How do you define specifications for creating a WordPress website?

Are you about to launch the creation or redesign of your WordPress site? Before diving in, have you thought about creating an essential document?

A document that is still too often overlooked, due to lack of awareness or lack of time, even though it is so essential to the success of a web project.

This document is the specifications for a WordPress website.You don't know how to shape it like a master?

By the end of this article, and after following 6 key steps, you'll be able to create your own custom template, like a pro. As a bonus, you'll even find a sample structure to guide you.

With this, you're guaranteed to start your next website off on the right foot, and in the right direction!

What is a web specification document?

A set of specifications is a written document that presents the major elements related to a project to create or redesign a WordPress site.
It details in particular the needs, constraints, ideas, concepts and objectives of the person or company wishing to design a website.

It also lists the various service providers who will be involved throughout the project, as well as the graphic, functional, budgetary and strategic aspects of the site.

A good project specification document sets out the guidelines for a web project, but it is not a summary. On the contrary, It allows you to present your project in detail..

This is why you must strive to be as precise and comprehensive as possible when writing it. This applies whether you intend to design your website yourself or entrust this task to a professional. agency specializing in WordPress.

What elements should be included in a specification document?

While there's no single, definitive method for creating a relevant website specification document, several core concepts should be included. Specifically, consider presenting the following:

• your needs in creating this project, as well as any potential constraints;
• the structure of the site and its type (showcase site, e-commerce site, custom-made site etc);
• the quotes and the budget;
• all the tasks to be performed;
• the stakeholders who will participate in the project and their respective roles;
• the project and the different stages in chronological order;
• the graphic charter, the technology used (e.g., WordPress), the languages ​​used on the site, etc.;
• the order of priority regarding the different actions to be carried out;
• the content, SEO strategy (Search Engine Optimization, Search engine optimization), maintenance solutions, social media presence;
• delivery date ;
• an inventory of the existing situation (in the case of a redesign).

This is just a first taste of what awaits you when you start working on the specifications for your next WordPress site.

Note that if you are a service provider, it is of course your client who will have to fill out your specifications when they ask you for a quote. 

For example, you could guide them by providing a ready-to-use template and assisting them in filling in the required information..

Before discussing all of this in depth, and addressing the writing phase of the web specifications, first discover the reasons why this document is essential when designing/redesigning a WP site.

Why is a specifications document essential for creating or redesigning a WordPress site?

Drafting specifications is essential to the success of your project for several reasons, which are also advantages. 

• This document will save you a lot of time.At any time, you can refer to it to view the different steps and elements of the WordPress site to be created;
• The service provider and the client gain in readability and claritysince everything was planned from the start.
  A specifications document limits the risk of unpleasant surprises during the execution of the project, as well as time-consuming back-and-forth communication between the various stakeholders in the project;
• A website's specifications document can serve as evidence in the event of a dispute with a service provider.because it is an official document;
• He prioritizes the different operations to be carried outand helps you to lay out all your ideas. It identifies all the essential tasks to be carried out, and presents the client's needs;
• The various stakeholders can more easily estimate the actual workloadand the cost associated with each service requested;
• as a formal and official document, A detailed specification document lends credibility and professionalism to your project..
  Thanks to it, you plan the creation of the site and establish delivery deadlines that will serve as reference points for all stakeholders;
• lThe specifications for a WordPress website are not fixed. : if you have forgotten some elements, you can always complete and adjust it in due course.

However effective it may be, specifications are primarily reserved for projects of a certain "scale." In practical terms, don't hesitate to use them when you want to: 

• create a WordPress site from scratch;
• to completely redesign a WordPress site to bring it up to date graphically, for example.

However, you can skip this formal document for small, time-consuming projects. For example:

• creating a unique page to rank you for a specific search query, in order to improve your organic search engine ranking;
• graphic modifications or the addition of certain features such as the installation of an SSL certificate for Switch your site to HTTPS, the creation of a child theme, the addition of a complex form, etc.

After this theoretical presentation, let's move directly to the practical implementation. See in detail what elements should be included in your WordPress website specifications.

