briefing document

Components of a briefing

Start with the reason for the assignment: if the old web shop is no longer satisfactory, tell us what it is.

Are you targeting a new audience? Describe this group.

Tip: Depending on your relationship and experience with this agency, consider sharing more or less about your shop, what you sell and who your target audience is.

Never skip this information. It is the DNA of your shop.

Name what sets your shop apart. These "Unique Selling Points" are going to make customers buy from you, rather than the competition.

To do: jot down some examples of competitors and determine what you think they do and don't do well. After all, you want to be distinctive.

To Do: also provide some examples of webshops with a similar approach, but in a different industry.

A price fighter selling shoes might be similar in approach to a price fighter in electronics.

Define your goal

Think carefully about what your goal is and share this with the agency as well.

Often the functional requirements largely determine the lead time and cost of development. So think carefully in advance about what your shop needs to be able to do and when it needs to be finished.

Some examples

• Should the shop be linked to other systems?
• Expecting a module to compare products?
• Should customers be able to configure products?
• Want to be able to make cross-references between products?

Wishes/requirements.

Specify what are "wishes" and what are "hard requirements. Often similar solutions with a slight deviation have been devised before. Reusing these can save you a lot.

Developing a new online shop can be a costly and time-consuming task. Be clear about your deadline and the budget to work within.

Indicate what you do and don't want to pick up yourself. Who writes the texts? Where do visual materials come from?

Get started yourself with a briefing

You now have all the components of a brief. Time to grab pen and paper.

Be sure to be complete, but describe each point succinctly.