The 10 Questions I Ask Every Client Before a Web Design Project

The 10 Questions I Ask Every Client Before a Web Design Project

When kicking off a new project, I like to get inside the heads, minds, and hearts of the business owners I work with. To do this, I need to know a decent amount of information about your business, and what drives you. Things like target markets, goals, and where your head is at regarding the project are massively important to the success of our working together. I put together a list of the 10 questions I ask every web design client before a project.

Being a web designer for health and wellness brands is a little different than something like selling a car, or cleaning a home. There is so much back-end information that pertains to the project, and that needs to be shared, that many don’t realize. A web design project isn’t just a “new website” – it’s a strategic business move that should give you a solid ROI, and recurring customers or clients for years to come.

Without further ado, let’s get to it.

Here are my top 10 questions, in no particular order, that I ask any new web design client:

  1. Who is your target market?
  2. What is your Goal with this design/redesign?
  3. How would you best describe your business?
  4. Do you currently have a website? What’s working/what’s not?
  5. Are there any specifics you need on your website? (functionality, integrations, etc)
  6. Who are your biggest competitors?
  7. What makes you different from your competitors?
  8. What would a successful project look like to you?
  9. Do you have visual branding elements in place already?
  10. What is your ideal launch date?

Who is your target market?

If your potential web designer doesn’t ask you this, then they’re not going to be able to help you effectively. Sure, your niche might be “health and wellness” – but it’s so much MORE than that. A niche allows clients to identify your product and brand, and know that your offer suits or exceeds their needs. Additionally, focusing on a smaller target audience lets you concentrate on the quality of your customer service and establish long-lasting relationships with your clients. Clients come back as returning happy customers because they feel understood, heard, appreciated, and they see value in the service or product you provide.


What is your goal with this design/redesign?

A great goal for your website design or redesign is to increase conversions. This is just one of MANY goals, and every business/owner is different. What might be a great goal for one business might make no sense to another. To identify your main objective take a look at where your website is right now. How would improving an aspect of your website make a difference in the bottom line for your business? Would building an email list be beneficial to your business? Maybe generating leads that way could be the key to unlocking the next level in your business. Again, this is just one possible goal. If you’re unsure, please let me (or your web designer know) and we can work through that together.


How would you best describe your business?

This question gives me your very best elevator pitch and is among my favorite questions I ask every web design client. What’s an elevator pitch? Ironically it’s named this for being able to be recited during a 30-second elevator ride. (Cue the elevator music.) A good elevator pitch should be concise yet persuasive, touching on what you do, who you serve, and what differentiates your business from the competition. The goal isn’t necessarily to start a sale but instead a conversation with your small business pitch. Listening to your elevator pitch gives me the SparkNotes version of your business. From here, we dive deeper with the following questions.


Do you currently have a website? What’s working/what’s not?

Understanding what you like and don’t like about your current website, helps me better understand where I can step in as a web designer and lead you to greener pastures. Perhaps you’re over the DIY aspect of handling your website and need a pro to step in. Simple enough. Maybe it’s more in-depth than that. Are you embarrassed by your current website design? If you’re ashamed of sharing your website with potential clients, that’s a sign that you need some assistance.

On the flip side to this, there could be a decent amount going on that you DO appreciate about your website, and I love to know these things. If you love your email marketing platform integration, but hate the standard cookie cutter templates, perhaps a revamp of that during our time working together is in order. If you’re getting clicks to your lead generation page, but not nearly as many completions as you’d expect, perhaps there is some tweaking we can do during an overhaul that can change that for you!


Are there any specifics you need on your website? (functionality, integrations, etc)

Learning about the integrations you need on your website helped me to understand your needs more clearly. Social media integration, booking software embeds, and email signup forms are all common requests I get when I ask this question. Sometimes I will prompt you with these to see if they’re on your horizon or if you’re completely against them. Some integrations work for certain businesses, others do not! And that’s ok!


Who are your biggest competitors?

Knowing this helps me help you get a leg up on the competition. Personally, I don’t stress about the competition, but knowing who your competitors are, what they’re doing and the keywords they’re ranking for helps me to better formulate a plan of action for your website redesign/design. We want to do better than them, but not obsess over it.


What makes you different from your competitors?

This is a tricky 1-2 punch that I like to ask my clients. Referring back to my last comment about not obsessing over the competition, I do like to know what differentiates you from them, and how you’ve positioned yourself in the market. This isn’t meant to initiate a slam against your competition, but to get you to think deeper about your brand and the position you hold in the market.


What would a successful project look like to you?

Ideally, a successful project is one that generates income double what you invested, but again, success looks different for each business. I want to know what success looks like to YOU, not a Forbes article.


Do you have visual branding elements in place already?

Branding is an essential part of your business. Initially, I wrote this out as “Do you have branding in place already?” – and that question is moot. Every business, new, or old, with or without a logo, has branding in place. The essence of branding is the personality of your company, and the feel you give clients or customers who choose to interact with you. This is more than a surface-level visual impact, but is a heart and soul thing.

I digress.

I ask about your visual branding elements such as a logo, color palette, icons, fonts, etc. to get an idea of where our proper starting point will be. If you are in need of a logo, we start there. Perhaps you have a logo, but no proper fonts or colors – we can come up with a solid brand board together before launching into a full web design project with no visual direction.


What is your ideal launch date?

Not lunch date, LAUNCH date. Though, if food were a love language, that would be mine.

Knowing when you need to have your website live is crucial to the project because it helps me to understand your expectations for delivery. I am always upfront and honest about my abilities to deliver within your expectations, time-wise.

What other questions should I ask every web design client? Tell me.

What else do you think a web designer needs to know before starting a website design project for your health and wellness business? What other questions should I ask every web design client before kick-off? I’d love to hear your input.

Connect with me in the comments below – and ask any questions too! I’m here to help!

If you’d like to have me ask you these questions, and find out if we’re a good fit, schedule your consultation at the link below. Click the button to schedule your date with me!

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