How to write specifications for your WordPress website in 6 steps

Writing your specifications involves several steps. As you will see, these are essential for structuring your content and ensuring you don't forget anything when writing.

Let us reiterate that your specifications must be a model of clarity, readability, and precision.

To achieve this, in addition to the text, integrate all the graphic/visual elements that will facilitate the understanding of the document for readers: images, illustrations, screenshots, functional mock-ups, logos, diagrams, tables, etc.

Finally, regarding its format, note that a web specification document is most often delivered in PDF or text format (Word, Google Docs, Libre Office, WPS Writer etc).

Is everything OK with you? Now dive into the first drafting stage.

Step 1: Present the project

To begin, the specifications for a WordPress website present the project in a general way, addressing the following themes: the company, the project, the stakeholders, the objectives and the target audience.

Company and project presentation

As an introduction, start by highlighting your company and the project, over 1 or 2 pages. 

Regarding your company, please list:

• its name and date of creation;
• his/her contact details: email, telephone number, address, SIRET number etc;
• its number of employees;
• its turnover;
• its sector of activity;
• its provisional budget;
• the products and/or services you offer.

Also, remember to list your competitorsby providing the address of their website, and then briefly explaining their strengths and weaknesses.
Outline in a few lines the marketing/web marketing strategy that will need to be implemented to differentiate yourself from the competition.

In the case of a redesign, you will also need to dedicate a section to the existing site. Present its characteristics (technology used, traffic statistics, language used, etc.), as well as the resources currently available:

• the website URL;
• the registrar with whom the domain name was reserved (Gandi, OVH, o2switch etc);
• The hosting provider: OVH, o2switch, Ionos 1&1 etc.
• the CMS (Content Management System) used : WordPress.org or WordPress.com, Joomla, Drupal, Wix, Shopify, Squarespace etc.
• the existence of a WordPress maintenance etc.

Introduction of speakers

To facilitate communication between the different parties, Please provide the contact details of each participant. (web project manager, developer, web writer, graphic designer, SEO manager, communications manager, etc.):

• first and last name ;
• position held and role in the project;
• contact details (email and possibly phone number).

Details of the creation objectives are included in the specifications for your WordPress website.

Thirdly, first explain the type of site desired: showcase site, e-commerce, media etc.

Then follow up by explaining why you want to create or redesign your WordPress site, and what it will be used for.

The overall objective here is to integrate website creation into your company's strategy. Here are a few pointers to guide you: 

• Is this upcoming website a tool for showcasing your services? 
• Do you want to use it to develop your online visibility and brand awareness?
• Is it more of a lever to conquer a new clientele or a new market?
• Are you counting on him to sell your products and services, for example, if you are creating an online store?
• With this, do you want to increase your social media traffic?

Always with a view to accuracy, Detail your general objectives by dating them and quantifying them.For example, you might want to find 100 new customers with your WordPress site by December 2022.

With this in mind, it is wise to present your objectives quantitatively, for example using key performance indicators (KPI, Key Performance Indicator:

• targeted traffic volume;
• sales objective;
• expected volume of prospects per day/week/month;
• the average turnover;
• the rebound rate; 
• the click-through rate on your pages;
• the shopping cart abandonment rate in e-commerce.

Target definition

Finally, the specifications for your WordPress website must present your target audience, that is, the public you are going to address. 

To do this, you can provide the following information: 

• the type of target : B2B (businesses), B2C (individuals) or both;
• his characteristics : age, socio-professional category, gender, sector of activity, budget, interests, etc.;
• his consumption habits, such as the type of device she primarily uses to browse the internet (computer, smartphone or tablet).
  This is very important when creating a responsive website (readable on all types of devices). Also indicate their proficiency with digital tools;
• its geographical locationvery useful for knowing in which language the site should be designed.

To better understand your target audience, you can develop personas, which are fictional representations of your ideal customers. HubSpot's free Make My Persona tool is a good starting point.

Thanks to these personas, the various stakeholders in the project will have a more concrete and precise vision of the users you are targeting. 

Step 2: Define your users' needs

Without further ado, let's move on to step number 2 in creating the specifications for your WordPress website: defining user needs. 

You need to put yourself in their shoes and imagine the actions they are likely to take while browsing your website.

