When a web development agency like ours receives a request for a quote, we often lack the minimum information necessary to get a clear idea of the project — and therefore to prepare an accurate initial estimate.
In this blog post, we’ll give you some initial guidance on what a company like ours typically needs to know:
Basic Information
- Brief description of the project.
- Website structure or sitemap (main sections and pages).
- If there are sections with special functionality, describe what they are.
- Indicate whether you only need the design, or both design and development. (If additional services such as SEO, copywriting, naming, or communication plans are required, please specify them as well.)
For more detail:
- The home page is usually a key part of the site: it’s helpful to describe how you’d like it to look and what content blocks it should include, e.g.: 01) Slider, 02) Slogan and intro text, 03) Featured projects, 04) Blog highlights, 05) Partner logo carousel, etc.
- Header and footer: indicate if you want a one-level, two-level, or three-level menu, and what type (mega menu or panel). Also, specify what you’d like in the footer, e.g.: newsletter block, sitemap, etc.
Please Indicate If You Already Have:
- Logo or corporate identity (style guide). If not, do you need one created?
- Wireframe.
- Graphic design or mockups.
Content:
- Provide the content if it’s already available.
- If not, try to estimate the amount of content or approximate length.
References:
- List competitor websites, if relevant.
- Include websites that you consider a reference for their design or quality level. Specify which parts you like or find useful as inspiration for your own site.
Languages:
Indicate how many languages the site should have and which one will be the primary language.
If there are areas where information is still missing, we can still form a general idea — but the more details you provide, the better.
Helpful Tools for Creating Detailed Initial Requirements
Perhaps one of the most important parts is the site structure and list of functionalities.
If you don’t have a tool for creating a website structure, you can simply list it as bullet points, for example:
- Home – 01) Slider, 02) Slogan and intro text, 03) Featured projects, 04) Blog highlights, 05) Partner logo carousel, etc.
- About Us
- Services
- Completed Projects
- Blog
- Contact
Or use an online tool such as https://octopus.do/, a simple platform specifically designed for building website sitemaps.
Or use a mind-mapping tool like Xmind: www.xmind.net
To capture screenshots of reference websites or highlight design elements you like, you can use a screenshot tool such as Qsnap, which is easy to install in your browser. Below is an example captured with Qsnap illustrating a potential design specification:
We hope this article has been helpful. If you need a WordPress website development project, we’ll be happy to assist you.