I took out my client survey sheet today and dusted it off and started thinking - what other kinds of questions could I ask to make this better? How could I get more dynamic and detailed input way before I get to designing?  I'm going to post the questions on my sheet here and I hope you all will help me edit, add to it, and put in your two cents on interfacing with the client pre-build.  :-) Cheers - 7

/********************
Seven's  Preproduction Questionnaire
********************/

1. Overall Product
     Who is the target audience of your website?
     (check one)
            Customers or clients (promotional)
            Vendors (informational)
            Professionals in the Industry
            A mixture of these

2.  What sort of dynamic content do you need?
      (Check all that apply)
            Interactive forms online (email/post)
            Active database scripts
            Animated Flash
           Downloads or printable features

3.  How many pages long do you expect the site to be?
       Between 5-12
       Between 13-24
       Between 25-41
       Between 42-80
       Between 80-145
       More than 145

3.  Is this a site redesign or new build?

4.  List 4 sites you like based on design

5.  List 4 sites comparable to your site, that have similar content

6.  What would you like to manage your site?
     Dreamweaver (web editor)
     Contribute (web editor)
     WUB or other editor like Front Page
     Login on the web and edit
      Nothing

7.  On your intro/homepage what would you like?
       Mission Statement
       Quotes from end users / Product endorsements
       Rotational photos
       Animation
       Information
       Other / Custom

8.  How fixed or easy-to-update do you need it?
       Very fixed; permanent
       Average
       Flexible, content may change weekly or montly
       Fluid, changes daily or even on reload

9.  Do you have a company font, logo or color scheme - if so please provide

10.  What do you absolutely do not want?

11.  What you really want to have?

12.  What special features do you need? (Such as hit counter, interactive calendar, message board, blog, etc.)

13.  Describe the feel you want your web site to give.

14.  Please list five words a person may potentially put into a search engine like Google to find your new web site.

15.  Please write a one paragraph synopsis of services or type of web site this is, please avoid vague wording or over generalizations.

16.  List the registered domain name for your web site, or go to http://www.godaddy.com and look at available domain names.  Try to come up with three, list your top choice first.  Please think "easy to remember" and "descriptive.
      1.
      2.
      3.

/************** End Questionaire *****************/

I don't know if I do this the "right" way since I'm self taught.  Look forward to reading comments and maybe this can give other freelancers a few ideas on how to get the most information from clients.

I think this is an outstanding client survey as it stands now - far better than our developer used.

In my opinion, the one survey question to expound on is:
13.  Describe the feel you want your web site to give.

For example, we are an equipment finance company founded in 1989 - over the course of our 18 years we have come to realize that our customer base expects us to be "formal" or "institutional" rather than "informal" and "friendly"  (despite the fact we are regular people who prefer to be relaxed and friendly).  Although our current website does not quite meet the "institutional feel" that we should probably display - our most successful marketing pieces are of the formal variety (more like an attorney or cpa) than a retailer marketing to mainstream consumers...

If we were starting over or reskinning our site - look and feel is definitely the place we lacked the foresight, plus your clients will end up appreciating your work even more in the long run if you address this challenge early.

Nice survey,

Just a few things.

2.  What sort of dynamic content do you need?
      Active database scripts

Not sure they would know what this means. Maybe - Database for customer/product information

3.  How many pages long do you expect the site to be?
How about adding  in 1-5 pages.

6.  What would you like to manage your site?
     WUB or other editor like Front Page

I suggest replacing FrontPage with Expressions since FP is no longer available.

10.  What do you absolutely do not want?

What do you absolutely not want?

That's all I could find.

17. If we beat you with a stick (not sharp... moderately blunt) because we gave you what you asked for and you were happy during development and now want to change the bloody thing because apparently it is'nt what you asked for in your twisted little technologically challenged puppy sized brain:
Would you;

a) Sue us for doing what so many others have begged to do before?
b) Run away like a little boy who just peed on an electric fence?
c) Agree with all your heart that you are wrong and in seeing the error of your ways decide to pay us more?
d) Accept that the stick is better than you and leave all as planned.

Some clients you do want... some you dont This is only addition i could think of for your list... very well done

I really hope this is a questionaire you read out to the clients and mark their verabl answers.

Why?

A] - the techical terms may baffle some
B] - some may not have a clue about any of the technologies that are available
C] - the english is poor and the grammar isn't great; again - confusing

I also feel that it should be more of a flow chart:

an example of page size and databse options:

do you want an online cataloge?
     yes - a database is a good idea
     no - how many pages do you expect to have?
          0-50 - possible static content
          more than 50 - a database is a good idea
do you want to sell products online?
     yes - do you want a merchant account or use a service like paypal?
          merchant acount - talk to your bak
          a service like paypal - do you have any preference?
     no - blah blah blah

etc etc etc

You've actually got me thinking about this too!

Thanks for the great input!

I will have my writer friend massage the grammar and spelling and try to make it more clear.  I do typically set down with the client and work on this sheet but not always.  A lot of my clients are online.  I don't particularly enjoy database work so I typically make those options obscure. 

I really liked:

17. If we beat you with a stick (not sharp... moderately blunt) because we gave you what you asked for and you were happy during development and now want to change the bloody thing because apparently it is'nt what you asked for in your twisted little technologically challenged puppy sized brain:
Would you;

a) Sue us for doing what so many others have begged to do before?
b) Run away like a little boy who just peed on an electric fence?
c) Agree with all your heart that you are wrong and in seeing the error of your ways decide to pay us more?
d) Accept that the stick is better than you and leave all as planned.

But a), b) and d) are going to be light gray and 8pt font where as c) will be 14pt bold!

I hope it works out better for you than it does for me... always comes back to bite me in the ass...



I agree with Northie, a verbal meeting would help you in the sense that you will be able to distinguish between people who
A-Know a fair bit about computers
B-Think they know alot about computers and will fight using ignorance as their ammo
C-Are quite happy not knowing to much about pc's and accept that as a good reason to hire someone who does (you)

Personally7 i like to know who im dealing with.. but i only want one meeting, the rest can be done via email... maybe even via mass subscriptions to porn sites if they fall into the wrong category of point 17.