Website brief and agency selection
A brief agencies can quote on, and the right agency to deliver it.
For businesses about to commit a real budget to a new website or platform, and wanting the agency right this time. I write the brief, run the shortlist and tender, score the responses and check the contract, then give you a recommendation you can defend.
What should a website brief include?
Why you're building it, who it's for and what it has to do: goals, audiences, content, integrations, a budget range, the timeline, what's out of scope, and how responses will be scored. A good brief makes every agency quote the same job, so you compare delivery, not pitches.
Check it yourself
What a good brief covers
Check yours against this before any agency sees it.
- Why you're doing it. The business goals and how you'll measure them, not just “a new website”.
- Who it's for. Your audiences, and what each of them needs to find or do.
- What it has to do. Content, features, integrations and platform direction, with the must-haves marked.
- What's out of scope. Out-of-scope lists prevent more disputes than in-scope lists.
- Budget and timeline. A real range and a real date, so every agency sizes the same job.
- Who will do the work. Ask agencies to name the people who'll run your project day to day, not just the pitch team.
- How you'll decide. Scoring criteria agreed before any responses arrive.
Still working out what the new site needs? Website redesign scoping turns it into a reverse brief and tech spec in 1 to 2 weeks.
What you get
The engagement that happens before the agency engagement, so the next one works.
How pricing works
Nothing starts until you've agreed the price.
- A free 20-minute callTell me what's going on. I'll ask about the project, the systems around it and what you need.
- A ballpark by email, when the scope is clearFor most jobs, such as a brief on its own or a selection with three to five agencies, I can send a ballpark after the call. The price depends on the size of the project and the number of agencies.
- Paid scoping, when it isn'tIf the work means learning your internal systems and processes, such as a platform with integrations into your CRM or ERP, it starts with a paid 30-minute intake and a fixed proposal within 2 business days. It's credited against the fee if you go ahead.
How it works
3 to 6 weeks from kick-off to an appointed agency, depending on the project and how many agencies take part.
- FreeA 20-minute callWhat you're buying, why, and whether you need a full selection or just a better brief.
- 30 minutesIntake and proposalThe project, budget and timeline in detail, then a fixed proposal within 2 business days.
- The processBrief and tenderA requirements workshop, the brief and scoring criteria, then three to five agencies quoting on the same terms.
- The decisionScoring and appointmentScored responses, a recommendation with reasons, and the contract terms to fix before you sign.
Case study · Large residential home builder
I wrote the brief and ran a $250K+ tender. Six agencies tendered on the same questions and terms, and the winner was my wildcard pick: chosen because its delivery was the best organised, not because it was the best known.
Read the case studyCommon questions
How much does agency selection cost?
It depends on the size of the project and how many agencies take part. After a free 20-minute call I can usually send a ballpark by email. Complex projects, such as platforms with CRM or ERP integrations, start with a 30-minute paid intake, credited against the fee.
How do I choose a web design agency?
On evidence, not the pitch. Without a controlled brief, every agency quotes a different project and the cheapest number usually describes the least work. Give them all the same brief, questions and terms, ask who will run your project day to day, and agree your scoring before responses arrive. More on choosing an agency without getting burned.
How many agencies should we ask to quote?
Three to five. Fewer and you can't compare properly. More and the best agencies may decide the odds aren't worth the effort, and you won't have time to judge each response well.
What is a website RFP, and do we need one?
A request for proposal: the brief, plus the questions every agency must answer and the terms they quote on. For a small site, a good brief and three conversations can be enough. For a large rebuild, a structured RFP is what makes the quotes comparable.
What should a website development contract cover?
Milestones tied to acceptance criteria, how changes are approved and priced, who owns the code and content, hosting and handover, support after launch, and how either side can exit. I go through the draft with you and flag the clauses worth negotiating. I'm not a lawyer, so anything legal goes to yours.
Can you stay on after the agency is appointed?
Yes. The first weeks of a new agency relationship are where a tender's promises land or leak. I can stay on as your client-side lead through kick-off, or longer as your fractional head of digital.
Could Keal Collective end up on our shortlist?
Only if you ask. For larger builds I lead Keal Collective, a group of vetted people I work with, and I'll tell you that before any shortlist is drawn up. Keal Collective doesn't bid in a selection I run unless you invite it to. This service is about an independent choice, and that only works if you know who's connected to whom.
About to brief an agency?
Tell me about the project on a 20-minute call. I'll tell you whether you need a full selection process or just a better brief. No pitch, no obligation.
Book a 20-minute call or send me a message. I answer both myself.