The Ultimate Website Design Questionnaire Free Template

If you’ve ever spent way too much time chasing down the right details for a web design project, you know how frustrating it can be. That’s why today, I’m sharing an interactive PDF website design questionnaire free template that your clients can fill out digitally—checking multiple-choice answers, typing in responses, and giving you all the info you need upfront.

Since it’s a PDF, you can also edit it in Illustrator, tweak the questions, or add your own follow-ups to fit your process. Below the template section, I’ll break down why each question matters, what to look for in client responses, and how this questionnaire can help set up every web project for success without endless email chains.

Website Design Questionnaire Free Template

This website design questionnaire free template has 20 questions and comes in a handy interactive PDF format with a mix of open-ended and multiple-choice questions. It covers everything from project goals to design preferences, so you get clear, useful answers instead of vague client emails. 

What Questions To Ask?

Now that you’ve got the template, stick around because I’m breaking down the purpose of each question next. This might give you some ideas for extra follow-ups if you want to customize the questionnaire to a specific client.

– Are you looking to create a new website or redesign an existing one?

📌 Why Ask: This one goes without saying. A redesign will give you a starting point and will open a conversation about what your client doesn’t like about the current design, what they wish to change, and what goals they want to achieve with the new design. Either way, the questions below are adequate for both scenarios.

– What is your business name?

📌 Why Ask: The name will be reflected in the domain, logo placement, and even SEO setup, and it will help set the right tone for your design.

– What products or services do you offer?

📌 Why Ask: This will determine the overall design direction as well as if you need to add e-commerce features, booking tools, scheduling, or other functionalities.

– What sets your business apart from competitors? (e.g., pricing, quality, unique value)

📌 Why Ask: The strengths should also be reflected in the design. For example, if the client has high-end quality products, you will know you’re going for a luxurious design.

– Who is your ideal customer? (Demographics, interests, pain points)

📌 Why Ask: You will learn who you’re actually designing for and speaking to (if you also write the site’s content) because audience influences everything—from colors and fonts to how content is written.

– What actions do you want visitors to take on your website? (e.g., make a purchase, book a consultation, sign up for a newsletter)

📌 Why Ask: This will give you the guidelines to how exactly to structure the website, its navigation and where to place the CTAs.

– Do you have existing brand guidelines?

• Yes (please attach)
• No, but I’d like to create one
• No, and I don’t need one

📌 Why Ask: If the client already has a brand identity, the website should match it. If not, you will need to consider the time and budget needed to go into developing the brand’s identity and styleguide as well. There’s a free questionnaire template for that, too. (=

– What are the main goals of this website? (Select all that apply)

📌 Why Ask: This will help you define the site’s priorities. For example, you’ll design around the eCommerce experience for an online shop or highlight visuals and case studies for a portfolio website.

– What type of website do you need?

📌 Why Ask: The type of website affects everything—layout, features, and how it’s built. A wedding photographer, for example, needs a portfolio with galleries and a booking form. Meanwhile, a small clothing brand will want an eCommerce setup with inventory management and secure payments.

– Will your website need a CMS (content management system)?

• Yes (please specify: WordPress, Webflow, Shopify, etc.)
• No, it will be a static website

📌 Why Ask: If your client wants to post blogs, add products, or update content regularly, they’ll definitely need CMS. Make sure your client knows the benefits of using CMS and try recommending different platforms depending on factors such as features and pricing.

– What pages do you need? (Select all that apply)

📌 Why Ask: Every business has different content needs, so even if your client hasn’t figured out what pages they’ll need in advance, a multiple-choice question will give them a clear idea.

– What features do you need?

📌 Why Ask: Same as in the previous question, this will help your client think about what they’ll need. A membership site, for example, needs login functionality, while a studio’s website should include a booking system for class reservations.

– Are there any existing websites you love and why? (Provide links)

📌 Why Ask: It’s helpful to know what kind of websites your client likes, and it will give you the right vibes despite what the specific industry expects in terms of style.

– Are there any websites you dislike? What don’t you like about them?

📌 Why Ask: On the contrary, this question will give you what to avoid so you can steer clear of those design mistakes.

– For each category, choose the option that best fits your brand’s personality:

📌 Why Ask: Things like color, tone, complexity, fonts, images, and layout are your ingredients for the design. The more information your client gives you for these elements, the easier your work will be.

– Do you need help with content creation (text, images, videos)?

• Yes, I need new content
• No, I already have content
• I need content adjustments/rewrites

📌 Why Ask: So, if your client needs help with content creation, it’s really important to figure out if you’re the one who needs to take care of it or if you’ll be given everything ready to go.

– Will your site require multiple language versions?

• Yes (please list languages)
• No

📌 Why Ask: A multilingual site can change the design game a bit, especially with things like text formatting for right-to-left languages or making sure the layout works in all languages. You might need to keep flexibility in mind for things like navigation, buttons, or even the text size so that everything looks and feels right, no matter the language.

– Do you have an SEO strategy in place?

• Yes, I have keywords and meta content ready
• No, I need help with SEO
• Not a priority right now

📌 Why Ask: When it comes to SEO, if your client has a strategy in place, you’ll want your design to complement that. This might mean structuring headings a certain way, optimizing images, or designing for search engines to crawl (meaning a multiple pages website instead of SPA). If they don’t have an SEO plan yet, you might want to nudge them in the right direction and help them build that into the design.

– Will you need ongoing maintenance or support after the site is launched?

• Yes, I need help with updates and security
• No, I will handle it myself
• I’m not sure yet

📌 Why Ask: If your client needs ongoing maintenance or support after the site is live, it’s good to know upfront. Some sites, like eCommerce stores that update products or deal with transactions daily, definitely need regular attention to keep things running smoothly. Others, like a photographer’s portfolio, might only need the occasional update, and the client might be fine handling that themselves.

– Do you need website hosting or a domain name?

• Yes, I need both
• I have a domain but need hosting
• I have both domain and hosting set up

📌 Why Ask: Some clients might already have these sorted, but others may need help choosing the right provider or setting them up. If your client needs both, it’s great to suggest some reliable hosting options and help them secure the perfect domain.

– Do you have analytics and tracking preferences?

• Google Analytics
• Facebook Pixel
• Other (please specify)

📌 Why Ask: And if your client has specific analytics or tracking preferences, make sure to ask. Knowing what tools they want to use, like Google Analytics or Facebook Pixel, helps you design with those in mind. For example, an online store will want detailed tracking of user behavior and conversions, while a personal blog might only need basic analytics.

And last, leave some space for the project timeframe, budget, and any additional info your client wants to share.

 

And there you have it! A good website starts with the right questions. This website design questionnaire free template makes sure you get the details upfront so you won’t have to decode cryptic client emails.

Download it, use it, tweak it if needed, and save yourself some headaches. Because let’s be real—your time is better spent making awesome websites, not playing 20 questions over email.