A website project rarely begins with a completely blank page. There are usually existing materials, ideas and a few competitors bookmarked for reference. What is often missing is a shared answer to one question: what should the new website make easier for customers and the business? A brief turns those expectations into a useful starting point.
Start with the goal, then consider the layout
Replace “we need a modern website” with a concrete user situation. For example, a person buying a service should be able to understand the offer, see relevant work and send an enquiry within a short visit. This goal helps determine navigation, content order and the contact form.
Choose one primary goal and a small number of supporting goals. A website does not have to sell, recruit and act as a large knowledge portal all at once. Agree how you will evaluate the result: qualified enquiries, completed registrations or conversations with suitable customers. Traffic alone does not tell you whether the right people are making contact.
Describe your audiences and their questions
An audience list becomes useful when it explains different needs. A new customer might ask about the scope of a service; a partner may need to understand the team's capabilities and delivery process. Gather questions from sales conversations and email. They often provide a better content structure than internal department names.
- What should visitors know before contacting you?
- What evidence helps them trust your company?
- What currently makes information hard to find?
- Which devices and situations shape their visit?
Audit your content and assets
List the pages, case studies, photographs, videos and copy you can reuse. Give each item an owner and a preparation status. Missing service descriptions can delay a project more than an unresolved button colour.
Include publishing languages and maintenance responsibilities. If your team needs to add articles and projects independently, the CMS should make that work straightforward. Identify who creates content, who approves it and whether drafts are required.
Define functions and the first release
A contact form, search feature, booking system and CRM integration have different implementation needs. Describe the flow of information: where an enquiry goes, who receives a notification and what the visitor sees after submitting it. Separate launch requirements from ideas for later releases.
What should you bring to MDG?
A short document covering goals, audiences, content, features and timing is enough to begin. Add a budget range and explain your references. Do you value a clear offer, a particular way of presenting work or a tone of voice? That explanation is more useful than simply asking for something similar.
If you already have a website, start with a usability review. If you are building a new presence, explore the MDG portfolio and tell us about your project. A brief does not have to be perfect; it needs to support a productive conversation.
