Most website projects that go over budget or over deadline do so because the brief was vague. Not because the designer was poor or the client was difficult, but because the project started without a clear shared understanding of what was being built and why.
Preparing properly before your first conversation with a web designer is one of the most effective investments you can make in a website project. It does not need to be a formal document — but it does need to cover certain things.
Know what you want the website to do
This sounds obvious, but it is frequently skipped. "We want a new website" is not a brief. A brief explains what you want the website to achieve for your business.
Be specific. Do you want more phone enquiries? Online bookings? Applications for a programme? Sales of a product? A resource centre for existing clients? Each of these requires a different approach to design, structure, and functionality.
If you have an existing website, look at your analytics before the conversation. What pages are people visiting? Where do they drop off? What search terms are bringing them to the site? This data tells you what is working and what is not, and it helps a designer make better decisions.
Know your audience
Who are you trying to reach? Not in vague demographic terms, but specifically. A tuition centre might have two distinct audiences: parents researching options for their children, and older students booking directly. Each of those audiences has different questions, different concerns, and different points in a decision process when they arrive at the website.
The clearer you are about your audience and their mindset, the better the structural and messaging decisions the designer can make. If you serve multiple distinct audiences, say so — the navigation, the content hierarchy, and possibly the landing pages will need to reflect that.
Have your content sorted — or at least planned
Content is the most common reason website projects stall. Designers and developers can only build around what exists. If you arrive at a project without knowing what your pages will say, who is writing them, or whether you have photography, the timeline will extend accordingly.
At minimum, before briefing a designer, you should know:
- What pages the website will include (a rough sitemap)
- Who is responsible for writing the copy (you, a copywriter, or the agency)
- Whether you have brand photography or will need it sourced or created
- Whether any existing content from your current site is worth keeping
You do not need to have the copy written before the first conversation. But you need a plan for how it will be produced and by when.
Know your brand
If you have existing brand guidelines — logo files, colour codes, typography specifications — have them ready. If you are undergoing a rebrand alongside the website project, say so upfront, because the timeline and process are different.
If you have no formal brand guidelines but have been using consistent colours and fonts, note them down. Even informal brand information helps a designer work within what you have rather than starting from scratch.
If you want the designer to lead on brand direction, that is a legitimate brief — but it needs to be commissioned explicitly and costed accordingly.
Know your technical requirements
Think through any functionality the website will need beyond standard pages. Common examples include:
- A contact form with specific fields
- An online booking or appointment system
- A client portal or members area
- E-commerce functionality
- Integration with a CRM, email marketing platform, or booking software
- A blog or news section
- Multilingual content
Each of these adds complexity and cost. Being clear about which are essential at launch versus nice-to-have for a later phase helps a designer build a realistic scope and quote.
Have a budget range in mind
You do not need to know the exact number, but having a budget range in mind before the conversation is genuinely helpful. It allows the designer to tell you honestly what is achievable within that range rather than proposing a solution you cannot afford and then having to scale it back awkwardly.
If you do not know what things cost, ask. A straightforward question like "what would a site like X typically cost?" is a reasonable starting point. A good agency will give you a real answer.
Examples of what you like (and dislike)
Collect five to ten examples of websites in your sector or adjacent sectors that you find effective. Note specifically what you like about them — is it the layout, the tone of the copy, the use of photography, the simplicity of the navigation? Equally useful: examples of what you do not like, and why.
This is not about copying other websites. It is about giving the designer a reference point for your aesthetic sensibility and functional preferences that saves hours of iteration.
What to bring to the first meeting
To summarise: come with clarity on what you want the website to achieve, who it is for, what pages it will contain, who is producing the content, any technical requirements, and a rough budget range. Bring examples of websites you like. Have your existing brand files ready.
With that preparation in place, a first conversation with a web designer becomes genuinely productive rather than exploratory in all the wrong directions.
If you are at the stage of thinking about a new website and want to talk through your project, we are happy to have that conversation without pressure. Email info@ramdex.co.uk or message us on WhatsApp at +44 7931 272489.