While building a website for clients, it's a good idea to get a better understanding of exactly why they need a website as well as knowing what content is going to go onto the website and their overall goals. Here is an example website questionnaire that I hand out to clients to get a better understanding of what it is they are looking for, as well as being able to determine the solutions and pricing I need to offer them.
Note: that while building your questionnaire, it's a good idea to keep the questions to a minimum. I've also found that most clients feel much more comfortable circling answers, so any question that can be multiple choice, make it multiple choice.
Client Name:
Date:
About the business
Describe your business/product.
What is the primary message you want to convey to the customer?
Who are your top competitors?
What sets you apart from your competition? Why should people buy from you?
Is there a unique story behind the business name or history?
Describe your target audience.
About the website
List websites related to your business that you like. What do you like about them?
What are your top products/services that bring in income? (list up to 3)
About the project
What is your current goal on why you want to build a new website?
(e.g., bring in new leads, new look and feel, optimized website, sell a new product, new product/service)
Did you need content written for the website?
When do you need the project completed? List an exact date if you need it for a product/service launch.
(1-2 months, 3-6 months 7-9 months, 1+ years)
What kind of budget did you have in mind?
($4-5k, $6-10k, $11k-25k, $25k+)
How many pages is your site going to be?
(1-3? 3-7? 8-20? 20+)
What particular features are going to be included on the website?
(blog, photo gallery, E-commerce, staff gallery, online bill pay)
Feel free to list any other features you feel you will need.
Are there any other services you’re interested in?
(photography, branding, print materials, video)
Keyword focus.
If you've done any research on keywords you would like to rank for, list them here.