How to Brief a Website Agency: Get the Best Results for Your Business

Are you planning to launch a brand-new website or refresh your current one? Do you want to generate more leads, increase online visibility, or guarantee your site meets the latest accessibility standards? If you’re serious about making your digital presence work harder for your business, partnering with a professional web design agency is a smart move.

Success starts with the brief. In this article, we’ll walk you through how to brief a website agency properly so you get a website that not only looks great but performs brilliantly, especially in competitive markets like London.

Are you ready to take your business online to the next level?

Whether you’re launching a new venture, revamping an outdated site, or aligning your online presence with your brand’s evolution, the way you brief your chosen website agency can make or break the project. Do you need a site that’s faster, fresher, more accessible, or better optimised for conversions? Maybe it’s all of the above. Or perhaps your current website simply no longer reflects your business? Nine times out of ten, the latter is why brands approach us.

As a leading WordPress web design agency based in London, we’ve been creating wesites for nearly two decades. At Fhoke, we’ve seen brilliant briefs, confusing ones, and everything in between. This guide distils our experience into a clear roadmap—so you get maximum value from your agency partnership and your new site becomes a serious asset.

Why Hire a Website Design and Development Agency?

When you’re scaling a business or building a brand online, hiring a dedicated web design agency isn’t a luxury—it’s a smart investment. It doesn’t always come cheap but here’s why.

Expertise That’s Hard to Match

A reputable agency brings together designers, developers, strategists, and SEO specialists. At Fhoke, we live and breathe WordPress, but our team covers the full spectrum—from UX/UI to performance and optimisation. Our 17 years in the industry means we’ve refined set-ups, grasped the best technologies, and developed a sharp eye for what works.

Sector Know-How

We’ve worked with startups, heritage brands, local heroes, and global teams. That broad perspective allows us to bring fresh insights to every project—and design for real results.

Performance-Driven Results

A good agency won’t just make your site look good; it’ll make sure it performs. We use data and analytics to track user journeys, spot friction points, and boost conversions. A beautiful site that doesn’t convert isn’t doing its job. We’ve even helped brands that came to us sell their websites on after just 12 months of a re-design for high six-figure sums simply because the site looks better, which has helped conversions.

A Fresh Pair of Eyes

Being close to your brand is great, but it can cloud your view. An agency gives you a fresh perspective, often suggesting innovative ideas you hadn’t considered. We’ve helped brands reimagine not just their websites but also their digital strategies. At the end of a web design project, you’ll exit the experience with a ton of assets that you can take offline or use in social marketing. Anywhere infact!

Why a Strong Brief is Crucial

If you want great results, you need a great brief. It’s the foundation of your entire project.

A clear, honest, and well-thought-out brief helps your agency understand your business, your users, and your goals. It allows us to scope out a relevant solution—within budget and timelines. And crucially, it helps avoid misaligned expectations or project drift.

Golden Rules for a Great Website Brief

Before you dive into writing your brief, consider a few essential ground rules that will make the process smoother for everyone.

Inspire with Vision

Don’t be afraid to share your passion. Why now? What do you want to change? What would success look like? Enthusiasm is infectious and helps your agency dream big with you.

Be Upfront About Budget

Sharing a budget range isn’t about giving us a spending limit—it helps us design within realistic parameters. Whether you’re aiming for £10k or £50k, clarity prevents wasted time.

Shortlist Wisely

Pitch to two or three agencies, max. It shows respect, keeps the process focused, and helps you build deeper relationships with the teams you’re considering.

Do Your Research

Make sure your agency aligns with your values, aesthetic, and experience level. Look at their work, check testimonials, and have an open conversation about expectations.

What to Include in a Website Brief

Here’s what a solid brief should include. Each section helps us design a site that’s tailored to your brand, your audience, and your objectives.

1. Business Background

Tell us who you are. What’s your mission? What makes your business different? Whether you’re an SME in London or a fast-scaling startup, we want to understand your ‘why’.

2. Your Brand Personality

Are you professional and polished, or bold and disruptive? Your website should reflect your tone and visual identity. Share brand guidelines if you have them—or your vision if not.

3. Target Audience

Who is the site for? Are they tech-savvy millennials, busy CEOs, or family-focused buyers? A clear sense of your audience guides everything from content structure to tone of voice.

4. Competitor Insights

Who else is in your space? What do you like (or dislike) about their websites? This isn’t about copying—it’s about positioning you clearly and competitively. It doesn’t even have to be ‘the website’ it could be an element, an interaction or a function on a site you love. Think of this part as a moodboard.

5. Objectives & Goals

What do you want the website to achieve? Common goals include:

• Lead generation
• Online sales
• Booking enquiries
• Thought leadership
• Improved user experience
• Better mobile usability

6. Challenges

If you already have a website then what’s currently not working? Are visitors bouncing? Are you struggling with poor mobile UX? Is your CMS a nightmare to manage? We’ll help you fix it, but we need to know.

7. Project Requirements

Are you looking for a fully bespoke WordPress theme or something modular? Do you need eCommerce functionality, a member portal, or SEO support? Be specific where you can.

8. Success Metrics

How will you measure success? Traffic? Conversions? Dwell time? Clear KPIs help us design with purpose.

9. Timeline

Do you have a specific launch date? Are you working toward a product launch, funding round, or event? Timelines help us map realistic milestones and delivery phases. Relistically, remember that most well-planned and designed projects take at least 10 weeks; they just do. Why rush something that needs to convert and see you good for a minimum of five years with minimal upkeep? Bear in mind that there are two weeks of planning, four weeks of design, four weeks to build, and then testing, populating and launching. Everything at Fhoke is bespoke; it’s unique to you. Don’t be unrealistic.

10. Stakeholders

Who’s involved in decision-making? A clear sense of roles avoids confusion and ensures a smoother sign-off. Also, bear in mind the old saying ‘too many cooks’. It’s true. It’s always best to channel feedback through one or two people who can filter out the noise. The clearer a brief and project manager on your side, the smoother the project.

11. Your Budget

As mentioned, be open. It helps us tailor your options, offer phased approaches, or highlight where compromises may be needed.

Design is Subjective—And That’s a Good Thing

Here’s the truth: design is subjective. What one person sees as clean and minimal, another might call too sparse. That’s why collaboration is key. You get the best results when clients and agencies work as partners, not just vendors.

At Fhoke, we value the back-and-forth. We bring our expertise, but we listen, too. Because your voice matters. You know your business; we know digital. Together, that’s a powerful combo.

Final Thoughts: Start Strong, Stay Aligned

Briefing a website agency doesn’t have to be daunting. With a little preparation and honesty, your brief can spark a project that delivers real results. At Fhoke, we’ve been building WordPress sites for 16+ years. We know what works, what doesn’t, and how to guide you through the process—from brief to launch.

Whether you’re a tech-savvy founder, a marketing manager, or a local business owner, we’re here to help bring your vision to life—with creativity, clarity, and collaboration.