Best practices
Write a brief that lands
What to put in a brief so the crew gets it right the first time, a fill-in template to copy, and the habits that save credits on every job.
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What makes a good brief?
It depends on the job, but good briefs share five things: who the business is, who it serves, what a visitor should do, the facts the crew can't guess, and an example you like. Short is fine. Leave out page lists and color codes unless you have strong views. Say what must not change, and whether you want to see a draft first. A clear first message usually means fewer rounds of changes, and fewer credits.
The five things
- Who you are. The business name, what you do, where.
- Who it's for. The customers you want more of.
- What they should do. Call, book, buy, visit, sign up. Pick one main action.
- Facts only you know. Phone, address, hours, prices, service area, guarantees. The writer won't make these up, so it will stop and ask if they're missing.
- An example you like. Any site's address, and what you like about it.
A template to copy
Make a website for [business name] in [town]. We [what you do] for [who you serve]. The main thing visitors should do is [call / book / buy / visit]. Must include: [phone, hours, address, prices, service area]. I like the feel of [example site] because [what you like]. Show me the design before you build it.
Habits that save credits
Put the facts in the first message
Missing facts mean a Needs you card and a wait. Put them in up front.
Send real photos
The designer works from your photos and logo. Without them it uses illustrations or labeled placeholders, and you'll want another round later.
Give feedback in one message
"Bigger photos, phone number at the top, softer colors" in one reply is one round. Three separate messages can be three.
Say what must not change
On an existing site: "keep our logo, colors and the services page as they are."
Review before you approve
Approving tells the crew to build on what you saw. Check the Phone view in Preview too.
For changes to a live site
Be specific about the page and the change:
On the Services page, add "Tankless water heater installs" after "Water heaters", with a short paragraph and the same style as the others. Don't change anything else.
For bigger work
Ask for a plan first: "Before you start, tell me your plan and roughly how big a job this is." Lenexa replies with the steps, and you can trim them before anything runs.