I hate to break it to you, but designing a website is more than just throwing pretty colors and fonts together and calling it a day. Website design involves marketing tactics, creative processes, and branding strategies to nail a business’s objective or goal. That’s why it’s so important – before any “design” work even begins – to ask clients the RIGHT questions.
Yes, this does require them to do a bit of homework before the project starts, but I promise it will lead to a much efficient process and end result for the client (and for you). So, whether you are a new designer or in the market for a website designer, I want you to know exactly what I ask my clients before I design their website so you can get the inside scoop into my web design process.
What is or isn’t working for you on your current website?
Don’t worry – if your potential client doesn’t have a website yet, just ask them to provide examples of websites that they love as well as websites that they definitely do not love and the reasons why.
If they do have a website already, this question should provide a ton of information including what they like and don’t like about it, what CMS they use, plugins (if they have them), Google Analytics results, mistakes they’ve made on their websites already, and so much more. You can really read a lot into their old websites to get a grasp on how you should move forward with their new website when you design it.
Please describe your business in a few sentences and/or 5-10 descriptive words
Never assume what a client’s business is about. They could be rebranding or pivoting – hence the reason for a new website design. The answers they provide should help clarify what their business does, their future vision, the business’s background, if they are a solopreneur or agency, etc.
I love asking them to provide descriptive words because I really think it helps to point them (and you) directly to what their key values are in their business, in their brand, and in this project.
Some optional questions you can ask as back up (especially if they don’t provide much information on the first go-around) are:
- Who are their competitors?
- What makes them stand out as a business or brand?
- What are their strengths and weaknesses?
What is your main goal with this project?
Website design projects usually mean that a company’s site needs a refresh because it’s looking old and dated. While this may be what they need, you also need to know a little more about what your client’s idea of a successful website entails. This includes their overall objectives and goals with a new website like:
- Increasing page views
- Increasing online sales
- Increasing engagement
- Increasing brand awareness
- Increasing email/newsletter subscriptions
Once you’ve established what your client’s goals and objectives are with the new website, you can design pages that help solve the problems of their audience.
What is the scope of this project?
You need to clarify the scope of the project in the beginning before you start working. Gather your client’s deadlines, any milestones they want to hit, their budget, and how much (if any) flexibility there is in both the budget and the timeline. If this is a bigger agency or company, confirm who your main point of contact is and who is providing content for the website, so you have clear communication lines right from the start of the project.
I promise this question (and related questions) will save you so much time – and stress – later on. If you don’t know how much a designer costs (or what you should be charging as a designer), I suggest reading my post about it here.
Please describe your Target Audience.
I bet that your clients have an immediate answer to this question. Knowing our target audience seems to be drilled into us as we navigate this entrepreneurship journey, right? Encourage your client to really get into the nitty-gritty details on this question. Yes, demographics are helpful, but what you really want to know is:
- What keeps them up at night?
- What are their fears and problems?
The more you know about your client’s audience, the better you can design a layout, navigation, and appearance that attracts them.
What’s important to remember here (and to remind your client) is that you are designing a website that resonates with your client’s target audience. You aren’t necessarily designing a website purely for your client (although, yes, that’s part of it).
What features do you want on your site?
This question will help you find out what specific functions your client wants on the website. Basically, this addresses what activities you want your client wants their website visitors to engage in. Depending on what type of industry your client is in, the feature could be a range of different elements.
If the client is a boutique hotel, they probably need an online booking form.
If their business runs on newsletters, they need a subscriber opt-in form.
If they produce educational content, then they likely need a blog page.
If they sell products, they may need a Live Chat available 24/7.
If they are B&M, a map and address can help users find their store location.
If they are an influencer, they might want to direct their visitors to their social media channels.
Do you see what I mean? All of the above are features that you need to know about before you start designing their page. Speaking of subscription opt-ins, read this post if you are wondering where you should place opt-ins on a website.
Remember designing a webpage isn’t entirely up to you – you need input and guidance from your clients(and ultimately from their target audience) in order to deliver an incredibly well-designed finished product. So make sure your communication starts off well in the beginning and maintain it throughout the project.
If you have questions feel free to contact me! If you are ready to be the client behind these questions, let’s hop on a Discovery Call – I’d love to talk more about your web design needs.
