A technical specification for website development is a detailed document that outlines all the requirements for a future website: functionality, structure, design, integrations, responsiveness, SEO, analytics, and performance. It serves as the foundation for developers, designers, and marketers — and it determines whether the site will be not just "nice-looking" but an effective sales tool.

For small businesses or when launching a product-based business from scratch, a technical specification is a critical step. Without it, it’s easy to lose budget, waste time, and compromise the integrity of the product. It also complicates future website promotion, as many important elements are often left unaddressed from the outset.

At COI marketing and software, we believe that website promotion starts not with ads, but with a properly crafted technical specification. This is the only way to ensure fast loading speeds, strong UX design, logical site architecture, full mobile responsiveness, accurate website analytics, and SEO-readiness — from day one.

In this article, we’ll explain how to correctly create a technical specification, what must be included, what common mistakes to avoid, and how to prevent rework during the process.

A technical specification is a bridge between business expectations and technical execution. In other words, it’s a roadmap that allows everyone involved — from the client to the developer — to work in sync.

Without a specification, the team moves blindly: functionality gets built on the fly, requirements change, budgets grow, and conflicts arise between expectations and the final result. Most importantly, the site loses its effectiveness and becomes a weak link instead of a reliable sales tool.

What problems does a technical specification solve?

A technical specification for website development addresses several critically important tasks:

It formalizes business requirements

All expectations are documented: features, design, technical parameters.

It eliminates ambiguity

Clear terminology, examples, and references are specified — reducing the risk of misunderstandings.

It enables progress tracking

The specification becomes the basis for planning and assessing results: whether everything envisioned has been implemented.

It streamlines promotion efforts

If SEO, UX, responsiveness, and performance are considered from the start — the site will be ready to handle real traffic.

It reduces rework costs

A well-prepared spec means fewer revisions, fewer disputes, and budget savings.

Among the most important parts of a technical specification are: site architecture, design requirements, responsive web design, integrations (CRM, payment systems, analytics), as well as SEO requirements (site structure, landing pages, meta tags, performance, etc.).

Who should create the technical specification?

This depends on the scale of the project:

• A business owner or small business entrepreneur can outline goals, desired results, and examples of competitors. But that alone isn’t enough for technical implementation.

• A marketer helps gather analytics, define content, SEO, and visual requirements, and consider user behavior scenarios.

• A technical specialist (developer or tech lead) translates general input into concrete requirements: frameworks, CMS, hosting type, integrations, and more.

• However, the best solution is a team effort. That’s how we work at COI.UA: marketers, UX specialists, and developers jointly build the specification — factoring in business goals, target audience needs, future website promotion, the technical foundation, responsiveness, and performance.

As a result, you get a document that enables you to launch and immediately activate SEO, analytics, targeting, and email marketing — without rework or budget loss.

What does a technical specification include: structure, essential sections, and optional points

A properly written technical specification is not just a wishlist. It’s a logical structure, where each point answers three key questions: what needs to be implemented, how, and why. This approach helps avoid unfinished work, ensures all details of website promotion are considered, and makes the final result predictable.

Essential sections of a technical specification

1. Introductory section

• Website type: online store, landing page, blog, catalog, etc.

• Business goals: what the website should achieve (sales, registrations, lead generation).

• Unique features: what sets the website apart from competitors.

2. Site structure and architecture

• List of all pages: homepage, categories, product pages, informational pages.

• Hierarchy: how pages are linked, how users navigate between them.

• Number and type of filters, sorting options, navigation logic.

3. Design requirements

• Fully responsive web design for all devices.

• Brand identity, color palette, fonts, tone of voice.

• Examples of websites you like or dislike.

4. Content

• Formats: photos, videos, texts, infographics.

• Site language(s), structure of text blocks, image quality requirements.

• SEO content writing rules, meta tags, and product descriptions.

5. Functionality

• Shopping cart, checkout, user account.

• Integration with CRM, payment systems, logistics.

• Subscription forms, email/SMS marketing, UGC modules.

6. SEO and technical parameters

• Website performance and loading speed.

• SSL certificate, clean URLs, sitemap.xml, robots.txt.

• Basic SEO structure: keywords, meta tags, landing pages.

7. Analytics and event tracking

• Integration with Google Analytics 4, Meta Pixel.

• Event tracking, e-commerce goals.

• UTM tag configuration, retargeting capabilities.

Optional points to include

• Multilingual support, if your target market includes more than just Ukraine.

• Mobile-first UX: focus on calls-to-action, touch interaction, and essential features.

• Scalability: the website should grow alongside your business.

• Admin scenarios: what tools and permissions your managers will have.

At COI.UA, we create technical specifications that account not only for technical aspects, but also for marketing needs: site architecture, UX, SEO-readiness, performance — everything is built in from the start. This approach helps avoid rework and allows you to launch website promotion immediately after the site goes live.

Common mistakes in a website technical specification — and how to avoid them

Even the most detailed technical specification can lose its effectiveness if basic mistakes are made. These not only complicate development, but also jeopardize the success of website promotion, SEO, UX, and marketing efforts.

1. No clear business goals

Mistake: The technical document only outlines the appearance of the website — but not its purpose.

Solution: Define specific business goals from the start. What should the website achieve? Sales, lead generation, subscriber collection — this must be reflected in the opening block of the specification.

2. Ignoring SEO and site architecture

Mistake: The site’s structure is built visually only — without considering keywords, landing pages, or how search engines will index the site.

Solution: Perform a preliminary SEO audit and build your site architecture around it. Always include the technical aspects of website promotion in the documentation.

3. Vague functionality requirements

Mistake: The document simply states “convenient cart” or “fast filter” without further technical detail.

