As an independent web designer, you have a lot on your hands. From creating designs and layouts, producing sample sites, doing digital retouching and keeping up with recent software developments, you really put a lot of time and effort into making every project a success. So you don't want all this hard work to go down the drain because it just wasn't what the client was looking for.
For this reason, implementing a website design form is a great way to gather all the information you need before you decide to work with them. It enables you to do more research about their target audience and to give a precise quote as well as turnaround time. However, if you don't ask the correct questions, you might develop a website that they don't need or exceed their budget.
To help you create a comprehensive website design form for client intake we'll go over the main aspects your form should cover. But before we get into it, let's quickly define what a web design questionnaire/form is.
Note: Use Bonsai to create effective web design questionnaires that meet your business' needs and sets you up for a successful project. Our custom client forms are fully customizable and can be easily integrated into your website. Get yours today for free here!
What is a web design client questionnaire?
A website design client questionnaire/form is a list of questions that web designers provide for their prospective clients in order to better understand their needs for business and design before developing their website. It is closely tied to a client intake meeting because the questions can be utilized to create that resource and gain a better understanding of the client's priorities in terms of timeframe, budget, and other relevant variables.
Obtaining as much information as you can upfront can give you knowledge of the client's target market and objectives, enabling you to make sure that your finished product meets or even exceeds the client's original vision. While each form can be tailored to different clients, it can be time consuming to create a form from scratch each time you're about to start a project, so it's a good idea to create a basic template you can use as reference and save lots of time. Read on to find out what to include.
Elements to Include in Your Web Design Client Questionnaire
Asking plenty of questions is the best method to comprehend your clients' wants and give them the most accurate quote. However, it can be hard to cover every single detail when first meeting with your client. So to make sure everyone is on the same page regarding requirements, budget and design process make sure to cover the following aspects.
Client Information
The first thing you must do is gather the client's essential contact information. Include the potential client's full name (or business name), physical address, phone number and email address. This way you can not only have all you need to do a proper follow-up but you will keep your client profiles well organized.
Brand & Industry Insights
You're looking for a solid basis to build a website that is consistent with your client's brand, so you must fully understand their business model and their main competitors. To help you find out what their competitive advantage is and what kinds of clients they're looking to reach, you may ask these questions.
- What products and services do you provide?
- Who are your primary target customers?
- How long have you been in business?
- What is the goal of your business?
- Do you have any brand assets or standards we may utilize as a guide?
- What distinguishes you from your rivals (unique selling proposition)?
- How many companies are you directly up against? (If you could include links to their websites)
- What types of images best reflect your business? (Pictures of establishments, markets, goods, the outside, etc.)
Website Design Project Details
Your web design questionnaire should include enough questions to help you clearly understand what your client has in mind. Find out whether they need a whole new website designed or are just looking to revamp the existing website, as well as the precise features the client wants to include. The following questions will help you discover your client's expectations.
- What is the project's main focus?
- How soon do you need the website to be developed?
- How many pages or sections will your website have in total?
- Do you require assistance with copywriting or content strategy?
- Please list the different functionalities of the website that you require. (For instance, sign-up forms for volunteers, a slideshow on the homepage, a Facebook badge, etc.)
- Will you require hosting and email?
- List the menu options you want, such as "home," "about," "services," etc.
- Do you want to establish a color preference inside your firm or does it already have a color scheme?
- Do you require a Wordmark or company logo for this project?
Challenges & Goals
Next, you must find out the state of your potential client's current site (if any) as well as the kind of finished product they're after. It's also important to understand how they want their customers to interact with the website. Here are some questions that should help figure this out.
- Do you currently have a website? If so, what is and isn't working for you?
- Do you have any prepared web content?
- What do you want to accomplish with your website?
- Do you already have a logo or other brand identifying features?
- How important is SEO to your website's success?
- Do you have a particular favorite website? Why? (Examples include sidebars, headers, menus, colors, typography, and images.)
- What characteristics must your website have to be successful? (For instance, CTA (Call To Action) buttons, live chat, integrating social media, or compatibility with different browsers)
- Do you have any doubts or concerns about the web design project?
- What do you want your website visitors to do when they access it?
Client's Budget
In order to determine how much your potential client values your job and whether they can genuinely afford your services you'll have to inquire about their budget for the website. You can directly ask the question 'What's your estimated budget for the project', however, you may help them provide a more realistic estimate by offering a dropdown list with the minimum amount you would consider as the beginning point. Typically, this would be your least favorite budget, and depending on how much work the client is expecting you to complete, you might decide to decline it.
Questions & Comments
Finally, before deciding to take on the project, you don't want to leave any questions unanswered. You can leave some space at the end of the website design questionnaire to allow your prospective client to enter any more information they may deem pertinent to the project and ask further questions. They might have some relevant details that your form missed or they might want to know more about you and your services.
Create an Effective Website Questionnaire With Bonsai
Now that you know what essential elements you must include in your web design client questionnaire, and how beneficial it can be to your onboarding process, use Bonsai's form builder to create and send it to your prospective clients. Our fully customizable client forms allow you to include as many questions as you'd like (and add your own), and you can choose whether the answer should be a text, a single option, or a list of choices.
After you've finished modifying your form, you have three options: send it immediately via email, let customers fill it out by sharing the URL, or have it embedded into your website for extra convenience. In addition, Bonsai provides a wide range of additional tools for managing all of your administrative needs. Here's a sneak peak in case you could use some help running your business.
Proposals, Contracts and Invoice Templates
Bonsai offers a wide variety of pre-designed templates that you can fully customize adding your own branding elements. You can seamlessly create and send your business proposals, contracts and even invoice templates.
Payment & Accounting Integration
All of our invoice templates allow you to integrate multiple online payment options and you can even link your bank account for instant access to your funds after each payment. Plus our accounting software will keep track of your income and expenses to track your profit and losses.
Tax Estimates & Deductions
Bonsai Tax automatically analyzes your expenses and tax receipts to provide you with quarterly and annual tax estimates. It will also identify potential tax deductions helping you save money and have a worry-free tax season.
Dedicated Business Checking Account
With Bonsai you can apply for a dedicated business bank account that has no minimum balance requirements and no maintenance fees. Plus, its amazing 'envelopes' feature allows you to save up a percentage of your income for vacations, payroll, taxes or anything else you need. It's never been easier to manage your business finances, all in one place.
Check out these and many other incredible features by signing up for the 14-day free trial. We help you save time so you can focus on your passion, not your paperwork!
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