Terms of reference for the site: how to make it so as not to overpay

The terms of reference sound like something for large companies with a development department. It's really just a list of what should be on the site. And precisely its absence is the most frequent reason why the project is delayed and the amount increases.

Why TK at all

Without it, the classic thing happens: "I thought the catalog was included", "shouldn't they have made a second language", "why are the photos like that". Each such "a" is either a quarrel or an additional payment.

TK solves three things:

1. You and the contractor equally understand what we are doing.
2. The price is calculated from the specifics, not from the ceiling.
3. There is something to appeal to if the result is not as expected.

And most importantly: TK is beneficial to the customer. It's easier for a contractor without TK - you can always say "it wasn't included".

What should be in the TK

1. About business - briefly

Three or four sentences: what do you do, what city are you in, who are your clients, what makes you different from your competitors.

A coffee shop in the center of Vinnytsia. Special coffee, own roasting. Customers are office workers nearby and people who understand coffee. We differ in that we roast ourselves and talk about the origin of the grain.

2. What the site should do

The most important point. One main action for which everything is started:

• collect applications for the service
• sell goods online
• make an appointment
• show portfolio to be contacted

If there are several goals, prioritize them. A site that does everything at once usually doesn't do anything well.

3. Structure of pages

Just a list. For landing - a list of blocks from top to bottom:

1. Перший екран: що ми робимо + кнопка
2. Послуги: 4 позиції з цінами
3. Як працюємо: 3 кроки
4. Приклади робіт: 6 фото
5. Відгуки
6. Форма запису + контакти + карта

For multi-page - a list of pages and what is on each.

4. Functions

Specifically, without "modern functionality":

• application form → applications are sent to Telegram
• language switch Ukrainian / English
• catalog with a filter by price and category
• online card payment
• a blog that we run ourselves

Each item affects the price, so the more accurate, the more accurate the amount.

5. Content: who owns it

Most often they forget, and this is where delays occur:

• Texts - yours, the contractor's or together?
• Photo - do you have your own, do you need filming or drains?
• Logo - is there in the vector?
• Description of services and prices - are you ready?

An honest answer of "no texts, help needed" is better than "there will be texts" and three weeks of silence.

6. Examples: like / dislike

Two or three links to sites you like, and why exactly. And one or two that are not liked, also with an explanation.

"I like this one - because everything is clear in 5 seconds and there are no ripples" is much more useful than "make it beautiful".

7. Terms and budget

Yes, the budget should also be indicated. It's not "to get more out of you" - it's not to be offered a solution for 60,000 when you expect 12,000.

What should not be in TK

Technical requirements that you do not understand. "Use React and Redux" - if it is copied from the Internet, you are simply narrowing down the choice of solutions without benefit for yourself.

Description of each pixel. "The button should be 240 by 56 pixels, indent 24" is the work of the designer. Your task is to say that the button should be visible.

Blurred wording. "Modern", "premium", "so that it sticks" - these are not criteria. Replace with examples.

A template that can be completed in an hour

1. Про бізнес: ______
2. Головна дія на сайті: ______
3. Хто клієнт: ______
4. Структура (список сторінок/блоків): ______
5. Функції: ______
6. Контент: тексти - ___, фото - ___, лого - ___
7. Приклади: подобається ___ (чому), не подобається ___ (чому)
8. Строк: ______   Бюджет: ______

This is really enough for most small business projects.

If there is no time to write TK

Normal situation. We have this role demo brief: seven short questions, two minutes. From the answers, we compose the structure ourselves and show the main screen - then you control not an abstraction, but a concrete layout.

It often works better than TK: it is easier for a person to say "this is not the case" looking at the finished product, than to describe it in words in advance.

How TK affects the price

Directly. Here are two queries:

"I need a website for a coffee shop, how much?"

The answer will be in the range from $400 to $1,700, because nothing is known.

"Landing for a coffee shop: 5 blocks, Telegram registration form, our texts, your photos, an example is this site, budget up to $550"

Here you can already name the exact amount and term. And it will be smaller, because the risk of obscurity is not embedded in it.

You can calculate a reference point for your configuration in the calculator - it works according to the same logic as normal TK.

Summary

TK is not bureaucracy, but a way not to overpay. An hour to compile it saves weeks of misunderstandings and often several thousand hryvnias.

And if it is not possible to formulate - write, let's ask the right questions ourselves.