Solution: Describe each function in full. For instance: should the cart support product saving, delivery estimation, or upsell blocks? What type of filter is needed — by category, price, size?

4. No analytics setup specified

Mistake: Analytics tools are added post-launch — and not considered in the technical plan.

Solution: List all required events in the specification: clicks, purchases, scrolls, video views. This is critical for optimizing future ad campaigns and content performance.

5. No performance or responsive design requirements

Mistake: The desktop version looks great, but the site loads slowly and fails on mobile.

Solution: Include comprehensive requirements: responsive web design for all devices, Google PageSpeed score of 90+, WebP images, caching enabled.

At COI.UA, we don’t just avoid mistakes — we design technical specifications with future risks and marketing steps in mind. That’s why the websites we develop don’t just function — they perform from day one.

Effective Technical Specification Checklist

To ensure that your technical specification lays the foundation for a successful launch, scaling, and website promotion, it should meet three criteria: completeness, logical structure, and marketing readiness. This is the practical checklist we use at COI.UA:

Business Objective

• Clearly outlines what the website is expected to do: sell products, inform users, generate leads, or combine several functions.

• Defines the target audience and the user needs the site should address.

Website Architecture

• Built with SEO keywords, navigational logic, and content structure in mind.

• Includes a diagram of pages, hierarchy levels, filters, and interconnections between blocks.

• Specifies the technical setup for categories, tags, and landing pages.

UX and Responsive Web Design

• A mobile version is planned from the outset.

• User flows are mapped: from first entry to purchase or conversion.

• Lists key UX elements: menus, cart, search, CTAs, filters, sorting tools.

SEO, Performance, Indexing

• Sets clear performance benchmarks: PageSpeed 90+, extended indexing, presence of sitemap.xml and robots.txt.

• Includes clean URLs, meta tags, Open Graph data, and structured schema markup.

• A user-friendly CMS is specified, with built-in SEO tools and controls.

Analytics and Tracking Events

• Specifies Google Analytics 4, Meta Pixel, and Google Tag Manager integrations.

• Lists key e-commerce events: product view, add-to-cart, purchase.

• Includes locations for lead capture forms and trigger-based communication flows.

Integrations and Additional Features

• Lists required integrations: CRM, payment gateways, chatbots, email/SMS tools.

• Indicates the tech stack — for example: React + Headless CMS or Shopify.

At COI.UA, we treat every project as a unified system: we do not just write a technical document — we build the foundation of your marketing success. If you need a website that is ready for promotion, analytics, and growth from day one — we know how to make it happen.

Technical Specification and Website Promotion

Why Website Promotion Is Impossible Without a Solid Technical Specification

The most common mistake in web projects is to separate website development from its promotion. In reality, these are inseparable. The technical specification is a strategic document that must include all parameters of successful website promotion right from the start.

If this is overlooked, the site will need to be “patched” after launch: revising structure, templates, content, or even switching platforms — all of which mean extra costs, lost time, and reduced results.

How to Embed SEO, UX, and Analytics From the Start

To make website promotion effective, the technical specification must include the following components:

SEO Optimization

• Build the site structure using keyword research and frequency analysis.

• Prepare meta tag templates and Open Graph tags for social media.

• Set technical requirements: high performance, clean URLs, indexing rules, canonical tags, and sitemap.xml.

• Ensure admin-side control over SEO elements.

UX Design

• Define clear user flows — from first visit to purchase or conversion.

• Plan category structures, filters, search, and shopping cart logic.

• Specify mobile responsiveness: the site must display correctly on smartphones, without duplicated blocks or distorted elements.

Analytics and Marketing Tools

• Integrate GA4, Meta Pixel, e-commerce events, and retargeting triggers.

• Set up contact collection tools: forms, pop-ups, and automation triggers.

• Plan for UTM tracking, CRM integration, and email/SMS marketing.

When these requirements are embedded in the technical specification, your marketing promotion begins working immediately after launch — saving time and budget while maximizing results.

Who Should Create the Technical Specification: Freelancer, Studio, or In-House

A technical specification (TS) is the foundation of any web project. The person or team responsible for it directly affects not only implementation quality but also the success of website promotion, analytics setup, UX design, and future scalability.

Let’s review the main approaches.

Freelancer

A specialist may have strong knowledge in one area — such as front-end development or SEO — but rarely covers the full scope: from marketing logic to the technical architecture of the site. As a result, the TS often turns out to be fragmented or too narrow, requiring revisions during the development phase.

In-House (Business Owner, Marketer)

The advantage here is a deep understanding of the product and target audience. However, without technical experience, it's hard to account for key aspects like analytics events, adaptive web design, or the proper structure for landing pages. This often leads to a site that looks decent — but isn’t ready for internet site promotion or analytics.

Web Studio

The main strength is a comprehensive approach. Typically, a studio team includes a marketer, analyst, UX specialist, and technical expert who collaborate to create a holistic document that covers:

• Site architecture with SEO in mind

• User flows and behavioral logic (UX)

• Technical optimization (performance, clean URLs, SSL)

• Page structure tailored for advertising

• Analytics events and goals (GA4, Meta Pixel, e-commerce tracking)

Thanks to experience across dozens of projects, a studio can anticipate common mistakes and embed solutions that streamline development and speed up time-to-launch.

How We Do It at COI Marketing and Software

At COI.UA, preparing a technical specification is the first — and most essential — step. Here’s how we work:

• We conduct a briefing with the client, analyzing their business and market landscape.

• We build the site architecture logic, tailored to future internet site promotion.

• We create a TS that integrates SEO, advertising goals, UX, and analytics events.

• We deliver a document that is clear and actionable for both the client and the development team.

As a result, you receive not just a list of functions — but a strategic foundation for a commercial website that’s ready for load, competition, and scalable growth.