Download the template and describe the current problem
Download the editable template in Word format, or use the text version. This is an original ISS Agency framework to prepare for exchanges. Replace the fields to be completed with observed facts, then delete the sections unrelated to your project. The document is not a quote or a contract ready to sign.
Start by explaining why you are considering a redesign. “The site is old” describes a feeling. “On the telephone, our services are difficult to find and the form arrives in an old mailbox” gives two problems to solve. Attach the address of the pages concerned and, if possible, a screenshot of each difficulty.
Also keep what works: a page that receives requests, photos of construction sites used by salespeople, a documentary space appreciated by partners. A redesign doesn’t involve removing everything. If you are still unsure about its usefulness, start with our article on the signs that justify an overhaul, then return to the model to prepare for work.
Set a main objective and a quantifiable scope
Choose a priority action: receive more informed quote requests, facilitate a reservation or present expertise to partners. Then specify the public, the area served and the services concerned. A site intended for individuals does not necessarily have to use the same structure as a site used to respond to professional partnership requests.
Here is a fictitious example of scope: a renovation company wants eight pages, a gallery of twelve construction sites and a form with five fields. It provides its logo, photographs and technical descriptions; the service provider reformulates the texts, creates the pages and checks their mobile display. This example does not set any price, but it gives a common basis for figures.
Classify requests into three groups: essential for opening, useful but deferable, non-project. A newsletter can wait if the emergency concerns the quote form. Specify the number of languages, expected forms and essential integrations. Any features added after quoting will need to be discussed in terms of work, cost and time.
Take inventory before deleting old pages
List the current addresses in a table: URL, role of the page, content to keep, decision and future destination. Add a column for downloadable documents and another for pages that receive visits or links, when this data is available. Ask the service provider to complete this inventory if you cannot produce it.
A service page can be kept at the same address, rewritten or grouped with another. These decisions must be explicit. Redirecting all old pages to the home page hides mismatches and does not respond to the search for a visitor who was expecting a specific service. The Google guide to URL change migrations describes preparing for matches and redirects.
Request a list of redirects and post-publishing verification. Keep useful reference data: pages viewed, requests received and known issues. A variation in visibility may occur during a migration; no serious specifications can guarantee that all positions will remain the same. However, it can impose controls and designate who fixes a broken link.
Distribute content and validations
For each page, name a person who provides the information and a person who validates. The service provider can write, but he cannot guess your delivery conditions, your qualifications or your response times. Set a due date and indicate what happens if the content arrives after the scheduled launch.
Use one line per deliverable: Services page, text provided by the manager, reformulation by the agency, validation on the 15th of the month. Do the same for photos, logos and documents. Check the necessary permissions before publishing. Avoid passwords in the specifications: access will be transmitted separately by an appropriate means and only to the people concerned.
Also provide information, forms and measurement tools. Identify the person responsible for their writing and validation according to your situation. Do not accept a “compliance included” section without knowing what will actually be delivered. The model serves to ask questions and allocate responsibilities, not to replace a legal analysis of your activity.
Define observable reception criteria
An acceptance criterion describes a check that you can actually perform. “Modern site” will be interpreted differently by everyone. “The visitor opens the Services page on their phone, finds the intervention area and sends a request of which the team receives notification” defines an end-to-end testable journey.
Add specific tests: phone access, keyboard navigation, reading prices without zooming, displaying images, opening documents and using the form with an intentional error. For a reservation, try an unavailable slot. To request a quote, check receipt and confirmation message. Perform these tests with identifiable test data.
Request a preview environment, a review period, and a list of corrections blocking publication. On a business website, a few well-chosen scenarios are better than a general formula on quality. Our customer achievements can be used as a starting point for discussing a pathway, but your criteria should match your own organization.
Compare the cost of the project and its future operation
Ask that the quote separates design, integration, writing, images, possible migrations and support after opening. Also identify recurring costs: hosting, domain, third-party tools and maintenance. Two identical creation amounts can result in very different annual budgets.
To compare, choose the same horizon, for example two years. In a fictitious scenario, a quote includes €2,400 for creation and €40 per month for monitoring; the total of these two positions reaches €3,360 over twenty-four months. We must also add the costs explicitly excluded. This operation is used to compare a scope, not to present a market rate or an ISS Agency offer.
Have the exit modalities specified: content recovery, transfer of the domain, access to accounts and delivery of the files provided for in the contract. For follow-up, our guide on the price of maintenance explains the positions to be distinguished. A readable quote allows an option to be discussed before it becomes an unexpected bill.
Avoid the three briefs that create misunderstandings
The first is to ask for “the same site as this competitor”. Replace this instruction with the elements that interest you: simple navigation, photos of construction sites or a page per expertise. Specify what you want to facilitate for the visitor. This gives you direction without asking for a copy.
The second mixes all the desires without priority. The third sets an opening date without reserving time to provide content and test. In both cases, ask for a breakdown with a coherent first version and possible additions. Show dependencies: a page cannot be validated until its prices or photographs are available.
Once the model is completed, have it reread by the person who will handle requests from the site. She will often see missing information that the decision maker had not identified. You can then contact ISS Agency with this document to discuss the scope and steps, rather than starting with a list of visual effects.
Frequently asked questions about the redesign specifications
How many pages should the document contain?
It must be detailed enough to avoid interpretations, without repeating the same information. For a small business, start with the framework provided and concrete examples. France Num also offers a selection of specifications models suitable for different projects.
Should you choose WordPress or another technology before the quote?
Indicate the constraints above all: modify the content, link an existing tool, maintain a host or manage several languages. Ask the service provider to explain their choice and its consequences on costs, autonomy and maintenance.
Can we keep the same domain name?
Yes, a redesign can keep the existing domain. Check who controls the account and renewals. A change in page addresses must be handled separately: keeping the domain does not exempt you from preparing the necessary redirects.
Can the model be used to create a site?
Yes. Replace the old site inventory with available media and remove unnecessary migration sections. Keep the objectives, scope, responsibilities, reception criteria and operating budget.
Official sources
Transform reading into action.
Complete the framework with your objectives, your pages and current difficulties. This document will provide a concrete basis for our discussion and the costing of your redesign.
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