You’ve decided you are going to actively invest in your side hustle and turn it into a fully fledged business. In order to do that, you need a website. But your pause. You pause because you kinda know what you want but your not sure how to communicate this to a website designer. Don’t worry – I got you!
You don’t need to know much, and you don’t need a computer science degree, but you do need to know a few things to make it easier to get your point across. Oh – and you need to know how to string a sentence together. The document is called a website design brief and ill show you how to produce one. Keep reading.
What Is a Website Brief (And Why You Need One)
A website brief is basically a document that explains what you want your website to do. The direction you want your website to take. The clearer your instructions, the better chance of you getting exactly what you want.
If you skip the brief you can spend way to much time going back and forth. Even weeks. If you write a decent brief you’ll get what you want much faster.
What Side Hustlers Need in Their Brief
Agencies will give you a 47 question template asking you to confirm your “brand architecture” and “stakeholder matrices.” But to be honest, this is corporate fluff and not really necessary for the people you sell to. You’re running a side hustle, not a multinational corporation.
1. What You Do (In Normal Language)
Write 2-3 sentences about your side hustle like you’re explaining it to your mum. Keep it simple.
Good example: “I make custom celebration cakes for Birmingham families. I do birthdays, weddings and special occasions. Most of my customers find me through Instagram or word of mouth.”
Terrible example: “I operate a boutique artisanal bakery enterprise specialising in bespoke confectionery solutions for the premium events sector.”
You can immediately see the difference? The first one tells me everything I need to know. The second one tells me you’ve been reading too many business books. It speaks to a certain demographic, and your cakes for Birmingham families aint it!
2. Who Are Your Customers?
Not “demographics” or “target personas” or “Avatars” Just tell me who pays you money.
Examples:
- “Restore your health naturally, with Fiwi Herbs traditional remedies. Supports detox, digestion, immunity & emotional balance”
- “The Best Reliable Car Repairs In Birmingham”
- ” Website Designer Great Barr, Birmingham | Professional Websites for Side Hustles & Small Businesses”
3. What You Want Your Website to Do
Be specific about the outcome you’re after:
- Do you want people to book appointments?
- Buy products?
- Get quotes?
- Download something?
- Just learn about you before calling?
4. What You Like and What You Hate)
This is where you be picky. Find 2-3 websites you think look good. Send the links with your brief to the designer explaining what you like about them.
“I love how clean and simple this is. No clutter.” “I like that the prices are right there on the homepage.” “This one feels too corporate for me.”
This saves so much time. I can’t read your mind, but I can look at examples.
Tip: Give the designer an idea of who you are as an individual. That can help with the design. It will be a representation of you after all.
5. Your Budget (Yes, Say the Number)
Here’s where most briefs fall apart. People write “flexible budget” or “competitive rates” because they’re scared of scaring designers away.
Here’s what happens: You’re thinking £800. The agency quotes you £8,000. Everyone’s wasted time. According to Forbes even side hustles should work towards a budget.
Reality check for side hustlers:
If you’re:
- Just starting out: Start with £1,00 website design. Get your basics online and grow from there.
- About a year in: Budget £3,500. Ensure you have a shopping functionality. This gets you something professional that stands out.
- Older than a few years: You can justify a real tangible investment of at least £4,750 for a full website and SEO growth packages that really sells your services.
These are UK prices from me, I work with side hustles and small businesses and I get to see them flourish. These are not agency prices designed for companies with venture capital.
Also: If you can’t afford to pay upfront, just say so. I offer payment plans.
6. Your Timeline
When do you really need this done? You’ll have a rough launch date in mind. Even if if it feels ambitious – communicate it.
“I’m launching in 3 months” is helpful. “ASAP” is not helpful. “I’m flexible” usually means you’ll ghost me for 6 weeks then suddenly need it tomorrow.
Most websites take 2-4 weeks once you’ve provided content. Factor in time for you to write your content, send photos and review.
7. What You’ve Already Got
Do you have:
- A logo?
- Photos of your products/services?
- Customer testimonials?
- Social media accounts you want to link?
- Written content about what you do?
If the answer is “no” to most of these, that’s fine, again, just say so. It means more work (and possibly more cost), but it’s better to know upfront. I offer packages where I do all the work. A one stop shop if you will.
The Stuff You Don’t Need to Worry About
Here’s what you can skip unless you’re specifically asked:
Technical requirements: Your designer should figure out hosting, domains, SSL certificates. You don’t need to research “PHP versions” or “server specifications.” That’s literally their job.
SEO strategy: A basic website will have basic SEO sorted (page titles, descriptions, mobile-friendly design). Anything beyond that is a separate conversation. SEO is a whole thing. Trust me!
Content management systems: Unless you’re planning to write blog posts every week, you probably don’t need to obsess over WordPress vs. Squarespace vs. whatever. Your designer will recommend something appropriate with reasoning behind it.
Browser compatibility: It’s 2026. Everything should work on phones and computers. If a designer needs you to specify this, they’re not paying enough attention for goodness sake.
