What to Prepare Before Hiring a Web Designer

The projects that finish on time and on budget almost always start with a clear website brief. However, you do not need technical knowledge to write one. You simply need to know what you want the website to achieve, and to gather a few things in advance. This checklist covers everything to prepare before you contact a web designer.

1. Start your website brief with goals

Write down what success looks like. For example: "Get 20 enquiries a month from schools in Lahore" or "Sell our products online across Pakistan". Clear goals help the designer decide what the site needs, and they also help you judge whether it is working later.

2. Your customers

• Who are they, and where do they live or work?
• What do they need to know before they contact or buy from you?
• What questions do they ask most often on calls and WhatsApp?
• Will they mainly use phones? (Almost certainly yes. See our mobile-first guide.)

3. List pages and features in your website brief

List the pages you think you need, such as Home, About, Services, individual service pages, Portfolio, Contact and Blog. Then list features, and mark each as "must have" or "nice to have":

• Contact or quote forms
• WhatsApp button and click-to-call
• Booking or appointment system
• Online store with payments and delivery
• Customer login or portal
• Urdu or bilingual content
• Blog or news section

4. Your brand assets

• First, your logo in high quality, ideally as a vector file (AI, SVG or PDF).
• Next, brand colours and fonts, if you have guidelines.
• Finally, your current website, social media pages and marketing material.

5. Add content plans to the website brief

This is the part that delays most projects, so start early.

• Text for each page, or notes the designer can turn into copy.
• Photos of your team, premises, work and products. After all, real photos build more trust than stock images.
• Product details such as names, prices, sizes and descriptions, ideally in a spreadsheet.
• Testimonials and logos of clients who are happy to be named.

6. Examples you like (and dislike)

Share two or three websites you like and say what you like about them: the layout, the feel, how easy they are to use. Also share one you dislike, because this saves rounds of revisions.

7. Competitors

List your main competitors and their websites. Then a good designer will look at what they do well and where you can stand out.

8. Technical details

• Do you already own a domain? Who has the login?
• Do you have hosting, and where?
• Do you need business email, for example with Google Workspace?
• Are there systems to connect, such as a CRM, payment gateway or courier?

Also, our domains and hosting guide explains these in plain English.

9. Budget and timeline in your website brief

Share a realistic budget range and any fixed deadline, such as a product launch or admissions season. That way, the designer can suggest the right scope instead of guessing. Our guide to website costs in Pakistan can help you set a range.

10. Who decides

Name one person who gives feedback and approves designs. Otherwise, projects slow down when feedback comes from several people at different times.

A simple website brief template

As a result, any designer you send it to will ask better questions, give a more accurate quote and run a faster project. You are welcome to send it to us; we reply within 24 hours with a plan and a fixed quote.