How to scope a web project before requesting quotes
A useful brief does not begin with a page count or a preferred technology. It explains the problem, the people affected and the change the organisation expects. This shared starting point helps specialists propose proportionate solutions and makes quotes easier to compare.
What to remember.
- Describe the problem before prescribing a solution.
- Separate the first useful release from later improvements.
- Give every candidate the same context and comparison criteria.
Start with the problem and the outcome
Write down what is difficult today, who experiences the difficulty and what should become easier. Add one or two observable outcomes, such as fewer support requests or a higher task-completion rate. This leaves room for a specialist to recommend a simpler answer than a complete rebuild.
Identify priority users and tasks
Choose the two or three audiences that matter most. Describe their context, questions, constraints and main task. A first-time prospect, an existing customer and a job candidate need different information, even when they use the same website.
Define a realistic first release
List expected deliverables such as research, information architecture, design, copy, development, migration, training and maintenance. Mark each item as essential, desirable or later. A visible boundary makes new ideas manageable instead of silently expanding the project.
Inventory content, data and access
Record the material already available and its owner: text, photography, brand files, analytics, domain names, hosting and integrations. Name the person who can supply and approve content. Content readiness is often the real critical path.
Make constraints visible early
State deadlines, languages, accessibility obligations, data-protection needs, approval steps and systems that must remain connected. Also identify who can make day-to-day decisions and who signs off high-impact changes.
Ask for comparable proposals
Request the same response structure from every candidate: understanding, approach, scope, deliverables, schedule, assumptions, exclusions, price and acceptance criteria. Compare the reasoning and risk management, not only the final figure.
Check the reference material.
Related guides
Put the method into practice
An illustrative application case
Your project includes a form and search. Before requesting quotes, describe what a person should receive after an empty result or incorrect entry. These cases define functionality often missing from page lists and make proposals easier to compare.
Organise user acceptance testing
Use this worksheet in a review with the person responsible for delivery. Keep the evidence alongside the decision, rather than marking a task complete on trust alone.
| Action | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Describe a user task and what should happen when it fails. | A scenario covering input, expected outcome, error and recovery. |
| Separate launch essentials from desirable later changes. | A prioritised list with an owner and acceptance criterion for each item. |
| Identify who supplies and approves each piece of content or integration. | A dependency matrix with approval dates. |
Download the worksheet to fill in (CSV)
A question to resolve before acting
Can I request a quote without a full specification?
Yes, with a brief stating audience, outcome, constraints and unknowns. Separate discovery costs from delivery costs: investigate unknowns before making a firm commitment.
Resources for this project
Web service provider
Française du Numérique
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Tourism technology guide
Performance Voyage
For a tourism project, explore business tool and API categories to define booking, distribution and dependencies before fixing the scope.
Website in French
Sites from the AR ecosystem, selected for their relevance to this topic. Check scope, terms and current offers with each publisher. Our selection method.