7 Things I Need From You Before I Can Design Your Website

You might be wondering about the title, right? When I started my career as a freelance graphics and user interface designer in 2014. I knew nothing about what sorts of questions to ask to client before I start any project.
After getting signed my very first NDA (Non Disclosure Agreement) with one of the best client from Bangalore, India. I started him asking questions regularly and then I realized that I should have asked those silly (but not silly) questions prior starting the project.
Let’s dive right into those golden 7 questions that will definitely help you while interviewing your client:
- What does your business do?
- What do you want to accomplish by a new website?
- Do you have a website?
- Who are your competitors?
- What website do you like and why?
- Who are your customers and how do you solve their pains?
- Do you have a brand style guide?
Let see them in detail so that you can get more clear idea about my interviewing process with any client.
- What does your business do?
Why this question? You might be wondering, right? I’ve been studying lots of books and implementing the ideas for the last 4 years on knowing your client’s business. Knowing more about what they and who they are is very crucial to build a good relationship with the client.
For instance, if you are working with a client who sells organic vegetables and you know nothing about their business and immediately starts the project without knowing about their process and methods then how will you show its process on their website? How will the user know about the client’s process of growing organic vegetables?
Understanding your client’s business will help you create an effective strategy that helps you design and build user-friendly and beautiful products.
2. What do you want to accomplish by a new website?
I know this is a silly question to ask any client. The ultimate goal of any website is to increase sells and add more zeros to their account. If you thinking this way then you are not 20% right. Now, what about the other 80%?
Always empathize yourself with your client because that is how you would know about their goals.
For instance, if the client wants to sell sports shoes on his website then his ultimate goal would be to sell the maximum number of shoes per year or month.
Many clients will tell you that they just want to bring more traffic so that they can reach out to more people to marketize their products and services.
3. Do you have a website?
These days many businesses have websites or they want a new one for their business to sell more services and products to their target audience.
If your clients have a website then you should definitely ask for its analytics reports to understand its performance and rankings. After getting all the details you should study its design and layout where can you improve things like typography, icons and color scheme that engage more with users.
Make sure you have already check if their website is responsive and SEO (Search Engine Optimization) friendly or not. If not then you should take of it while designing a new website.
4. Who are your competitors?
In the process of creating a good experience whether it is for mobile or website, we must keep users in mind while designing the app or website.
Having knowledge about client’s competitors that will help you design website accordingly.
For instance, If the client’s business is on the baby toy then you should find the similar website on the web take inspiration from it. And discuss all of your research with your client to make sure everything is on the same page.
You should ask these questions:
- What is the best thing about your competitor?
- Does their website appear on the first page of google search?
5. What websites do you like and why?
90% of the time you will get reference website links from your clients that they like on the web. By asking this question you will come to know about your client’s goals about their website the look and feel and more.
After asking this question you must ask Why? This how you will know why they are liking the reference websites.
There are few clients who like typography from some X website and colors from another XX website. But in the end it will help you design an outstanding website.
6. Who are your customers and how do you solve their pains?
If a shoe manufacturing company starts the production without knowing who their target audience is and then starts selling it. What do you think how many pairs of shoes will they be able to sell? Not much, right?
We, designer, create user personas to design and build product keeping users in mind. Knowing about users or target audience ages, demographic details, the occupation will help you design the better user experience for your audience.
7. Do you have a brand style guide?
So what is a brand style guide or design style guide? To keep everything on the same page you must have a style guide if you don’t have any then your designer will make you a one.
Imagine you have a website and a mobile app whether it is android or iPhone. I have used blue color majorly on the website and green in a mobile app. Will, your user get the same feeling? The answer is no, right?
A brand style guide is a combination of many things such as typography, color scheme, icons and images for your brand or business.
Final Thoughts
These 7 questions have become part of my life and I use them every time I start a new project. Start using them today see the effective result I know it will take time to get the result but I am pretty sure you will feel really happy once you start implementing it.
Do you think I missed anything? I would love to know your process of knowing your client. Please share your thoughts by commenting below and we can help those who really need help from experts.
