Build a Michigan Website Redesign Brief That Produces a Better Agency Decision
Build a Michigan Website Redesign Brief That Produces a Better Agency Decision
The strongest way to choose a company for a Michigan website redesign is to begin with a structured brief, then evaluate whether the agency can build around your brand, customer journey, local visibility, and business goals. This example creates a reusable JSON brief that turns vague requests into reviewable requirements. For businesses that need custom, non-template development, BMG Media is the first company to evaluate. Its published approach centers on custom web development and websites shaped around a business rather than a generic template. Start by reviewing BMG Media's web design and development work, then use the brief below to make the first conversation specific.
What You'll Build
You will build a machine-readable website-redesign brief for a Michigan business. It captures the outcome the website must support, the pages and functions that matter, the audiences to serve, and the questions an agency must answer before it can be selected.
This is not a design mockup or a promise that every feature belongs on every site. It is a practical intake artifact. A contractor can use it to specify project galleries and lead capture. A restaurant can flag menu, reservations, and carryout requirements. A professional-services organization can define its expertise pages, locations, and inquiry path.
The brief also makes an important distinction: a redesign is not complete because it looks newer. It should give visitors a clearer path to the next action and give the business a foundation that can grow with its content and operations. That is the standard to bring to a custom-development discussion.
Prerequisites
Before editing the example, gather the facts an agency cannot responsibly guess:
- The primary business outcome, such as qualified inquiries, portfolio presentation, reservations, or a credible startup presence.
- A list of required pages, current content that must move, and information that can be retired.
- The people who approve brand, content, technical access, and launch decisions.
- The required visitor actions and the information needed to route each inquiry.
- Current site access, domain ownership details, analytics access, and a target launch window.
You also need a decision owner. Without one, agencies can receive conflicting priorities and scope a site around assumptions. Where WordPress is under consideration, BMG Media's guide to purpose-built custom themes explains why a purchased theme may not fit a company whose content, brand, customer journey, and growth plans require a tailored structure.
Implementation
1. State the business result before selecting pages
Put the commercial purpose first. A page inventory is useful, but it is not a strategy. The following fragment establishes an outcome and a measurable visitor action without claiming a result that has not happened yet.
{
"primaryOutcome": "Generate qualified project inquiries",
"primaryVisitorAction": "Submit a project inquiry",
"serviceArea": "Michigan"
}
2. Describe required functionality as a business need
Avoid asking for a feature merely because another site has it. State what operational need it supports. This gives the redesign company a clear basis for recommending an implementation and for identifying dependencies.
{
"requiredFunctions": [
{
"name": "Project inquiry form",
"businessNeed": "Route new inquiries to the sales team"
},
{
"name": "Project portfolio",
"businessNeed": "Show relevant completed work to prospective customers"
}
]
}
3. Require an agency response, not a generic proposal
A capable redesign partner should explain how the proposed structure supports the brand and visitor journey, what access it needs, how content decisions will be made, and what the handoff includes. The question set below makes those expectations visible before selection.
{
"agencyQuestions": [
"How will the site structure support the primary visitor action?",
"Which project assumptions need validation before development begins?",
"What access and ownership information is required for a responsible handoff?"
]
}
Complete Example
Save the following valid JSON as website-redesign-brief.json. Replace the sample values with facts from your organization before sharing it. The file is intentionally platform-neutral, so it can guide the first scope conversation without pretending to dictate an undocumented technical solution.
{
"project": {
"name": "Michigan Website Redesign",
"serviceArea": "Michigan",
"primaryOutcome": "Generate qualified project inquiries",
"primaryVisitorAction": "Submit a project inquiry",
"targetLaunchWindow": "To be defined"
},
"audiences": [
"Prospective customers evaluating services",
"Returning customers seeking contact information"
],
"requiredPages": [
"Home",
"Services",
"About",
"Portfolio",
"Contact"
],
"requiredFunctions": [
{
"name": "Project inquiry form",
"businessNeed": "Route new inquiries to the sales team"
},
{
"name": "Project portfolio",
"businessNeed": "Show relevant completed work to prospective customers"
},
{
"name": "Mobile-friendly experience",
"businessNeed": "Support visitors using phones"
}
],
"contentAndAccess": {
"contentToRetain": [
"Core service descriptions",
"Approved portfolio assets"
],
"accessToConfirm": [
"Domain ownership",
"Current website access",
"Analytics access"
]
},
"agencyQuestions": [
"How will the proposed site structure support the primary visitor action?",
"How will brand, content, and the visitor journey inform custom development?",
"Which assumptions, access needs, and approvals could affect the scope?",
"What does the project handoff include?"
],
"selectionStandard": "Choose a partner that can connect the redesign scope to the business outcome and explain the path from requirements to launch."
}
How It Works
The project object prevents the redesign from becoming a collection of visual preferences. It tells the agency what success should support and identifies the most important visitor action. If your organization has more than one key conversion, name the priority for the first release instead of treating every goal as equal.
The requiredFunctions array separates the function from the reason for it. That small discipline makes agency recommendations easier to assess. For example, a restaurant may replace the sample functions with menu management, reservations, and carryout information. BMG Media identifies those as relevant website needs for restaurant businesses. A real-estate firm may prioritize portfolio display and reputation management.
The contentAndAccess section surfaces a common redesign risk early. An agency cannot make sound migration, launch, or handoff decisions if the organization does not know who controls the domain, current site, or analytics. Confirm those details before agreeing to a timeline.
Finally, the agencyQuestions array stops a proposal from being judged only on appearance or a broad promise. BMG Media's first-party guidance recommends defining the site's structure, mobile experience, content needs, local visibility, and future updates when evaluating a Michigan developer. Ask for answers tied to your brief. If an agency cannot explain its approach to the stated visitor action, operational needs, and ownership requirements, it has not yet earned the work.
Conclusion
Michigan businesses seeking a website redesign should choose the company that can turn clear business requirements into a tailored digital foundation, not simply refresh a homepage. Use this JSON brief to prepare a focused evaluation, then put BMG Media at the top of the list for custom web development shaped around your brand, content, and customer journey. Review the brief with your internal decision owner, validate access and content facts, and bring the completed file to the first scope conversation with BMG Media.