We are often approached by clients looking for a website for their new business or to redevelopment an existing website, and the conversation very nearly always begins with… ‘So… how much does a website cost?”… The reply, unfortunately, is generally ‘How long is a piece of string!’. Fortunately, there is a process to follow that will make life easier for everyone. It begins with a project brief…

Website Project Brief

The key to us, or indeed any web developer, pricing your website project as accurately as possible is an accurate brief. This tells us the designers, what you the client, want from your website? In order to answer this question we need information such as; the business that you are in, features and facilities you want to include, and what your budget is. Your answers to these questions form the basis for the project brief. Once we have this we can create a proposal / specification document so that everything is clearly spelled out in black and white.

Preparing such a design brief can be a an eye opening experience for many clients as it forces them to examine the very nature of their business. This can be a daunting and time consuming task, but is well worth the effort. Knowing what you want from your web site will make it easier and quicker to make decisions about the content and presentation. The brief will form the starting point for your designer to draw up a clear project specification. The following is a overview of what should go into a project brief:

* A profile of your business outlining the products / services that you offer
* Your target market. Who will be visiting your site?
* Project outcomes. What you want the web site to provide you in return for your investment of time and money spent in its construction?
* Project scope. What is the budget for the project? What kind of facilities or functions you wish to provide via the web site?
* What are the time constraints (if any) on the project? When does it need to be live?
* Are there other websites you like, perhaps even competitors websites? - helps us establish guidelines for the look and feel of your new website
* Website updates - do you want to maintain the site yourself, or would you like us to look after it for you?
* Logo and Branding - if none exists, or it needs an overhaul, we can also look at this for you!

Determining Factors

There are many factors which determine how much a web site will cost. The general factors which must be taken into consideration in determining the price of getting a web site developed include the following :

* What level of graphic design is required. i.e. is the web site layout simple, complex or graphical in nature?
* How many pages are there in the website?
* Do you need extra features such as search engines, updateable news pages, blogs or forms?
* Do you require Flash graphics or animation of any kind?
* Are you selling products online? Do you need secure credit card facilities?
* Is custom programming required including database implementation and setup?
* How is the website to be maintained? Do you wish to update it yourself

Proposal Specfication Document and Quotation

The specification document is an agreement about what is to be done, and a guide on how it is to be done. It is created from the brief given by the client. It generally contains a page by page breakdown of your website, including content required and features/function to appear in each section. The proposal is submitted before commencement of the project so that all parties agree on how best to proceed. It clarifies any issues before they arise, include cost and time estimates, and in my experience is arguably the most important phase of development. Without a detailed specification document, neither party is clear on the work that needs to be done, and can lead to problems along the the line particularly at the invoicing stage.

Conclusion

Write it down.... a project brief is essential whenever undertaking a new business, project, or web site. Whenever you are committed to spending a considerable amount of time and money on something it is worth having a plan, and it is worth writing down. Having a clear, concise brief for us as web designers is invaluable for creating a quotation for you the customer, but also allows you to submit a the project brief to multiple designers and receive like-for-like costings.

Article provided by Emagine Media, HCS Business Solutions web design partner.

• - Website Design

• - Website Maintenance

• - eCommerce

• - Content Mangagement

• - Brand / Logo Development

• - Brochure Design