How to Write a Website Technical Specification

A technical specification for website development is a document that transforms your expectations into clear, measurable requirements for developers, designers, SEO specialists, and marketers. Not having one is one of the most common website structure mistakes — leading to delays, budget overruns, and chaotic revisions.

Most clients come in with the request “I need a website” without fully understanding the process: site architecture, responsive web design, the need to create a design tailored to the target audience, or proper analytics setup. As a result, the visual part of the project may look attractive — but be completely non-functional in terms of sales or SEO performance.

Why Do You Need a Technical Specification at All?

Without a technical specification, it’s impossible to assess the scope of work or accurately calculate the project cost. During development, unexpected changes will force you to either overpay or settle for compromises. This leads to situations where a website that was meant to drive growth becomes nothing more than an expensive mockup with no real value.

A clear technical brief is the foundation for any website that can later be easily adapted for online promotion, integrated with technical support, launched into content marketing, or used to build a landing page for an online business.

What Goals Should a Technical Specification Cover?

A well-written technical specification serves not only an organizational role, but also a strategic one. It lays the foundation for achieving business objectives: increasing conversions, launching a product business, scaling operations in Ukraine, and improving search engine rankings. A strong spec helps avoid unnecessary costs and ensures effective communication among all project stakeholders.

Key goals your spec should address:

  • Commercial effectiveness: the site must attract, retain, and convert users. This is especially important if you're launching a product business from scratch.
  • Technical compatibility: clear requirements for hosting, CMS, performance, and integrations with CRM or analytics tools.
  • SEO readiness: the site structure should be optimized for search engine visibility — from URLs to microdata.
  • Usability: the site should feature logical architecture, responsive design, and mobile-friendly functionality.
  • Security and scalability: considerations for potential threats and future functionality expansion.

A technical spec is your “insurance” against mismatched expectations

It minimizes misunderstandings between you and your developers and provides a solid basis for evaluating results. Moreover, a high-quality spec can be used to compare commercial offers from different agencies or freelancers.

Structure of an Effective Technical Specification: Must-Have Sections

A high-quality technical specification isn’t just a checkbox template — it’s a document tailored to a specific business objective. However, there are essential sections that must not be ignored. Their inclusion ensures transparency, speeds up delivery, and allows for accurate budget estimation.

Core sections every technical specification should include:

Project overview

  • What type of website is being created — a landing page, corporate site, or e-commerce platform.
  • Define the target audience and main goals (e.g. website promotion, launching a product business).

Site architecture (page structure)

Functional requirements

  • What the site must be able to do: filters, search, user account, CRM integration, shopping cart, multi-currency, blog, etc.

Content and media

  • Who’s responsible for content: text, images, videos.
  • If SEO is part of the plan, include metadata and schema markup requirements.

Design and responsiveness

  • Style preferences, competitor examples.
  • Clear requirement for responsive (mobile-friendly) design.

SEO and performance requirements

  • Base-level SEO expectations (URL structure, page speed, mobile optimization, etc.).
  • Specify target keywords or search directions.

Technical details

  • Technologies allowed or restricted.
  • Hosting, CMS, security, analytics, and website support requirements.

Timelines and budget

  • Expected deadlines for each stage.
  • Estimated cost or budget constraints.

This level of detail allows clients to clearly understand what they’re paying for — and helps developers make a realistic estimate.

Who Should Write the Technical Specification: Designer, Developer, or Client?

A technical specification isn’t just a file — it’s a zone of responsibility that defines the entire course of the project. One of the most common mistakes is assigning the spec to a developer or designer who isn’t yet familiar with your business. The result? You get functionality “as it happens,” rather than a structure built for your customer.

Who can write the spec — and the risks involved

The client writes it alone

Works if you have experience. But without a deep understanding of web development and website promotion, these documents are often incomplete or contradictory.

A designer or developer writes it after a brief

They rely on their own ideas of usability — not on website marketing or conversion architecture. Key elements are often skipped — like SEO structure or responsive design.

