Writing a Project Brief That Gets Good Bids
By Natalie Foss
The quality of the bids you receive is directly proportional to the quality of your brief. We see this pattern over and over: vague briefs get vague bids, specific briefs get specific bids.
Here's what actually matters.
Scope first, details second
Start with one clear sentence about what you need. "Redesign the homepage of my Shopify store" is better than two paragraphs of context about your company. Freelancers scan briefs quickly before deciding whether to bid. Lead with the thing.
Then add context: what platform, what technology, what you like/don't like about the current version, who your customers are.
Be honest about budget
Listing a budget range signals you're a serious client. "Budget: negotiable" mostly just means freelancers will either skip it or bid high and negotiate down. A realistic range gets you proposals that are scoped to actually fit.
If you're not sure what something costs, post a project without a budget and look at the incoming bids to calibrate -- but understand you might get wildly different numbers and some freelancers won't bid at all.
Examples help more than you think
"I want something modern and clean" means almost nothing. "Here are three sites I like the feel of" means a lot. Links to examples (even from competitors) tell freelancers more about your taste than any amount of descriptive language.
The timeline question
Be realistic. A two-week timeline for a Shopify redesign will screen out the most experienced freelancers, who are usually booked 2-3 weeks out. If you genuinely need it fast, say so and budget for a rush fee. If you don't, give yourself more time than you think you need.
What not to include
Company history going back to the founding. Detailed information about your industry that a freelancer can look up. Praise for how great of a client you are. Keep it to what someone needs to know to evaluate whether they can do the work and submit a reasonable bid.
The best briefs I've seen are about 150-250 words. Shorter than you think.