A Website Project Brief: The Checklist for Los Angeles Business Owners

Describe the business and the customer

Start with what you offer, where you operate, and who the website needs to help. For a Los Angeles restaurant, that might mean people comparing dinner options in the actual neighborhood. For a wellness studio, it might mean first-time clients trying to understand appointment choices. Keep the audience description grounded in your experience rather than a broad demographic guess.

List the questions customers regularly ask by phone, message, or in person. These questions often reveal the missing information a website should provide. Include what differentiates the experience, with real examples your team can support.

Choose one primary customer action

Decide whether the most important next step is reserving, ordering, booking, or sending an inquiry. Secondary actions can still exist, but a clear priority helps organize the page. Describe what happens after the action and who receives the request.

Write a simple success statement: “A diner can find the menu and reserve on a phone,” or “A client can compare services and reach the matching appointment.” Avoid defining success only as a more modern look. An observable task makes the design easier to evaluate.

List the pages that support that action

• Home: the offering, audience, atmosphere, and main next step.
• Menu, services, or accommodations: the details needed to choose.
• Location: verified address, hours, entrance, and arrival information.
• About: the real people and story behind the business.
• Booking or contact: the correct tool, form, or provider handoff.

Gather content and account details

Collect the current menu or service list, prices, business details, brand files, and original photography. Identify what needs to be created or rewritten. A designer can help plan content, but the business still needs to verify the facts. Do not promise amenities, dietary options, or booking rules until the responsible person confirms them.

Document where the domain, hosting, email, and booking tools are managed. Keep passwords out of the brief; share access through an appropriate account invitation or agreed secure process. Include who controls billing and renewals so the launch does not depend on an account no one can access.

Define updates, budget, and approvals

Explain how often content changes and who should make those changes. A daily specials menu requires a different operating plan from an annual brand update. Ask for the proposed maintenance workflow before choosing the platform.

Share a realistic budget range and any fixed date, then separate essential requirements from later additions. Name the final approver and collect feedback in one place. Delays often come from missing content or unresolved decisions, so make those dependencies visible.

Use the brief to compare proposals fairly

Send the same brief when comparing web design services near you. Ask each partner to respond with a page list, responsibilities, integration assumptions, feedback process, and handoff plan. Read the freelancer and agency comparison if you are also deciding how the work should be delivered.

I start by listening to your goals before moving into strategy and design. Bring this brief to the contact section, together with your current website if you have one. For specialist requirements, use the restaurant, hospitality, or wellness guide to refine the scope.