What a good website questionnaire covers
A web design client questionnaire is the set of questions a new client answers before any design starts, for example a café owner writing down their goal, three sites they like, who will write the menu text and who gets the final say on each draft.
Every section is there to avoid a specific surprise later in the project. The last one, feedback and approval, is the one most questionnaires leave out.
- Business goal
- The one result the site is for, such as more bookings or fewer support calls. It is the yardstick for every design choice that follows.
- Audience
- The people the site is for, described well enough that you could picture one of them reading the page.
- Content owner
- The person responsible for supplying words, photos and logos. Missing content is one of the most common reasons launch dates slip.
- Design references
- Sites the client likes, with a reason. The reason matters more than the link: “easy to read” and “bold colours” lead to very different designs.
- Final approver
- The single person who can say a draft is approved. Asking for a name at the start stops a late opinion from restarting a finished round.
- Review round
- One cycle of sending a draft, collecting feedback and making changes. The number included should be agreed before work begins.
What each starting point gives you
Each preset turns on the sections that usually matter for that kind of project and adds a few questions of its own. The redesign preset, for example, asks what must be kept from the current site. You can switch any section on or off afterwards.
| Starting point | Sections | Questions | Feedback & approval questions |
|---|---|---|---|
| New website | 8 | 27 | 5, always included |
| Redesign | 8 | 31 | 5, always included |
| Landing page | 6 | 23 | 5, always included |
When a questionnaire is not enough
Answers are a starting point, not a brief
A client’s answers tell you what they think they want. Turn them into a short brief you both agree on before you quote or design.
Long forms get skipped
If a client faces fifty questions, many will answer none. Switch off sections that do not apply, and offer to go through the rest on a call.
Budget questions can feel awkward
Some clients will not name a figure. Offering two or three ranges usually gets a more honest answer than an open box.
The approver can change
People leave or get promoted. If the named approver changes mid-project, confirm the new name in writing before the next round goes out.
Questions about client questionnaires
When should I send a website questionnaire?
After the first call and before you write a proposal. The answers shape the scope and price, so sending it after the quote means you may be pricing the wrong project.
Why ask about review rounds in a questionnaire?
Because it is easier to agree on the number of rounds before anyone has an opinion about a draft. Clients who said “two rounds is fine” at the start rarely argue about a third being billed.
Should the client fill it in alone or on a call?
Either works. Many designers send it first, then use a call to go through the gaps. Printing it with answer lines helps clients who prefer to think on paper.
Can I add my own questions?
Copy the text and paste it into your own document, then add or reword anything. The numbers and sections are plain text, so they are easy to edit.
What is different in the redesign questions?
They ask what is wrong with the current site, what works and must stay, which pages get the most visits, and who holds the old logins. Those answers decide how much of the old site you can reuse.
Is anything I type here saved?
No. The questionnaire is built in your browser and nothing is sent anywhere. Copy or print it before you close the tab.
How many questions is too many for a website questionnaire?
There is no fixed number, but every question should change something you do. If you would not act on the answer, switch that section off. A landing page rarely needs the technical section; a redesign almost always does.