A good discovery document is the foundation of a successful project. It is a comprehensive brief that outlines the project's goals, scope, and strategic direction. Ours is a key reason we close over 60% of qualified leads.
What is a discovery document?
A discovery document is a collaborative brief that we create with our clients. It details everything from your business goals to your target audience. Think of it as a blueprint for your website. It ensures that both we and you are aligned on what success looks like.
For a recent client in Fremont, the discovery process revealed that their primary goal was not just to increase online sales but to drive foot traffic to their store. This insight shifted our entire approach, leading us to build a site with a strong local SEO focus and prominent store-hour visibility.
Why is the discovery document so important?
A thorough discovery document minimizes surprises. It sets clear expectations for the project's scope, timeline, and budget. It also helps us understand your brand’s voice and values, which is essential for creating a website that feels authentic.
A project without a discovery document is like a ferry crossing Puget Sound in the fog with no navigation. You might eventually reach land, but it probably won’t be your intended destination.
What goes into our discovery document?
Our discovery document covers several key areas:
- Business Goals: What do you want to achieve with this project? (e.g., increase leads, boost online sales, raise brand awareness)
- Target Audience: Who are your ideal customers? What are their needs and pain points?
- Brand & Voice: How do you want your brand to be perceived? What is your tone of voice?
- Technical Requirements: Are there any specific integrations or functionalities you need? (e.g., eCommerce, booking systems, CRM integration)
- Competitive Landscape: Who are your main competitors, and what can we learn from them?
By the end of the discovery phase, we have a shared understanding of the project that guides our design and development teams. For a Bellevue-based tech startup, this process helped us identify a key differentiator that we highlighted on their homepage, resulting in a 30% increase in qualified leads within the first two months.
Ready to start your own discovery process? Contact us to get started or request a /free-website-audit-report to see how your current site is performing.
Seattle agency · Seattle, WA
A full-service digital agency working in WordPress, Drupal, Shopify, Webflow, React, and React Native. We partner with universities, nonprofits, governments, and growing brands to ship sites that hold up after launch.