Questions You Should Answer Before Designing a Website

Why This Matters

A website is often the first impression people have of your business. But too many founders jump straight into colors, fonts, and templates without first answering the questions that actually shape a useful site.

Good design isn’t just about looking sharp — it’s about solving the right problem for the right customer. Before you spend money (or time) on design, here’s the checklist of questions you should have clear answers to.

1. Who’s Your Customer?

Who are you trying to reach?
Are they individuals, businesses, or both?
What do they care about most — price, trust, speed, expertise?
How tech-savvy are they? (Your grandma and a software engineer need very different experiences.)

Why it matters: If you don’t know who your site is for, you can’t design it to meet their expectations.

2. What Will They Be Looking For?

When a visitor lands on your site, what’s the one thing they’re hoping to find?
Do they want your phone number, a product demo, a menu, or a “Buy Now” button?
What questions will they have that your site must answer immediately?

Why it matters: A site that doesn’t match visitor intent is just digital wallpaper.

3. What’s the Goal of Your Site?

Is it to get leads? Sell directly? Educate? Build credibility?
Do you need users to sign up for something, or just contact you?
If the site could only do one job really well, what would it be?

Why it matters: Design without a clear goal leads to clutter and confusion.

4. What Functionality Do You Need — Now and Later?

Now: What features do you need for launch? (Example: a contact form, a booking tool, payments, user logins.)
6 Months From Now: What might you add once you’ve validated the idea? (Example: chat support, referral program, dashboards.)
5 Years From Now: What’s the long-term vision? (Example: mobile app integration, marketplace features, multi-language support.)

Why it matters: Designing with a roadmap avoids dead ends. You don’t want to rebuild the whole house just to add a second story.

5. What’s Your Content Plan?

Who’s writing the copy?
Do you have photos, videos, or testimonials ready?
How often will you update the site, and who will do it?
Do you need a blog or knowledge base for SEO?

Why it matters: A beautiful design with placeholder text doesn’t convert. Content drives trust and action.

6. How Will People Find You?

Will you rely on SEO, ads, social media, word of mouth?
Do you need your site optimized for Google search from day one?
Are you prepared to update content regularly to stay relevant?

Why it matters: A website without a traffic plan is like opening a store in the desert.

7. What’s Your Budget and Timeline?

How much are you realistically willing to invest?
Do you need something live in two weeks, or can you wait two months for polish?
Will you invest more later, or does this need to carry you for years?

Why it matters: Knowing your limits helps pick the right approach — whether that’s a plug-and-play builder, a freelance designer, or a full custom build.

8. Who Will Maintain the Site?

Do you want to make updates yourself, or should someone else handle them?
Do you have ongoing dev needs (fixes, upgrades, new features)?
Who will monitor security and uptime?

Why it matters: Websites aren’t “set and forget.” Maintenance is the unglamorous but essential side of owning one.

9. What Will Success Look Like?

How will you measure if the site is working? (Leads, sales, signups, traffic?)
Do you have specific targets for month one, six, or twelve?
What tools will you use to track this? (Google Analytics, CRM, dashboards.)

Why it matters: Without metrics, you won’t know if your investment is paying off.

The Takeaway

Before you worry about colors and fonts, nail down your strategy.

If you can answer these questions, your designer (or developer) won’t just build you a nice-looking site — they’ll build you the right site. And that’s what actually moves the needle.

Still Unsure?

We’ve guided founders through this exact process — from “I need a website” to “I know exactly what I need it to do.” If you’re not sure where to start, reach out. We’ll help you map out the answers so your design dollars go where they count.