Web Design Checklist
Every successful project begins with proper planning. Planning a web design project, for yourself or a client, should always begin with a basic question and answer session. I start with the checklist below and a phone consultation. If the phone consultation won’t work then simply email the questions.
This is how my checklist looks:
General Questions
1. Where did you hear about me?
2. Do you have a domain name? If not, do you have ideas for a domain name? If so, what is it?
3. What is your company name? Do you want to use the entire name on logos and graphics or an abbrviation?
4. Do you have special features in mind? Like blogs or ecommerce or other interactive features?
Marketing Questions
5. Who is your target audience? note: once you know the target audience you can add extra questions about that audience.
6. What kind of contact information will your website need? (forms, phone numbers, or email links)
7. What are your website expectations and primary goals – increased sales, increased leads, and so on.? How would you prioritize these goals?
8. What separates your company from your competition and what do feel will help pull people to your website?
9. How do you plan to market the website?
10. What specific qualities about your company do you want to emphasize on the website? Please prioritize these qualities.
Identity Questions
11. Do you have a logo or any graphics you’d like used on the website?
11. Do you have a tag line, slogan, or other catch phrase?
12. What keywords do you feel describe your company?
Layout Questions
13. Can you provide a list of competitors websites?
14. Do you have any color ideas or specific colors you don’t like? What are your company colors?
15. If the site isn’t the entire width of the screen do you prefer left or center alignment?
16. Do vertical or horizontal navigation?
17. Please provide a list of the main pages you need in the website.
18. Have you written any copy for your website? Do you have specific content ready to go?
19. Do you have an existing business card or other form of identity that needs to be reflected in your website?
20. Are you leaning towards custom artwork or photographs?
After the Contract Questions
21. Once I start designing your website I will need the following (this information will be kept in strict privacy):
a. FTP access information – username and password
b. Hosting company name and their phone number
There are a lot more questions that can be added depending on your specific market or design style. This is a general checklist that I’ve adapted from years asking these same questions and adding or removing questions as I go. I’m sure you’ll do the same, but this is a good start especially if you’re new to the freelance web design field.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
