Start with the next action
Write one sentence describing what your visitor needs to accomplish. For a consultant, it could be “understand my services and request an initial conversation.” For a store, it might be finding the right product and checking compatibility. This sentence helps decide which pages are essential. A website does not need to express every business ambition in its first screen.
Describe situations, not just demographics
“Small businesses” is too broad an audience to guide an interface. Describe the situation: an owner comparing three providers, a manager sharing an offer with colleagues, an existing customer looking for follow-up information. For each situation, note the question, the evidence needed and the next action. This gives content and user journeys a practical starting point.
Separate essential from desirable
Place each feature in one of three groups: necessary for launch, useful later or worth exploring. Calendar-connected booking may be essential; a custom animation may wait. Record dependencies as well: account access, photography availability and copy approval. A useful brief exposes these constraints instead of leaving the provider to discover them during development.
Define what will be accepted
Replace “a modern website” with observable criteria: the form can be completed on a phone, each service has a page and the content owner can edit the agreed material. Identify who approves each stage and how feedback is consolidated. The brief can evolve, but changes should make their impact on scope and timing visible.
Your checklist
- One primary action for each audience.
- Pages and features ranked by priority.
- A content owner and an approval owner.
- Acceptance criteria that do not depend on jargon.
