Website client questionnaire: what to ask before quoting a project

Start with the outcome, not technical vocabulary

Ask what the website should help the business achieve. Does the client want enquiries, appointment bookings, online sales or a clearer place to explain their services? Then ask who will use it. A local repair business and a supplier selling to other businesses may need different content and visitor journeys. Let the client choose familiar options and explain anything that does not fit.

• What is the main goal: enquiries, bookings, sales or information?
• Who is the website mainly for?
• Is this a new website or an improvement to an existing one?
• What is difficult about the current situation?

Use page ranges to begin the scope discussion

A choice such as 1-2, 3-5, 6-10 or more than 10 pages is easier to answer than an empty technical brief. It is only an early indication. Ask which pages the business actually needs, such as services, individual service pages, about, contact or a shop. Page count alone is not a pricing formula: one page with a custom booking workflow can involve more work than several straightforward information pages.

Ask follow-up questions only when they apply

If the client chooses an online shop, ask approximately how many products they expect to sell and whether orders require shipping, collection or digital delivery. An information-only website does not need those questions. For bookings, ask what the customer should be able to book and how the business currently manages appointments. Treat these answers as requirements to explore, not automatic promises to deliver a particular integration.

• Separate essential features from nice-to-have requests.
• Ask about existing tools when a connection may be needed.
• Offer “Other” and “I’m not sure” so clients are not forced into an inaccurate answer.
• Avoid asking the same question again when the client has already supplied the information.

Find out who will supply the content

Confirm whether the client has text, photographs, a logo and other brand assets ready. If they need help, identify which work you would be expected to provide and price it deliberately. Also ask what already exists: a domain, hosting, an existing website or nothing yet. Do not assume that “build a website” includes writing every page, taking photographs or transferring a large content archive.

Keep budget and timing separate from agreed terms

A budget range helps you discuss what may be feasible. Ask the client to include a currency and explain that the answer is not an agreed project price. Likewise, a preferred launch date is a request to assess, not a completion commitment. If content, access or another supplier affects the schedule, confirm those dependencies before offering a timeline.

Illustrative brief: A local café wants more catering enquiries. It expects 3-5 information pages, a contact form and no online shop. The owner has photographs but needs help with text. The budget and launch timing still need discussion. The next step is to confirm the page list, writing requirements and how enquiries should be delivered, then prepare a priced proposal.

Turn the answers into a reviewed proposal

In ScopeMic, choose a website questionnaire template, review the questions and copy the private link into WhatsApp, email or another message. Your client can answer without creating an account. When the response arrives, review it and open the proposal form from the answers. Resolve missing details, choose your own prices and terms, and check the draft before sharing it. A completed questionnaire is useful project input, not approval of your offer.