Most quotes go wrong because the brief was vague, not because the developer was careless. A short, clear brief gets you a more accurate scope, a realistic timeline and fewer surprises later. You do not need technical language. You need to answer a few plain questions.
1. What is this for?
Say what the project is meant to achieve in one or two sentences. "Get more enquiries from local customers" is better than "a modern website". The goal decides what gets built and what can wait.
2. Who will use it?
Describe the people who will use it: customers, your team, partners. Mention anything that matters about them, such as whether they mostly use phones, or whether they are not comfortable with technology.
3. What must it do?
List the things it must do, in order of importance. For example: show our services, let people book a time, take payment, send me an email when someone enquires. Mark what is essential and what is nice to have.
4. What do you already have?
Logo, brand colours, photos, written text, an existing site, a domain name, accounts for tools you already use. Anything you already have is something the developer does not need to create, and anything missing is something to plan for.
5. Show examples
Send two or three sites or apps you like, and say what you like about them. It could be the layout, the tone, the speed, the way something works. Also mention one you dislike if that helps.
6. When do you need it, and why?
A real date, such as a launch or an event, helps the developer plan. If the date is flexible, say so. A rushed timeline can often be met by reducing the scope rather than by working faster.
7. What happens after launch?
Will you edit things yourself, or want someone to handle updates? Who looks after hosting and backups? It is better to decide this before the build than after.
Keep it short
One page is enough. If you are unsure about something, write that down as well. A good developer will turn your brief into a written scope that you can approve before any work starts, and that scope is your protection against surprises.