Explain the jobs you actually want.

A designer needs more than a business name and a list of colours. Explain the work you do most often and the work you want the website to attract. Include the jobs you turn down, so the copy does not send you unsuitable enquiries.

Example from a roofing business:

We repair and replace metal roofs on existing homes. We cover the northern suburbs. We do not install roof tiles or take overnight emergency call-outs.

This is an illustrative brief, not a claim about a particular business.

List the suburbs or region you cover and the hours customers can contact you. If availability changes by service, explain that. Supply accurate licence or qualification details rather than asking the designer to infer them from another website.

The information needed for a roofing website differs from a landscaping website. The brief should make those differences clear before anyone starts writing.

List the pages and what customers should do.

Start with a rough page list. Under each page, note what it should explain and whether the next step is a call, a quote request or a booking. Our small business page-planning guide gives three five-page examples.

Be specific about features. “Contact form” could mean a simple message box or a form with photos, job categories and automatic replies. “Bookings” could mean linking to an existing booking service or building a new booking flow. Those are different scopes and may have different costs.

For a replacement site, mark what works now: a page people find through Google, a project gallery customers mention or an enquiry question that saves a follow-up call. A redesign should start with that knowledge.

Send original files with enough context.

Create one folder with your logo and 20 to 40 of your best original photos. Put each project in its own named folder, such as “Scarborough deck 2026”. For each job, add two or three lines on what you did, the customer’s problem and what the photo shows.

  • Send original photo files where possible, rather than screenshots or images downloaded from social media.
  • Include one wide shot of each finished job and two or three close-ups of the detail work, such as joins, edges and finishes.
  • Identify which people, properties or customer details can be shown publicly.
  • Explain which brand colours or logo versions must be used.

For example: “Exterior repaint: weatherboard house, preparation and two coats; customer approved these photos.” The designer can then write an accurate caption instead of guessing the scope. Close-ups matter most for trades judged on finish; see how our carpentry websites show projects up close.

Find the domain and email accounts early.

Write down the providers and who has access. A domain registrar, website host and email provider can be three different companies. Changing the website should not mean accidentally changing where your email goes.

Use delegated access or a secure sharing method agreed with the provider. Do not put passwords in a shared content document. For a replacement, the redesign checklist covers the accounts, old pages and launch checks to keep in the plan.

Copy this brief into a document.

Fill in what you know. “Not decided yet” is a useful answer: it tells the designer which decisions still need a conversation. Leave out any private customer information.

Select the text and copy it into your own document or email. This template does not save or send information.

Building the site yourself? The brief works as your own plan too. Our DIY website or web designer guide helps you decide which parts to hand over. For the budget line, check what a small business website costs in Australia.

Agree who will check the facts.

Choose one person to collect feedback and approve the pages. They should check services, phone numbers, locations, credentials and permissions, as well as the design. Conflicting feedback is easier to resolve before it reaches the designer.

Ask how many review stages are included and how changes outside the agreed scope are handled. If the brief is growing into a larger site, update the quote before starting. The designer comparison guide explains the questions to ask.

With SMB Sites, you provide the business facts and we help turn them into website copy. You review the wording and design before launch. The brief is a starting point for the conversation, not an order or payment commitment.