The Essential Questions to Ask Clients Before Starting Your Web Project

Whether you're planning a complete redesign or building a new site from scratch, gathering comprehensive information before diving into design and development saves time, prevents misunderstandings, and ensures the final product truly addresses your business goals.

‍

Why the Discovery Phase Matters

We've all been there: a project starts with excitement and momentum, only to get derailed weeks later when fundamental assumptions prove incorrect. This is why we dedicate significant time to our discovery process. It's not just an administrative hurdle—it's the foundation that supports every successful project.

Through years of experience, we've refined our client onboarding process to gather crucial information that guides our strategy and execution. Here are the essential questions we ask before starting any web project.

‍

Business Goals and Project Purpose

1. What are you trying to achieve with your new website?

This seemingly simple question often reveals profound insights about a client's expectations. Are you looking to generate more leads? Increase online sales? Establish thought leadership? Improve customer service? The primary goal influences everything from site architecture to calls-to-action placement.

2. What specific problems are you trying to solve with this new or redesigned website?

Instead of focusing solely on features, we want to understand the underlying challenges. Perhaps your current site loads too slowly, doesn't work well on mobile devices, or has a confusing navigation structure that causes users to leave. Identifying these pain points helps us prioritize solutions.

3. What does success look like for this project?

We need concrete metrics to measure success. Is it a 20% increase in form submissions? A lower bounce rate? More time spent on key pages? Better conversion rates? Establishing clear KPIs from the start ensures we're all working toward the same objectives.

‍

Audience and User Experience

1. Who is your target audience?

Understanding who will use the website shapes every design decision. We need to know demographics, technical proficiency, browsing habits, and user goals. A site targeting tech-savvy millennials will look and function differently than one aimed at senior healthcare professionals.

2. What actions do you want visitors to take on your website?

Every effective website guides users toward specific actions. Do you want them to request a quote, subscribe to a newsletter, make a purchase, or download a resource? Identifying these desired actions helps us design intuitive pathways that lead users toward conversion.

3. What feedback have you received about your current website?

Existing user feedback is gold. If clients mention certain features are hard to find, content is outdated, or the mobile experience is frustrating, we have immediate improvement targets. This historical perspective prevents us from repeating past mistakes.

‍

Brand and Design Preferences

1. How would you describe your brand personality?

Is your brand sophisticated or playful? Cutting-edge or traditional? Understanding your brand voice helps us create a design that authentically represents your company. We'll ask for adjectives that describe your desired brand perception and examples of brands you admire.

2. What websites do you like (both within and outside your industry)?

This question reveals subjective preferences and expectations. When clients share websites they admire, we analyze what specifically appeals to them—whether it's minimalist design, bold typography, immersive imagery, or interactive elements.

3. Are there any brand guidelines or existing design assets we should follow?

Consistency builds brand recognition. We need to know if there are established color palettes, typography, logo usage rules, or visual identity guidelines to incorporate into the new website design.

‍

Content and Functionality

1. What content do you already have, and what needs to be created?

Content often becomes the bottleneck in web projects. Understanding what exists, what needs updating, and what must be created from scratch helps us establish realistic timelines and determine if additional services (like copywriting or photography) are needed.

2. What specific features or functionality does your website require?

Beyond standard pages, what special functionality do you need? This might include e-commerce capabilities, appointment scheduling, membership areas, forums, integration with third-party tools, or custom calculators. Identifying these requirements early prevents scope creep later.

3. How will you manage and update content after launch?

We build with the future in mind. If you plan to update content frequently, we'll ensure the CMS is intuitive for your team. If you need complete control over certain sections while protecting others, we'll structure permissions accordingly.

‍

Timeline and Budget

1. What's your timeline for this project?

Realistic timeframes are essential for quality work. Is there a specific launch date tied to a product release, event, or seasonal opportunity? Understanding timeline constraints helps us allocate resources appropriately.

2. What's your budget range for this project?

Budget transparency helps us tailor solutions that provide maximum value within your means. If expectations exceed available resources, we can prioritize features for a phased approach or suggest alternative solutions.

3. Who will be involved in the approval process?

Projects move smoothly when decision-making roles are clear. We need to know who will provide feedback, who has final approval authority, and how many review cycles to expect.

‍

The Next Steps

After gathering this information through our discovery questionnaire and initial meetings, we compile everything into a project brief that serves as our roadmap. This document ensures everyone—both your team and ours—shares the same understanding of project goals, scope, and expectations.

The time invested in this discovery phase pays dividends throughout the project. It reduces revisions, prevents misaligned expectations, and ultimately leads to a more successful website that genuinely serves your business objectives.

At HeyMate!, we believe that asking the right questions is the first step toward creating exceptional digital experiences. If you're ready to start a conversation about your next web project, get in touch with us today — we've got plenty of questions ready!