, then any others in order. |
| Current site | Address; what works; what does not; any numbers. |
| Our customers | Who; how they find us now; what they ask before buying; why they choose others. |
| Sites we like | Three, each with why. |
| Must carry over | Domain, content, systems, tracking. |
| Budget and timing | A range, and when it must be live. |
| Success in six months | The number we will look at. |
Source: Cybrial’s own intake. The enquiry form on this site asks a shortened version of the same eight.
What a good studio asks you back
The reply tells you more than the quote. Expect questions about the customers and the job, not about colours. Expect to be told something you did not want to hear: that a redesign will not fix a traffic problem, that a feature you asked for will slow the site, that you should fix the Google Business Profile before spending on pages. Expect a plain price or range in the first reply, and a clear statement of who will own the domain, hosting and code. A studio that replies with a mock-up and no questions has designed for itself.