To do this, ask yourself the following questions, and provide precise answers: 

• What are the needs of the customers who will visit your site? Do they want to buy something? Are they looking for specific information? Do they want to download a document?
• What will the user journey be like once they land on your pages?
• How can we make navigation as smooth as possible?

Understanding user needs will allow you to detail the essential features of your site.For example, if they are looking for information about your products or services, a blog page can be useful to present them in more detail, using dedicated tutorials.

If you are selling products, e-commerce functionalities will be necessary (Shopping Cart page, Order, Payment etc.). 

And let's not forget order tracking and support. In this case, we could consider creating an FAQ or using a chatbot.

Step 3: Describe the graphic and ergonomic aspects of the WordPress website

This step should allow your specifications to present your requirements in terms of visual/graphic identity, ergonomics and communication.

The design and graphic charter 

If you have a style guide, include it in your website specifications. This document outlines the elements that make up your visual identity, namely:

• the colors of the siteA good practice is to use a maximum of 2 or 3 main colors. To combine them correctly, use tools such as ColorHunt, Material Palette or Adobe Color Wheel ;
• the logoIf you don't have one, you can give an idea of ​​what you want by designing it with a service like logogenie ou Canva ;
• the typographyThat is, the fonts used on your website. You can find inspiration on Google Fonts. Font Squirrel ou Da Font ;
• the visuals and iconswhich you can find on Iconfinder ou The Noun Project ;
• the scenarios with the addition of flyers or brochures used in your company's communication.

Don't have a style guide? No problem. Be as specific as possible by giving examples of websites, colors, fonts, visual effects and other logos that you like and that inspire you.

Simply list the URLs corresponding to your service provider, explaining what you like… and what you don't like. You can easily add screenshots to make it more concrete.

Navigation and ergonomics

After the graphic charter, develop what you expect in terms of navigation and ergonomics. 

Here again, you should describe your expectations, based on the needs of your target audience. For example, consider the design:

• of a responsive website;
• of a very specific navigation system;
• from an internal search engine;
• specific buttons;
• a site map per page;
• of a menu containing a maximum of X or Y entries;

The importance of wireframes, zoning and mockups in web specifications

If you can, don't hesitate to use different techniques to present the placement of the various graphic elements on the pages of your site, as well as the desired rendering. 

To do this, you can design the elements below, which range from least detailed to most detailed: 

• industrial parks, which present the elements of your page in the form of blocks;
• wireframesThese are functional mockups showing the structure of your pages. You can create them as sketches, with a pencil and pen. But the simplest and most practical way, especially for facilitating corrections and collaboration, is to use an online tool like Balsamiq Wireframes ou mockflow ;

• modelsThese showcase the final design of your pages. Designing them isn't necessarily required at this stage, as it demands expertise and technical skill.
  However, add them to your specifications if you have them. It's always a plus for the service provider. 

Step 4: Detail the functional and technical aspects of the project in the WordPress website specifications document

In step 4, detail the functional and technical aspects of the site, namely its structure, the desired functionalities, or the presence of content.

The site's structure

By tree structure, we mean the architecture of a website in the form of a diagram, with the different sections and levels of navigation.

This tree structure will allow you to list the main strategic pages of your site: Home, About, Services, Contact etc.

A successful website structure primarily enhances the user experience, but it can also have positive effects in terms of SEO (Search Engine Optimization), as it helps search engines better understand the context of your content.

To design it, use software such as GlooMaps, MindMeister ou Balsamiq.

Speaking of pages, remember to include, in your WordPress website specifications, the inclusion of Legal Notice and Privacy Policy pages, etc. Don't forget the design of any custom landing pages, if needed.

The various functionalities expected in the specifications

What essential features must your WordPress site have? This is the section where you will list the options that seem essential to you..

For example, if you want your service provider to design a shop WooCommercePlease indicate:

• its mode of operation;
• the preferred delivery methods;
• payment gateways to integrate (PayPal, Stripe etc);
• the number and type of products to add (physical, downloadable);
• shipping costs;
• the introduction of VAT and its rate;
• product variations (size, color, etc.);
• inventory management; 
• billing etc.

