Online marketers and their clients can both benefit from an initial planning document that can support any web development project.
For your next web site design, check out these questions that may help you think of other online marketing questions that should be answered before you get too far into the work.
Getting Started
What is your budget?
What is your timeline?
Who will approve web site design and final version before going live?
How quickly can your company make key decisions during the web development process? A day? Two days? A week?
In a few sentences, please describe your business.
What motivated you to create a new web site or redesign an existing one?
What are the main purposes of your web site?
- Lead generation
- Online sales
- E-commerce
- Branding
- Customer support
- Online community
- Are you able to accept credit cards?
- If so, is your web site PCI compliant?
What is your tagline?
Who are your main competitors?
What are their key advantages?
About the Prospects
Please describe your target market or markets.
- What industries are most critical?
- What type of job titles are ideal?
- Is your business B2B, B2C or both?
- Do you have buyer personas?
- Do you have a value proposition?
- Do you have a marketing plan?
- Do you have a business plan?
What are the primary issues, problems and challenges that your prospects are facing?
Why is your business their best option?
How do prospects typically reach the web site?
- Direct traffic (you refer them)
- Search engines (natural)
- Paid search
- Banner ads
- Sponsorships
- Links from directories
- Links from other web sites
How do people interact with your web site today?
- How long do they stay?
- How many pages do they view?
- What percentage of your visitors are new? Are many are returning?
- Why should they return?
- Where do they come from?
- What percentage use mobile?
- What are the top 10 landing pages?
Standing Out
With your web site, how do you distinguish your business from others?
- What are your leading products or services?
- Why should anyone do business with you?
- What type of content do you have today that’s exceptional?
- What kind of content could you produce that would be outstanding?
Design Expectations
What are your web design preferences?
- What kind of design or “look and feel” interests you the most?
- What designs turn you off?
- What designs do you like the best (even outside your industry)
- What colors would you prefer?
- Should the pages be easy to print?
- Would you like a responsive design?
- Should there be a separate mobile version?
- Do you have all of the artwork (including members of your team, products, etc.)?
- If more images are needed, will you create them or do you need help with graphics?
- What digital versions of your logo are available?
- Do you need a new logo?
Web Site Content
What information do you have that reflects your business? What can be used or adapted for the web site?
- White papers
- Sales presentations (including PowerPoints)
- Brochures
- Client letters
- Case studies
- Bio or curriculum vitae (CV) for each executive
What type of information would you like on the web site?
- Product/Services
- Demos
- Free trials
- Case studies
- Testimonials
- Resource center
- Company overview
- Contact info
- Social media (icons linking to profiles)
- Blog
- Newsletter
- Special offers/coupons
- Newsletters
Technical
- Where is the web site currently hosted?
- Are you e-mails hosted at the same location?
- Do you use your domain for FTP for customers?
- How long have you owned your domain?
- Where is your domain registered?
- How do you track web site visitors?
- How do you access web site analytics?
- Do you use a content management system (CMS)?
Search Engine Optimization
- What is your SEO strategy?
- How do you measure SEO today?
- What critical keywords rank well on Google (please list the top three)?
- What other keyword phrases are you targeting (please list 10)?
- Why should other web sites link to yours?
- What are the most significant inbound links your content has attracted?
- What is your content marketing strategy to support SEO and inbound link building?
What works for your business? How do you approach web projects?