Web Development Questionnaire

Looking to begin? Or begin again? Fill out the Web Development Questionnaire and let’s get started.

  • Fill in what you know.
    This isn’t an application for a loan, it’s a questionnaire designed to help your web developer understand your project better. Answer all questions to the best of your ability, but don’t feel you have to answer them all. If you’re unsure of your answer, no worries, you can always disuss it with your developer at a later time.
  • Be as descriptive as possible.
    The more information you give, the more informed your developer will be and the better able he or she will be able to produce the product you’re looking for.
  • Take your time.
    We’re in no rush here! Yes, it’s an exciting time; developing a new website, but like they say, “it’s all in the planning”. Carefully thinking through your answers now, in the planning stage, will greatly increase efficiency during the production stage. And result in a better product.
  • Read everything through, don’t skim.
    Yes, web users skim, but you’re about to become a web producer; starting a new venture. There’s some information in here for you, it’s a good idea to read up on it.
  • Give examples.
    The best way to tell your (soon‐to‐be) developer what you’re looking for it to provide him or her with examples of other sites that you really like and why. While you’re at, point out a few you don’t like as well. (And why.)
  • Ask and tell.
    If there’s something you don’t know, or understand, or if there is something not covered in the questionnaire that you’d like to discuss, use the Additional Comments section at the end of the form.
  • Answer with your head, not your wallet.
    The ultimate goal here is to produce a successful website. Know your finanical limits, but don’t assume answering “yes” to every question is going to skyrocket your cost. Most areas covered in this questionnaire are the fundamental elements of any website. Only answer “no” on the questions you absolutely know you will not need a service for.
  • Enjoy.
    Have fun!

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Web Development Questionnaire Form

Contact Information

Company Background

Logo and Corporate Identity

  • :: Do you currently have a company logo?

  • :: Do you have a corporate slogan and/or mission statement?

  • :: Do you have a corporate color scheme or any symbols/icons you would like to use in your project?

Project Goals

  • :: What goal(s) would you like to accomplish through this project? (Check all that apply.)

Content Development

  • :: Is this a redesign of an existing site?

  • : If you answered “yes”, will you be using your existing content?

Photos & Graphics:

Photos and graphics (logos, icons) of your products and services add a visual appeal to your site and provide valuable information to your customers.

Photographs and graphics need to be optimized (resized, compressed, converted to proper file format) for optimum use online. This allows for faster loading of your web pages and ensuring browser compliance (some browsers handle file formats differently).

  • :: Do you plan on using photos/graphics of your products/services?

  • :: Do you currently have images/graphic content for your site?

  • : If you answered “yes”, what will be the format of the graphics? (Check all that apply.)

  • :: Will you need image/graphic optimization services?

  • :: Will you need graphical content (icons, logos, etc.) development services? (This excludes images used for background-layout purposes.)

Text & Documents:

While good content is king, "bad" content is not. Often, budgets for website development are targeted more for the design of graphical content (images, graphics) rather than development of quality [text] content. The text content of your site is the information your site visitors are seeking. It is this content that will affect your results in web searches, determine whether your prospective clients turn into actual clients, and ultimately determine your online success.

Further, the text content a site has should serve multiple purposes; convey the company's message, persuade clients to do business with the company, and assist the company in search result ranking (SEO). While there is no guarantee to top search engine results; properly written, relevant content is key to increasing your chances of ranking higher in search results on major search engines. Text optimization is similar to graphic optimization in that you are optimizing your content for use on the Web.

  • :: Do you currently have text content for use on your site?

  • :: Will you need text optimization (SEO, content editing, etc.) services?

  • :: Will you need text content development services? (Creation of blog posts, articles, introductory paragraphs, etc.)

  • :: Will your project require any interactivity (contact forms, polls, questionnaires, file uploading, etc.)?

Project Style/Design/Theme

Theme/Style:

Structure/Layout:

Web history trends show that a visitor to your site will scan a page and decide whether or not to stay on your site within 20 seconds of viewing the page they land on. The general rule of thumb is a visitor should be able to find what they're looking for within 3-4 clicks of their mouse.

Intuitive site navigation is the single most important aspect of your site. "Intuitive" means that there should be a logical structure to your overall site as well as individual pages. You could have the most sought-after product on the market, but if your customers cannot find it on your site, they you won't be able to sell it.

Project Maintenance

  • :: Are there parts of your site that will be updated on a regular basis? (i.e. products, prices, announcements, etc.)

  • :: Approximately how often do you anticipate making updates to your site?

  • :: How do you plan on maintaining your site?

  • :: If you intend to handle site maintenance & updates through your internal organization, will you require training?

Set-up & Hosting

Domain Name:

  • :: Do you currently own your own domain name(s)?

  • :: If you do not currently have a domain name registered, would you like domain name registration for your organization? (This will not be done now, but will be included in the quote.)

  • : If you answered “yes”, please list your top three (3) choices of a domain name:

Site Hosting:

There are many different options available for hosting your website. There are shared servers, dedicated servers, in-house (your own company) servers, third-party servers hosts, and many more. The type of site, size, and estimated traffic (visitors to your site) are all factors that will determine the type of site hosting you need. If you do not currently have a hosting setup, one can be recommended and/or arranged for you.

  • :: Do you currently have a web hosting package?

  • :: Would you like hosting arranged for your site?

Site Statistics

Your website has a wealth of information available for you to use as an effective tool to track your visitors, and measure your site's effectiveness. You can also use your site's statistics to measure the effectiveness of a marketing campaign or to track your search engine results.

With proper site analysis package, you can track elements such as:

  • Pageviews (the number of times and individual web page was viewed)
  • Referrers (how your visitors found your site)
  • Unique Visits (how many unique visitors your site received)
  • Web Browsers (Internet Explorer 6,7,8 / Firefox 1, 2, 3 / Safari, etc.)
  • Locale Demographics (where your visitors are viewing your site from)

  • :: Would like access to Web Site Statistics for your site?

Search Engine Optimization & Site Marketing

Often, the term "Search Engine Optimization" is confused with "Site Marketing". Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the term used to describe the process of structuring your site's content in such a way as to improve your site's page ranking in major search engines (Google, Yahoo, MSN Live, etc.). While there is no guarantee to search engine placement, it is important to understand how the major search engines work and how you can improve your site's placement in search queries.

While SEO is an important aspect of your site's overall marketing campaign, it is not the "end all, be all" of your site's exposure. Sites dedicated to your specific industry, the sites of manufactures whose products you sell, directory websites, special interest group sites; these are all effective marketing avenues for your site. The more exposure your site receives online, the better you improve your chances of being discovered by new visitors and increasing your customer base.

Proper market research, trade affiliations, and [online] customer promotions, are key elements to an effective online marketing campaign.

  • :: Would you like search/marketing services?

Project Services

  • :: Please indicate which design and/or development services you are interested in. (Check all that apply.)

Additional Information

  • :: Is there a specific deadline for this project?

  • : If you answered “yes”, are you scheduling events around this deadline?

Terms

By entering your name in the field provided, you acknowledge you are requesting a quote (or contact) for the project/services outlined within this form.

The information collected within this form will be used for the sole purpose of initiating contact in regards to your web development project. You will not be contacted for any addtional solicitations nor will your information be shared with any third parties. Please see the About Section of this site for the full Privacy Policy.

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