Two website quotes can differ by a factor of five for what the client describes in the same words: "a simple site for my business." One means five pages with copy already written. The other means 25 pages, a booking system, a members' area, and content that doesn't exist yet. A website questionnaire is how you tell those apart before you price, and how you avoid discovering the second one in week three.
This template is aimed at freelance web designers, developers and small studios building marketing sites, portfolios and small e-commerce stores. It focuses on the questions that change scope and price: pages, content, features, platform, integrations and who maintains the site afterward.
TL;DR
The website questionnaire template collects the site's goals and audience, a page list, content readiness (copy, photos, video), required features, current domain and hosting, platform and editing needs, SEO and analytics, accessibility and language requirements, and maintenance after launch. Send the short version before quoting and the full version after signing. Content readiness is the answer that most often changes the timeline.
What's inside
- Goals and audience — what the site must achieve and who it's for.
- Current site — what exists today and what's wrong with it.
- Pages and structure — a starter sitemap the client edits.
- Content readiness — who writes copy, supplies images and by when.
- Features and functionality — forms, booking, e-commerce, members, blog, multilingual.
- Design direction — sites they like and dislike, brand assets.
- Technical setup — domain, hosting, email, platform preference and who edits.
- SEO, analytics and accessibility — current rankings, tracking, and accessibility needs.
- Launch and maintenance — deadlines, ongoing updates and support.
When to use it
Use the pages, content and features sections as a pre-quote filter for every new web inquiry. Then send the full questionnaire after the web design contract is signed, and turn the answers into a website design brief that the client approves.
For a website redesign, add the "current site" questions and ask for analytics access early; you'll want data on which pages people actually use before you cut any. For a single landing page, the full questionnaire is overkill. A short call and a one-page brief are enough.
Questions that change the price
How many pages, and how many templates? Twenty service pages built from one layout cost less than eight pages with different layouts. Ask for the list and look for repeats.
Who is writing the copy, and when will it be ready? If the answer is "we'll write it as we go," quote for copywriting, or put a content deadline in the contract with a pause clause.
Does it need e-commerce, bookings or memberships? Each one adds integration work, testing and ongoing support. Ask which payment provider and booking tool they already use.
Multilingual? Two languages more than doubles some of the work: content, testing, and right-to-left layouts if Arabic or Hebrew are involved.
Who will update the site? A marketing team posting weekly needs an easy editor and training. An owner who updates once a year might be better on a maintenance plan with you.
Accessibility requirements. Public bodies and many larger organizations require a specific accessibility standard. If so, it affects design, development and testing time.
Customize it in your COLO workspace
COLO doesn't host questionnaires, so download this template and send it as an editable document. When the answers come back, use them to price the build as line items on a COLO proposal (pages, features, content support), and once it's accepted, set up the project with tasks for each page and feature. Clients can upload copy, images and brand files through the client portal as content arrives.
Common mistakes
- Quoting before you know the page count and content status. You're guessing at the biggest cost drivers.
- Collecting passwords in the questionnaire. Ask who owns each account; arrange access separately.
- Ignoring the "after launch" question. Who pays for updates, plugin renewals and hosting is a conversation to have before launch, not after.
- Skipping analytics on redesigns. Without data you'll redesign pages nobody visits and delete ones that bring in leads.
FAQ
Q: What should a website questionnaire ask?
The goal of the site, the audience, the pages needed, who writes the content and when it will be ready, required features such as booking or e-commerce, the current domain and hosting setup, SEO priorities, accessibility needs, and who will maintain the site after launch.
Q: When should a web designer send a website questionnaire?
Send a short version before quoting, because pages, features and content readiness drive the price. Send the full version after signing, before the kickoff call or discovery workshop.
Q: Why ask about content readiness?
Late content is the most common reason website projects overrun. Asking who is writing the copy, who is supplying photos and by when tells you whether to quote for copywriting or build a content deadline into the contract.
Q: Should the client choose the CMS?
The client should tell you who will update the site and how often; you recommend the platform. A client who will edit weekly needs a different setup from one who updates twice a year.
Q: How do I handle domain and hosting access?
Ask which provider holds the domain and hosting and who has the login, but don't collect passwords in the form. Arrange access later through the provider's own user or delegate access features.
Related
See COLO for web designers for running site builds from proposal to handoff.