Download the free editable template
A website brief describes your business, visitors, content, required features and delivery conditions. For a small business, start with a short document and send the same version to every supplier you consult.
Download the editable brief (.txt)
Open it in a text editor or word processor. Replace the bracketed fields; write “to be decided” rather than inventing an answer. This original template is free to use, including with another agency.
Start with your customers’ questions
Describe your trade and actual service area: a restaurant welcomes customers on site; an electrician may travel to several municipalities. Then write down three questions customers ask on the phone. “Do you serve after 9 pm?”, “How much is a haircut?” and “Do you work in Carouge?” become answers visitors should find easily.
Choose a concrete objective, such as letting a visitor read the menu and find the booking link on a phone. “Be first on Google” describes neither a checkable deliverable nor a result a supplier can guarantee.
List the pages and tools you need
- List useful pages: home, services or menu, work examples, directions and contact. A page for each neighbourhood adds little if the content stays the same.
- Record the hours, prices, authorised photos and translations available. Assign each item a person and a date.
- Distinguish a link to your existing booking tool from a booking system to be built. Say whether you need to sell online.
- Identify the domain holder, associated email services and the person responsible for access. Do not put passwords in the brief.
The domain guide helps you check access. For an existing website, also attach the old addresses to preserve.
Two fictional examples: café and tradesperson
These examples are invented to explain the template. They are not TAO Labs clients or completed projects.
Restaurant example
A fictional café in Plainpalais wants a menu readable on a phone and a link to its current booking tool. Pages: home, menu, directions. Before the draft, the owner supplies dishes, CHF prices, kitchen hours and six authorised photos. The website distinguishes café hours from kitchen hours; customers can read the menu without downloading a file. Budget and deadline remain to be agreed with the supplier.
Tradesperson example
A fictional independent carpenter works in Geneva, Lancy and Carouge. They want enquiries by phone or email, without a quote form. Pages: services, completed work and contact; three jobs are described with authorised photos, type of work and municipality. The owner checks the services, area and clickable phone number on a phone. The completed brief assigns someone to each piece of content.
Compare quotes and check delivery
Ask separately about creation costs, annual or monthly fees, maintenance and options. Specify who updates the menu or prices, how quickly, and what you receive if you change supplier. Our cost guide compares costs over three years.
On delivery, test links, contact details, hours and phone usability. Check that every agreed page exists, the domain is in your name and someone handles updates. At TAO Labs, the plans and creation steps define the scope; online shops, forms and booking engines are quoted separately.
Method and resources
Template written by TAO Labs on 17 October 2026 for Geneva businesses. The examples are educational; your quote and contract define the actual commitments. For trade-specific content, see restaurants, tradespeople or shops welcoming customers in store.