50 Questions you Need to Answer Before Building your Website

You have been following someone on their social media because you reason with their message, you like them as a person and as a professional, and you think what they offer is something you may eventually be interested in.

One day, they post something that makes you want to find out more about their services. For that, you visit the website, ready to learn everything about them.

But the disappointment is big when you find a website that doesn’t look like its owned by the same business, you don’t feel like it is the same person talking to you, the tone is different and the vibe and aesthetics of the site don’t make you feel like you relate to this person anymore. Even worse, you don’t know where to click next. It takes you only a few seconds to feel like the relationship they have built with you doesn’t exist anymore. So, no wonder, you exit the site.

Don’t let your business and marketing work go to waste! a website that serves your business, should be designed thinking about it as a tool that will help your business reach its goals. Every element of your website should be placed not only to achieve these goals but also to consider an infinite amount of aspects like your Purpose, identity, plan, audience, budget, and future management of the site, just to mention some.

Designing a website is not about sketching a pretty design. Neither it is about mixing our favorite colors together with beautiful decorative elements.

Before designing your website

If you work with a professional designer, there are some questions that need to be answered even before thinking about starting the design process.

A professional designer will not be satisfied with a brief summary of your company. Instead, they will use their skills and uncover what lies beneath your business and brand. More often than not, professional designers find themselves uncovering the real problem that a website needs to fix is totally different from the one the business owner thinks.

For this, your designer will probably have established a working process where they include questionnaires or interviews where they will learn all they need to know about your business.

Only once they have figured out all of these aspects of your business, they will propose a solution to your needs.

What type of questions will your designer ask? To help you have an idea, I have put together a list with some examples of these questions. Run through all of these, and you will have a better idea of the aspects of your business your designer will ask to bring to life what you need and envision.

Business Questions

1. What do you do? All about your business story.
2. What services or products do you provide?
3. What impact does that make in people’s lives?
4. How do you want to change the world (your purpose)?
5. How long has your company been established?
6. What are your values?
7. What is your mission?
8. What is your vision?
9. What do you love about your business?
10. Is there anything in your business that you would like to improve?
11. Is there something you would like your business to be known for?
12. What are the long-term goals of the company? Where do you see your company in five years? Ten years? 30 years?
13.  If your business was a person, how would you describe it?

Your Industry

14. Who are your main competitors?
15. How do your competitors market themselves?
16. Is there someone in your same service area that you look up to?
17. What are the characteristics that make you look up to them?
18. Is there anything specific that is being criticized about businesses in your same area?
19. What unique value do you offer that makes the difference between what you and others do?

Your Audience

20. Who do you especially love working with?
21. Why are they so special to you?
22. What makes you the perfect fit for those people?
23. What’s your general approach to helping them?
24. How is your approach unique and different from the norm?
25. Imagine you are talking to your client over a cup of coffee. What does your voice sound like when talking to them?
26. Describe your primary ideal client. Imagine them, tell me about their life, age, education level, habits, routine, and income.
27. What questions do you think your clients have about your services?
28. How will your product/services benefit your specific audience? what is the result they will see after using your product/services?
29. List any objections about your product or service your customers might have and the answers to counter them
30. How do most of your customers find out about your company?
31. How do you plan to communicate with your target audience?
32.  If your customers had to describe your company in one word, what would it be and why?
33. Are there any new markets you’d like to break into? If so, what would they be and why?

Your Website

34. Do you have a current logo?
35. Do you have a strapline or slogan that goes along with your logo?
36. Do you have your branding ready? if yes, Why does your current branding use those colors, fonts, etc.?
37. If you already have a website, Why are you looking to change it?
38. What words describe how you feel when looking at your current website?
39. What do you want visitors to do?
40. Why would someone visit your website? What do you want them to know as a first thing?
41. How are you planning to get people to see your website?
42. What shades and/or shapes do you think best represent your business?
43. Describe your future website in 5 words in order of importance (i.e. Simple, floral, modern, provocative, colorful)
44. What colors or color palettes does the company typically use, and why?
45.  Is there anything that must be included, like existing brand elements, words, or icons?
46.  In your opinion, what defines a successful website?

Our Work Together

47. Do you have a budget in mind for the website design?
48. Do you have a deadline that needs to be considered?
49. Who will be the internal decision-makers on this project? Giving feedback and approvals?
50. Will there be anyone else involved in this project? any third-party sub-contractors or other agencies/freelancers?

Conclusion

Getting solid and thought-out answers to all these questions will help you get in the right mindset for taking part in the project.

It will also be fundamental to helping your designer get a deep understanding of your business. If you answer this and other relevant questions with dedication, you will see your hard work paying back pretty soon!

You will understand that you are not investing in only a quick design but a thorough and comprehensive process of evaluating your business, creating a strategy for your site, for finally designing and developing a well-thought website that is aligned with your purpose.