Other possible examples: you want to include on the site a secure customer area, a members area to create a community, a blog to showcase your content, a newsletter to collect email addresses. 

Technical information and constraints

Here, specify the technical constraints associated with the project by providing information on: 

• preferred technologies to create or redesign your site. In principle, you will start with WordPress ;-).
• browsers on which it is imperative that your website displays correctly: Chrome, Mozilla, Firefox, Opera, Edge etc.
• domain name and hosting management Who will handle this if you already have a hosting provider? What are your requirements if you wish to subscribe to or modify one? Perhaps you'd like to switch to dedicated hosting rather than shared hosting, for performance reasons? Please specify this;
• potential integrations with third-party systems, like a CRM (Customer Relationship ManagementCustomer Relationship Management), or an ERP (Enterprise Resource PlanningIntegrated Management Software);
• copyright Regarding the texts and images you will be using: Are they royalty-free? Do you have your own photos? 
• the desired screen resolution ;
• the language into which the site will need to be translated if you want to set up a multilingual website;
• requirements regarding security on WordPress : plugins to activate, spam management, two-factor authentication, HTTPS etc. 
• the implementation of a Web Analytics solution, type Google Analytics or Matomo;
• social media accounts to display on the site : Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn etc. ;
• the email marketing tool you use, such as Mailchimp, SendinBlue or ActiveCampaign. 

Contents

Finally, describe all relevant information about the content:

• What types of content should be created: blog articles, videos, interviews, ebooks, case studies, etc.?
• who will create them and in what formats (list the most important content already present, if you have any);
• Your search engine optimization (SEO) needs: site structure, loading speed optimization, semantic audit, keyword research, installation and configuration of dedicated extensions such as Yoast SEO, etc.

Step 5: Specify the expected services in the website specifications.

Now, let's move on to step 5 of creating the specifications for your WordPress website. 

You must now list all the services needed to create the website, outlining your requirements.

In this section, list the features and content you wish to create, in order to bring them to the attention of the service provider: 

• support for the creation or redesign of the website;
• management of accommodation and purchase/renewal of the domain name;
• creation of the different pages and sections;
• web design, creation of a graphic charter and a logo;
• search engine optimization;
• optional maintenance service, to ensure that your WP site is functional, secure and optimized 24/24;
• need training on the WordPress CMS in order to gain maximum autonomy after the site is delivered;
• bringing the site into compliance with GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) etc.

All these elements will help the service provider to establish a realistic and costed quote tailored to the client's needs.

Step 6: Establish a delivery schedule and a budget

The final step in writing the specifications for a WordPress website is to first define your project creation and delivery schedule.

Specify a desired online publication dateYour service providers will then be able to assess the feasibility of the project and make any necessary recommendations.

They will then inform you of the deadlines for the various deliverables (delivery of mockups, pre-production, testing, online launch, etc.). Regarding deadlines, also specify the deadline for receiving quotes.

Finally, be sure to include your budget in the specifications. This information is essential for service providers to estimate the workload and its feasibility, saving time for everyone involved.

An example of a well-structured WordPress specifications document

In summary, here is an example of a website specification, in terms of its general architecture.

You can use this, in addition to the steps listed above, to create your own. 

I – Presentation of the company and the project

• Company and project presentation
• Introduction of speakers
• Details of the creation objectives
• Target definition

II – Defining your users' needs

III – Description of the graphic and ergonomic aspects of the website

• The graphic chart
• Ergonomics and navigation
• Zoning plans, wireframes and mock-ups

IV – The functional and technical aspects of the project

• The tree structure
• Expected features
• Technical information and constraints
• Contents

V – Expected Performance

VI – Delivery schedule and budget

Need to go further?

The specifications for a WordPress website are a fundamental document when creating or redesigning a website.

It allows you to clearly define your needs and objectives...not forgetting to present the essential features and technical recommendations. 

Thanks to it, you ensure you are heading in the right direction, save valuable time, and promote communication with your client and/or service provider.

Do you need assistance in drafting specifications?

Specialized in WordPress website creationWP Maintenance experts can offer you a tailor-made solution that will meet your needs with speed, professionalism and efficiency.