When designing a website for a new client, the more I know about what you do and what you want from your website, the greater chance that the finished website will be completely quickly and to your liking.

So, the following list is a helpful starting point for me to learn more about you and what you need. You may not be able to answer every question, but any you can answer before I get to work on your website the better.

  1. Corporate Identity: Company name, address, logo, etc.
  2. Domain Names and Hosting: Do you have a domain name? If not, what domain name would you like? Do you have web hosting?
  3. What does your company do?
  4. Adjectives: Please list 5 (or more) adjectives that you think describe your company in order of relevance / importance.
  5. Competitors: Are there any websites that you would consider your ‘competition’? How are they your ‘competition’? For each competitor include the company name, web address, and a list of ‘keyterms’ that describe what they do and/or sell.
  6. Favourite Sites: Please list 5 websites you like. Include the URL, what you like about each site, and what you would improve upon.
  7. Least favourite sites: Please list 5 websites you don’t like, Include the URL. What don’t you like about these sites? What redeeming qualities to they have?
  8. Products / Services: List the top ten products / services you provide.
  9. Selling points: Why are your products or your services better than your competition (both online competitors from question 3, and offline competition).
  10. User goals: Why do you think people will visit your site? When people don’t know you exist, why would they find you or happen upon your site? Why would they come back? If they do know you, why would they take the time to visit your site?
  11. Target Audience: What types of visitors do you want to get? Who is your target audience? (Age, education, and other demographics? Job status? Economic status? Role in the community?) Describe your ‘average’ visitor as best you can.
  12. Secondary Audience: What other visitors is your site going to get? Job seekers? Board members?
  13. Technical: How technically savvy is your average visitor?
  14. Accessibility and Usability: Will web visitors have any special needs? (Eyesight, language, mobility, reading level?)
  15. Site Purpose: What do you want the visitor in question 11 (and 12) to do when they get to your site? What are your goals for the web site in terms of visitor actions? What do you think your site visitor should accomplish on your site?
  16. Site Goals: What are your goals for the web site in terms of you company goals? How is your site supposed to help your business? What is the purpose of your site?
  17. Site Analytics: What are your goals for the web site in terms of popularity? What type of exposure do you anticipate your website should achieve?
  18. Site Features: What features do you think your website should include? (Content management, calendar, forum, login, price comparison chart, contact form, anything?)
  19. Site No Nos: Do you have any definite remarks on what you do not want to have on your website? (Flash, splash page, the colour pink?)
  20. Other: Anything else I should know?
  21. Contact details.
Share This