A marketer or UX specialist

Closer to the right approach. But without website support insights and a clear understanding of technical goals from both the developer and the client, the spec may lack feasibility.

A team that builds websites end-to-end (like COI.UA)

This is the optimal solution. We assess your business goals, market specifics, and audience priorities — and use this to create a technical spec that you can:

  • use to order a website from us;
  • or take to another agency (transparency is one of our values).

A well-crafted spec isn’t an expense — it’s an investment in results.

What Sections Should a Complete Technical Specification Include?

The more detailed your technical specification, the more predictable the website development process will be. A comprehensive spec isn’t just a wishlist like “I want a website.” It’s a structured document that addresses the client’s wishes as well as real functional, design, marketing, UX/UI, and technical implementation requirements.

Core Sections of a Technical Specification

General Information

  • Website goals (sales, information, lead generation)
  • Target audiences
  • Promotion geography (e.g., “product-based business in Ukraine”)

Website Architecture

  • Will it follow a linear structure or nested?
  • How many pages and which ones (homepage, categories, product cards, blog, etc.)
  • Navigation priorities based on user UX experience

Design and Responsiveness

  • Basic visual style requirements
  • Whether responsive web design for mobile is needed
  • Preferences like minimalism or inclusive design

Functionality

  • What components the site must include (search, cart, filters, integrations)
  • Do you need feedback forms, newsletter signup, etc.

SEO and Marketing

  • Key phrases and terms
  • Focus on website promotion and search engine optimization
  • URL structure, technical SEO requirements

Integrations and Technical Features

  • CRM, payment systems, analytics
  • Platform (e.g., CMS or custom engine)

Timeline, Budget, and Phasing

  • Estimated deadlines
  • Budget expectations
  • Staged implementation (MVP, beta version, release)

Such a document greatly simplifies project estimation, reduces the risk of miscommunication, and builds the foundation for future technical support of the website.

Our Approach: Transparency and the Freedom to Choose

At COI marketing and software, we don’t impose services — we provide the tools to make informed decisions.

What We Offer

Technical Specification as a Standalone Service

You can order a technical specification without any obligation to work with us further. We create a detailed document that allows you to evaluate any project accurately and transparently.

Website Development Estimate Based on Our Spec

Once the spec is ready, you can send it to us to receive a development cost estimate. If the terms don’t suit you — you're completely free to choose another development team.

Transparency at Every Stage

Pricing, timelines, tools, and technical constraints — everything is clearly laid out in the spec. You get the full picture and realistic expectations.

Why This Approach Works

  • Budget Control. You know exactly what you're paying for and what you’ll receive in return.
  • Comparison Made Easy. You can compare offers from different teams based on the same clear technical specification.
  • Marketing Efficiency. Thanks to a well-defined plan, your website is immediately optimized for online promotion.
  • Risk Minimization. No hidden costs, misunderstandings, or unnecessary work.

A Clear Technical Specification Is the Foundation of Transparent and Effective Development

Successful website development begins long before the first line of code. It starts with accurately defining expectations, requirements, and business goals — in other words, with a well-crafted technical specification. A clear spec eliminates confusion, prevents misunderstandings, and avoids hidden costs throughout the project. It acts as an agreement between the business and the developer, reducing revisions, shortening timelines, and ensuring that the final product aligns with your business objectives.

At COI marketing and software, we believe that transparent communication starts with a solid specification. That’s why we offer a standalone service for creating technical documentation with a detailed scope of work and budget estimation. This approach allows you to:

  • Get expert consultation before development begins
  • Avoid hidden costs and shifting deadlines
  • Clearly understand what you’re paying for and why
  • Freely choose your development team — the spec remains yours

If you choose to continue working with COI.UA, we’ll start the project with a pre-approved plan. If you decide to go with another team, the spec remains your property and can serve as a foundation for a tender or further negotiations. This gives you maximum freedom and full control over the process.

COI.UA — we build websites that work for your business. And we always start with the right strategy.

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