So, are you ready for the second round of questions that are necessary — even crucial — to ask your client before starting a project?
“Why so many questions again?” you might wonder.
Because the outcome of your work should truly impress the client. The design you create should meet all of the client's requirements — and even exceed them.
In the first part we focused on the client's business and their goals, and today’s questions will be about the website design itself and the required features.
Let’s begin!
6. What websites do you like and why?
This may seem like an obvious question before you start working. If you want your design to really work and put a smile on the client’s face, this question is essential.
Again, clients can’t always articulate what they want to see in the final result, but it’s much easier for them to show you examples of websites they like and explain what attracts them.
Before presenting your initial design concepts, find a balance between what the client likes and what you consider the best solution. And by the way, don’t forget to ask what websites they don’t like — that will help you avoid unwanted directions.
7. Who are your customers and what are their problems?
Often, when working with small businesses, clients don’t clearly understand who their actual target customers are. Even if you ask, “Who are you selling to?” they might just answer, “We sell to everyone!”
It’s your job as a professional to help the client identify who they’re trying to reach. That’s why you should ask:
But that’s not all! You’ll need to dig deeper and understand not only what potential customers like, but also what problems and fears they face. Only by understanding these factors can you create a meaningful connection with the website visitors. Your design should not only speak to their problems — it should promise a solution and offer proof.
When designing, try to communicate the following to potential customers:
Don’t forget that your design often won’t be based solely on demographics like gender, age, or location — but also on customers’ problems and fears. Your design should help the client highlight the issue, show that there’s a great solution, and most importantly — prove they can deliver that solution, so the audience isn’t afraid to trust this particular company. Fear is especially common when it comes to small companies or lesser-known brands, and that’s where you, as a designer, come in to eliminate that fear.
On that note, when talking to your client about their audience and their issues, you might even come up with great design concepts. Every business solves a specific set of problems, and it’s your job to convey that clearly.
8. What features would you like your website to have?
Clients often make final decisions about their future website based on what they’ve seen online. Moreover, a client might mistakenly assume that features they’ve seen on another site are standard everywhere. That’s why it’s crucial to find out what exactly they want to include.
For example, your client might want to include in the design:
Make sure you clarify every detail of what your client expects, so they don’t come back later with complaints because their expectations weren’t met. Ask questions, clarify, and ask again! And remember, clients often struggle to express what they want, so ask them to show examples whenever possible.
This will save you from unpleasant situations later on when you might need to redo layouts just to fit in unexpected features.
9. Do you have a style guide or any other promotional materials?
Many designers skip this question — but it can actually save you time. It’s often difficult to start designing from scratch, while access to existing business materials can help develop the concept.
Logos, brochures, posters, web banners — these are just a few examples of resources that can be helpful when creating a design. And by the way, many clients won’t send you these materials unless you explicitly ask.
Once you have the materials, ask the client how closely you should stick to the company’s current visual style. Maybe they want to refresh the branding a bit? After all, you don’t want to spend time creating a design just to find out they were expecting a completely different color palette.
10. How will you measure the success and effectiveness of your website?
To rephrase the question:
For most clients, the obvious answer is: profit. Lots of it. But don’t stop there.
From the moment your shiny new website goes live, you’ll want your client to be able to evaluate its performance. But this is something you should address at the very beginning — not after the project is done.
For example, your client may measure effectiveness by:
Simply put, if the website delivers the expected results and you can prove it with measurable data, that’s a big win. That’s why it’s important to understand what kind of outcome the client expects from the website. If you deliver that result, they’ll become one more loyal advocate who recommends you to others.
Isn’t that what success looks like?
And finally… cover your own back!
All these questions aren’t just about understanding your client better and creating an optimal design. First and foremost, they protect you from possible issues and misunderstandings. Save all the answers — and if the client starts complaining later, you can always refer back to what they said themselves.
And if you want to learn more about communicating with clients, check out Andrey Gavrilov’s video on this topic.
Wishing you success and awesome ideas!