Website Designer Red Flags to Watch For
If a designer responds to your brief with any of this, run, It’s a red flag:
- “Let’s jump on a discovery call to unpack your vision” (translation: I haven’t read your brief)
- Asking for money before giving you any kind of quote or timeline
- Saying they need to “audit your digital ecosystem” for a basic website
- Quoting you £10,000+ for a simple service business site
- Going silent for weeks at a time
A Real Brief Template You Can Actually Use
ABOUT MY SIDE HUSTLE:
[2-3 sentences in normal language]
Example: I run Onika Sabrina Design, a solo web design business in Great Barr, Birmingham. I build affordable websites for side hustlers and small businesses who can’t afford agency prices. I also offer SEO services to help people get found on Google.
MY CUSTOMERS:
[Who they are, where they find you now]
Example: My ideal clients are UK side hustles running businesses alongside day jobs or other commitments. Right now they find me through craft fairs, local networking and increasingly through Google searches for affordable web designers in Birmingham.
WHAT I WANT THE WEBSITE TO DO:
[Specific outcome – bookings, sales, leads, etc.]
Example: I want my business to generate consistent enquiries from people searching for affordable web design in Great Barr, Birmingham and the wider UK, with time. I want 5-10 solid leads per month from organic search, not just traffic from people who can’t afford my services.
EXAMPLES I LIKE:
[2-3 website links with brief notes on what you like]
[Your preferred example 1 www.site.co.uk] – I love how clear the pricing is upfront
[Your preferred example 2 www.site.co.uk] – I like how the homepage explains exactly who it’s for in one sentence
[Your preferred example 3 www.site.co.uk] – I like the simple navigation and easy to find contact info
MY BUDGET:
[Actual number or realistic range]
Example: £4,750 I need you to take care of the all the written text, images and product descriptions. It needs to be ecommerce because I sell products people can buy online.
TIMELINE:
[When you need it, how flexible you are]
Example: I need it live by 30 August. The date is flexible with a week either side if that helps.
WHAT I’VE GOT:
Logo: Yes/No
Photos: Yes/No
Written content: Yes/No
Other stuff: [list anything else]
Example: Logo: Yes (vector files ready) Photos: No (happy to use yours) Written content: Partially (I know what I want to say, just need help structuring it) Other stuff: Brand colours sorted.
PAYMENT:
Can pay upfront / Need payment plan / Other
Example: I’m willing to pay upfront and id like to explore your payment options too please.
That’s it. Do this, send it off and you’ve just written a better brief than half the project briefs I’ve seen.
What Happens After You Send Your Brief
Here’s what should happen:
- Quick response (within 2 business days): Designer confirms they got it, asks any immediate questions
- Proper quote (within a week): You get a clear price, timeline and what’s included
- Deposit request (usually 30-50%): This is normal for booking your spot
- Kickoff (within days of deposit): Work starts. My kick off is 24 hours after receipt of deposit.
If you don’t hear back within a week, they’re either swamped or not interested. Either way, try someone else. You don’t want to start a relationship with a designer who doesn’t have the time for you. Go where you are valued.
So…How Do You Write a Website Brief for a Website Designer
You don’t need to understand “wireframes” or “user experience flows” or “ai” to get a good website. You just need to clearly explain:
- What you do
- Who you do it for
- What you want your site to achieve
- What you can afford
Everything else is noise designed to make you feel like you need an expensive agency. You don’t. You need someone who’ll listen to you and understand what you’ve written, ask sensible questions and build you something that works. That’s what a good website brief gets you. Now its your turn. Get your brief done.
I’m Onika Sabrina, web designer in Great Barr, Birmingham who works exclusively with side hustles and small businesses. Transparent pricing from £1,500, payment plans available and your website delivered in 2-4 weeks. No agency overhead, no corporate pricing, just affordable websites that convert.
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Frequently Asked Questions About How to Write a Website Design Brief
What is the best way to communicate a website idea to a designer?
Write a simple brief that covers what you do, who your customers are, what you want the website to achieve and what your budget is. Skip the jargon. Use normal language like you’re explaining your business to a friend. Include 2 or 3 website examples you like with notes on what appeals to you. This gives your designer something concrete to work with instead of trying to guess what’s in your head. A clear brief gets you better results faster.
Do you have an example of what I need to tell the website designer?
Yes – A written and complete example is given above in the article. Just edit it for your business.
What are the 7 C’s of a website?
Content, Context, Community, Customisation, Communication, Connection and Commerce. For side hustles, focus on the basics: clear content, proper context for your business, easy communication and simple commerce if you sell products. The other three are extras. Your designer handles most of this if you’ve written a good brief.
What are the 7 parts of a design brief?
What you do (2 or 3 sentences in plain English), who your customers are, what you want the website to achieve (bookings, sales, leads), 2 or 3 website examples you like, your actual budget, your timeline and what you’ve already got ready (logo, photos, content). Cover these seven things and any decent designer has everything they need to quote you properly and build something that works.