10 Website Redesign Brief Essentials for Singapore SMEs

A website redesign brief should explain what the new site must help people do, which existing assets it must preserve and how your business will accept the finished work. Design references are useful, but they cannot answer those questions on their own.

Before requesting proposals, gather these ten essentials. They help Singapore SMEs compare scope fairly and reduce late discoveries without prescribing a particular design style or platform.

1. The business problem the redesign must address

Describe the problem in observable terms. “The website looks old” might mean the service range has changed, visitors cannot find relevant information, or staff cannot update pages. Each calls for a different response.

Include what currently works. A redesign should not discard a useful enquiry route simply because it belongs to the old layout. If you do not have reliable visitor or enquiry data, say so; discovery can then establish a baseline instead of treating assumptions as facts.

2. Priority audiences and their tasks

Name the people who matter most and what they need to accomplish. A prospective customer comparing services has different needs from an existing customer seeking support or a candidate looking for vacancies.

Rank the important tasks. An illustrative priority for a specialist supplier might be finding the right product category, checking compatibility and requesting a quotation. This is more actionable than asking for a website that appeals equally to everyone.

3. A page and content inventory

List existing pages, downloadable files, forms, images and any content that must be created. Mark each as retain, revise, merge or remove, subject to review. Identify who supplies copy, who checks it and who has permission to use each image.

A page count alone can hide substantial work. Ten pages built from approved copy are a different assignment from ten pages requiring interviews, photography and translation. Ask suppliers to show those tasks separately in their proposal.

4. The conversion journeys

Map the route from an entry page to a useful enquiry or purchase. Include the information visitors need before acting, the form fields, the confirmation and the internal follow-up.

Specify the desired quality of the enquiry as well as the action. A quotation form may need project details that a newsletter signup does not. Keep the request proportionate: W3C’s form guidance advises collecting only information needed for the process and providing clear instructions and feedback.

5. Brand assets and visual constraints

Supply current logo files, colours, typography guidance, approved photography and examples of materials that already represent the business well. State whether the redesign includes brand development or must work within an existing identity.

Annotate reference sites with the specific feature you appreciate, such as clear service navigation or readable product comparisons. “Make it like this” leaves too much room for interpretation and risks copying a visual approach that does not suit your content.

6. Editing responsibilities after launch

Identify which staff will update services, articles, prices, job listings or products. Describe a realistic editing task and ask the supplier to demonstrate it during evaluation.

More flexibility can introduce more opportunities to break layouts. A small team may benefit from controlled content fields and reusable sections, while a dedicated marketing team may need broader layout freedom. Include training and access arrangements in the scope.

7. Integrations and dependencies

List connections to CRM, booking, email, payment, accounting or other systems. For each, explain what information moves, which system is authoritative and who owns the existing account.

Do not assume an integration exists because a logo appears on a supplier’s website. Ask for confirmation of the actual workflow, supported method and ongoing costs. If technical details are unknown, make discovery an explicit task before accepting a fixed implementation scope.

8. Migration and search requirements

Identify important current URLs, downloadable resources and pages that attract useful enquiries. Specify who will plan and test URL changes, move content and verify analytics after launch.

Google’s site-move guidance includes preparing the new site, mapping old URLs to new ones, implementing redirects and monitoring the move. Include those responsibilities where URLs change. A redesign cannot guarantee unchanged rankings, even with a careful migration.

9. Acceptance tests tied to real tasks

Write a short set of tasks the finished site must support. Examples include submitting an enquiry on a narrow phone screen, finding a service with keyboard navigation, and updating a team profile without changing unrelated pages.

Agree which browsers, devices and content examples will be checked. A screenshot approval confirms appearance at one moment; it does not verify forms, editing, error messages or integrations. Make room for correction and retesting before launch.

10. Launch ownership and ongoing support

Name the person who approves launch, the team performing the change and the contact responsible if something fails. Include a contingency plan, the post-launch checking period and any dependency on another supplier.

Clarify what support covers after launch: defects, content changes, updates, backups or new features. Separate recurring costs from the build fee. A successful handover should leave your team able to operate the site and understand when specialist help is needed.

Turn the brief into a comparison-ready document

For every requirement, add a priority, business owner and acceptance example. Use essential for launch, valuable later and needs discovery. Do not label everything essential: that prevents meaningful scope choices.

For example, an illustrative service business might require working enquiry routing at launch, defer a resource library and investigate CRM integration before committing to it. Ask each supplier to respond to those same requirements, explain exclusions and identify assumptions. Their recommendations can differ while remaining comparable.

W Creates provides website design, development and digital growth services. Discuss your redesign brief with the team, including what you need to preserve and the customer tasks you want to improve.

Website Redesign Brief Template for Comparing Agency Quotes

Before sending your brief to web design or development partners, summarise your project parameters using the structure below so every vendor prices the same underlying scope:

If your redesign also involves refreshing your visual assets or connecting backend business workflows, review our guides on 9 Brand Identity Deliverables to Request Beyond a Logo and 10 Custom Software Requirements to Define Before Requesting Quotes.