We have all done it (probably when we were just starting out). We have gone in and asked too few questions to get a feel for what really needed to be done and ended up with significantly more work than we had originally bargained for.I have come up with 20 questions that I have all potential clients answer before our first meeting so that I know where they are coming from and what they have in mind as far as a project goes. I am sharing these questions in the hopes that we can all become stronger designers and give our clients what they need and want (within their budgets, of course).
- What benefits would you like your company to gain from your Web site?
- Who is your primary target market?
- To whom do you sell or want to reach primarily? Other businesses, consumers or another group?
- How will your Web site compare to the way your business / organization currently operates?
- Do you know what your domain name will be? Is it currently registered?
- Do you have website hosting in place? If you have hosting who is the provider, what plan do you have and when does it expire?
- Will your site need a security certificate?
- Will you be processing credit card transactions? Do you currently have a provider?
- How do you currently generate demand for your product/service?
- Will you offer coupons or discounts for using the Web site?
- Will you be collecting e-mail addresses for an e-mail marketing program?
- How else will you be advertising your business?
- Who will be answering emails by the Web site?
- Who are your top competitors?
- Which functionality should your Web site offer? (e-commerce/shopping cart, site search, customer service/support, tech support, discussion forums, newsletter, catalog/information, order forms)
- If your current website was a car, what would it be? and then what kind of car would your ideal website be?
- What three words describe your company culture? Do they describe your current web site?
- What feature of your website would you want a competitor to be envious of?
- What are 3 likes and 3 dislikes of your closest competitor’s site?
- Will the existing content on your site be used, or will it need to be re-written?
- Will you be requiring ongoing support of the site?
You should pick a mix of 10-12 questions that will give you a mix of answers on the technical, design and business fronts. It is important that if you find a question isn’t illiciting the response that you are looking for that you go back and revise your questionnaire.
(image credit laurakgibbs)
