How to brief a web agency so the quote means something
Three agencies, three quotes, wildly different numbers. Usually the brief is the reason. Here is what to put in it.
By the Mahnovas Digital studio. Published
If you have ever sent the same short email to three agencies and received quotes that differ by a factor of five, you are not alone. Each agency filled the gaps in the brief with its own assumptions. A clearer brief does not need to be long, but it does need to answer the questions that drive cost and risk.
What to include
Why the project exists
Describe the business problem, not the solution. "We get plenty of traffic but too few quote requests" is far more useful than "we need a new homepage". Add how you will know the project worked, such as more qualified enquiries, fewer support calls or launch in a new market.
Who the website is for
List your main audiences, the countries and languages involved, and what each audience needs to do on the site. If you sell to businesses, mention who is involved in a purchase decision.
What exists today
Share your current site, analytics access if you can, and what works and does not. Mention your platform, hosting and anything that must stay, such as a CRM or booking system.
Scope
- Approximate number and types of pages, for example a homepage, eight service pages and a blog.
- Features such as forms, booking, ecommerce, member areas or calculators.
- Integrations with other systems.
- Languages and whether translations exist or need to be produced.
Content
Be clear about who writes copy, who provides photography and who moves existing content. Content is the most common cause of delays, and it changes quotes significantly.
Budget and timeline
Sharing a budget range feels risky, but it is the single most useful thing you can do. It lets agencies propose the best solution within your range instead of guessing. Include any fixed dates, such as a product launch or trade show, and explain why they are fixed.
Decisions
Say who approves the work and how many people give feedback. A project with one decision maker moves differently from one that needs a committee.
Questions to ask the agencies
- What exactly is included in the quote, and what would cost extra?
- Who will actually do the work, and who will I talk to?
- How will we review progress, and how often?
- Who owns the code, design files and content afterwards?
- What happens after launch, and what does ongoing support cost?
- Can I speak to a past client, or see work you are permitted to share?
A good agency will ask you questions back. If a quote arrives without a single question, it is probably built on assumptions you have not seen.
If you would rather not write a brief at all, that is fine too. Tell us the problem in a few sentences through our contact page, and we will ask the questions that matter for your project.
