What to Include in a Website Redesign Brief
A website redesign usually begins with a business recognising that its current website is no longer meeting its needs.
The design may be outdated, the content may no longer reflect the services being offered, or the website may have become difficult for the team to manage. In some cases, the business has changed considerably since the website was built, and the existing structure no longer supports how it operates.
Whatever the reason, the first step is to establish what the new website needs to achieve.
A website redesign brief provides the information an agency needs to understand the project, assess the requirements and recommend an appropriate approach.
It doesn’t need to be a lengthy technical document, but it should explain the business, the problems with the current website and what needs to change.
The more clearly these requirements are communicated, the easier it becomes to establish the scope, budget and timeline before work begins.
1. Explain your business and what has changed
Start by providing some background about the business and the role the website plays within it.
An agency needs to understand what the business does, who it serves and how the website supports its commercial activities.
It is also useful to explain what has changed since the existing website was developed. For example, a business may have expanded into new markets, introduced additional services or changed how it generates enquiries. The website might still reflect the business as it operated several years ago.
These details provide context for the redesign and help the agency understand the requirements beyond the appearance of the website.
2. Identify the problems with your current website
A redesign brief should explain what isn’t working with the existing website. Some problems will be apparent to visitors, such as confusing navigation, slow-loading pages or information that is difficult to find.
Others may affect the people responsible for managing the website. The marketing team might struggle to create landing pages, update content or make changes without development support. Enquiries may not reach the appropriate people, or the website may not integrate with the systems used elsewhere in the business.
It is worth separating these issues from general preferences about the design. A website looking dated may be one reason for commissioning a redesign, but understanding the functional and commercial limitations will help determine what work is required.
Include any supporting information available, such as customer feedback, analytics or examples of tasks that are difficult to complete.
3. Define what the redesigned website needs to achieve
The objectives should explain what the business expects the new website to contribute. This might involve generating more qualified enquiries, supporting online sales, improving access to information or making the website easier for employees to manage.
Try to be specific about the changes the business wants to see. For example, a company receiving enquiries from customers who misunderstand its services may need to improve how information is presented before the contact stage. A business expanding into international markets may need a website that supports different languages, locations or customer requirements.
These objectives influence decisions about content, navigation, functionality and measurement. They also provide a basis for evaluating the website once it has launched.
4. Describe your audience and their buying process
A website redesign needs to account for the people who will use it. Include information about the main customer groups, the problems they are trying to solve and the information they need before making a decision.
For businesses selling complex products or services, the buying process may involve several people with different responsibilities. A technical decision-maker might need detailed specifications, while a commercial stakeholder may be more interested in costs, implementation and the expected business outcome. The website needs to support these different requirements without making information difficult to find.
Understanding how customers research, compare and enquire also helps determine which pages and resources the website needs. Existing customer research, sales feedback and website analytics can all contribute to this part of the brief.
5. Outline your content requirements
Content is an important consideration during a redesign because it affects the structure and design of the website. Your brief should explain what content already exists, what needs updating and whether new material will be required. This includes written copy, imagery, videos, case studies, product information and downloadable resources.
It is also worth identifying who will be responsible for producing and approving the content. Some businesses have internal marketing teams that can manage this work, while others require support from their website agency.
Content migration should also be considered. An established website may contain hundreds of pages, articles or resources, and not everything will necessarily need to move to the new website. Reviewing the existing content helps identify what should be retained, updated, combined or removed.
6. Include technical requirements and integrations
A website redesign brief should identify the systems and functionality the new website needs to support. This includes the content management system, customer relationship management software, email marketing platforms, booking systems and other tools used by the business.
Explain how these systems currently work together and whether there are any problems with the existing arrangements. For example, enquiries submitted through the website may need to enter a CRM, be assigned to a sales representative and trigger an automated response.
Understanding this process helps the agency assess the integration requirements and the work involved. It is also useful to identify any existing technical arrangements that need to be retained, including hosting, domains, analytics and third-party services. The agency can then review the technical implications before recommending a solution.
7. Explain what your team needs to manage
The website will continue to require attention after launch, so the brief should consider how it will be maintained. Different businesses have different requirements for managing content. A marketing team may need to create campaign landing pages, publish articles and update service information without involving a developer.
Other organisations may have several departments contributing content, with different access permissions and approval processes. Explain who will be responsible for managing the website and what they need to be able to do.
This information influences the choice of content management system, the structure of editable components and the training required before handover. It also helps establish which activities will remain with the business and which may require ongoing agency support.
8. Share your design preferences and brand requirements
Design references can help communicate what the business expects from the redesign. Include existing brand guidelines, approved colours, typography and any visual assets that need to be incorporated.
Examples of other websites can also be useful, particularly when accompanied by an explanation of what you like about them. A reference might demonstrate a navigation structure, a way of presenting technical information or a particular approach to displaying products.
The aim is to provide direction rather than prescribe every design decision. The agency should use these references alongside the business objectives and user requirements to develop an appropriate design.
9. Establish your budget and timescale
Budget and timing are important parts of the brief because they influence how the project can be approached. Providing an indicative budget allows the agency to assess what can reasonably be delivered and recommend where resources should be allocated.
A redesign involving content migration, bespoke functionality and several integrations will require a different level of investment from a smaller project using established components.
The same applies to timescales. Explain whether the website needs to launch alongside a product release, rebrand or other business event. It’s also worth identifying who will approve the work and how much time they can allocate to reviewing designs, content and functionality. These details help the agency establish a realistic project schedule.
10. Clarify how the project will be evaluated
The final part of the brief should explain how the business intends to measure the success of the redesign. The measures should relate to the objectives established at the beginning of the project. These might include enquiry quality, conversion rates, online sales, user engagement or the time employees spend managing website content.
It is useful to document the current position wherever reliable data is available. This gives the business a reference point for evaluating performance after launch. Some improvements can be assessed relatively quickly, while others will require more time and data. Agreeing on the measures early also helps ensure the website is configured to collect the information needed.
Preparing your website redesign brief
A website redesign brief gives the business and its agency a shared understanding of the work being commissioned. It doesn’t need to contain every technical detail or provide solutions to problems that have yet to be investigated.
The important information is what the business needs, what isn’t working with the existing website and what the redesign is expected to achieve.
At purpleplanet, we use these discussions to understand the requirements before recommending how a website should be designed and developed.
A clear brief helps establish the scope of work, identify dependencies and make informed decisions about the project.
It also provides a reference throughout the redesign, helping everyone involved remain focused on the requirements agreed at the outset.
