During a call with a prospective client, they asked a great question about planning for a new website: "What other questions should I be asking?" It's a harder question to answer than it sounds, because there really are a lot of them. So here's the resource I wish I'd had ready. Grab some coffee.
- Describe your target audience.
- What is the purpose of the website?
- What is the first thing you want users to do on your website?
- What is the second?
- What are your corporate core values and how do you express them to your visitors?
- What makes you different from your competitors?
- Why should people do business with you rather than your competitors?
- Describe the style of the website you want.
- Do you have specific company colors that need to be used?
- Can you provide the Pantone numbers for your company colors?
- Do you have any other materials that the site needs to match with in some way (brochures, press materials, etc.)?
- What do you like most about your current website?
- Is there any functionality or options on your current website that you plan to keep (other than the content)?
- What are your top 3 frustrations with your current website?
- What do your current competitors' websites have that you wish to have?
- Are there any websites with designs that you like?
- What about those websites would you like to be incorporated into your website?
- What types of things do you see on other websites that you really like?
- What types of things do you see on other websites that you really hate?
- Name the 3 things that are most important in the design of your new website.
- Name the 3 things that are least important in the design of your new website.
- Do you have full editorial or admin access to your current site?
- Who will be involved on your end in the development of the website?
- Any other contractors?
- Who or how will you be managing website upkeep?
- Do you have a budget you are trying to meet?
Scope & Specs
- Do you already have a URL you plan to use?
- If not, do you need help selecting and registering a good URL?
- Do you have a logo you plan to use or will one need to be created?
- If you have one, can you provide the original artwork files?
- Will you need a favicon created?
- Do you have a tagline or value proposition you wish to use or do you need help creating one for your site?
- Do you have a completed site architecture for the new website or will this be part of the scope of work?
- How many pages will the finished website be (estimated)?
- Do you have any page wireframes ready or will those need to be produced as part of the scope of work?
- Do you have the content for the website or will content creation be a part of the scope of work?
- How many template pages will need to be developed?
- Will we be importing and formatting your content, or do you plan to do this?
- Do you or your team need training for making website updates, content publishing guidelines, etc.?
- What types of actions do you want your visitors to take on your website?
- Do you have any specific photos you plan to use?
- Do you have full rights to those files?
- Can you provide hi-res files to us?
- Will we need to find and/or create any images for the website?
- Will video or audio be a part of the new website?
- Can you provide us the proper files or is creation of this content part of the scope of work?
- How many videos or audio files will be added and/or created?
- Will any customizations need to be made such as optimizing for search?
- Do you require online chat features?
- Do you have any other media or PDF documents that need to be incorporated, or will any need to be created?
- Will your visitors require any special accessibility needs (i.e., screen reader ready, larger fonts)?
- Do you require your site to be mobile friendly (yes, is always the answer)?
- Will you need a shopping cart system for e-commerce?
- Do you have a system you already use?
- Are you in need of an upgrade?
- We build in Webflow — are you comfortable with that for your new website?
- Will you need multiple levels of access or just admin and editor?
- Do you need to be able to manage content publishing approval processes?
- Does your site need a blog or news page?
- Will users need to log in to your site for any reason?
- If so, why?
- Do you need any password protected areas?
- What kind of content will be put behind password protected areas?
- How many web forms does your new site need?
- What is the purpose of each?
- How do you want the submitted info handled? (email, database, etc.)
- Do you need any social sharing features built in?
- Will there be any third-party applications that will need to be integrated?
- What are they?
- Will you need an events listing?
- Do you have any subscription services like Mailchimp or similar?
- Do you use a third party for any part of subscription content delivery and/or payment?
- What information must be on the home page?
- What information must always be visible?
- What features, sections or information do you want emphasized on the site?
- Do you need an internal site search feature?
- Do you want contact phone numbers prominently displayed?
- Do you require a database?
- What specific functionality will it need?
- How should that be implemented?
- Do you have a Google Analytics account?
- Can you provide us access?
- Do you have any other specifications or need specific functionality that has not been addressed?
- What is your time frame for total project completion?
- Will you be looking for keyword optimization beyond the design/development scope?
