1. Define the audience and the next action
Describe who the website serves and what visitors should do next. A manufacturer might want buyers to find a product category and request a quote. A service business might help visitors choose a service and make an inquiry. These scenarios guide the page structure and design decisions.
- Name the primary audience, their main question and the page that should answer it.
- Decide what counts as success: a delivered inquiry, a booking request or another completed action.
2. Separate page types from functionality
List page types such as home, services, projects, products and contact. List search, filters, forms, languages and content editing separately. Ten pages sharing a layout have a different scope from ten screens with distinct workflows. Separate launch essentials from later additions.
If content editing is needed, specify who will change which fields. Describe payment, membership or integration workflows in plain language. An e-commerce interface and the systems handling orders, payments and stock need separate scope decisions.
3. Assign content and decision owners
Review existing copy, images, product information and translations. Identify what is ready, what needs revision and what must be created. Use approved company information and images you can publish. Missing content affects layout decisions, so make those gaps visible before the proposal.
- Name the person preparing each content group and the person approving it.
- Assign checks for translations, terminology, contact details and project examples.
- Record domain and hosting account ownership; keep passwords out of the brief.
4. Make usability and accessibility concrete
Alongside visual references, describe how people will use the site. Include finding a service on a small screen, navigating by keyboard, understanding a form error and enlarging text. If the design includes animation, discuss the experience for visitors who prefer reduced motion.
- Navigation and forms need clear labels, visible keyboard focus and readable contrast.
- Meaningful images need useful descriptions; important content and actions should remain available across screen sizes.
5. Plan URL migration when replacing a site
Inventory important URLs, downloads and content receiving external links. Map each changed address to its relevant replacement. Avoid sending every old page to the homepage when a closer match exists.
Review page titles, descriptions, preferred URLs, language alternatives and the sitemap together. Check redirects, internal links and missing-page responses on the live site. Technical SEO helps search engines understand the site; it does not guarantee a particular ranking.
6. Compare proposals by responsibility and scope
Check which page types, content tasks, integrations and validation steps are included. Clarify revisions, approvals, change requests and responsibility for third-party costs. If you have a fixed launch date, share content deadlines and decision dependencies as well.
- Ask for separate descriptions of design, development, content entry, migration, hosting and maintenance.
- Distinguish post-launch defect fixes, new features and ongoing maintenance.
7. Agree on observable acceptance checks
Share the checklist before work begins. Record passed checks, outstanding tasks and their owners. Performance results should name the page, device conditions and test time. A single laboratory score cannot describe every visitor's experience.
- Agreed pages and language versions load with approved content; navigation and links work.
- Successful and failed form submissions are tested, and a test inquiry reaches the intended destination.
- Mobile usability, keyboard access and basic readability checks are complete.
- Migration redirects, page titles and sitemap entries match the live URLs.
- Account ownership, editing instructions, support scope and handover documentation are delivered.