The practical answer
A website redesign questionnaire should capture your business goal, customers, useful existing pages, required features and available content. Complete it before discussing colors so the design solves a defined problem.
You do not need a finished design brief to start a website project. You do need enough information to explain what the website should help a customer do. This owner-side questionnaire turns a vague request for a more modern site into a useful conversation about scope. You can answer in plain language, leave an item open when you do not know and assign someone to find the answer.
Download the free owner questionnaire. It is a plain-text worksheet you can copy into a document. Do not put passwords, payment details or private customer information in it.
1. What should the website help someone do?
Choose one primary action: ask for an estimate, call about a service, request an appointment or buy an item. These actions need different page structures and sometimes different technology. An appointment request is not the same as a confirmed booking. If your team must check availability first, make that clear in the brief.
- What service or product should receive the most attention?
- What does a qualified inquiry look like for your business?
- Who receives the inquiry and what happens next?
- What problem on the current site stops that process?
2. Who is the customer, and what do they need to know?
Describe a real customer situation rather than a broad label such as everyone. For example, a homeowner comparing exterior repairs needs different information from a property manager seeking a maintenance bid. Note the questions customers ask before they contact you and the areas you actually serve.
- Which jobs do you accept, and which do you decline?
- What information helps a customer decide whether you are a fit?
- Are there travel limits, seasonal constraints or project minimums?
- Which genuine photos, credentials or examples support your offer?
3. What must survive the redesign?
List important pages by their full URL. Include useful service explanations, customer resources, downloads and pages linked from your business profiles. Mark what remains accurate and what needs an update. If you have search or analytics data, use it to add context; do not discard a page simply because you do not remember why it was created.
A separate content audit worksheet helps you record decisions page by page. The questionnaire defines priorities; the audit documents what will happen to each piece of content.
4. Which features are required?
Write a short description of each function and how you will use it. "Customers request a date and we confirm by phone" is more useful than "add booking." Identify existing payment, scheduling or email services that the website must connect with. Ask the builder to confirm whether each feature is included, optional or outside scope.
| Requirement | Owner answer | Question for the builder |
|---|---|---|
| Service pages | Which services need their own explanation? | How many pages are included? |
| Inquiry form | What information do we need to reply? | Where do submissions go? |
| Content | Who supplies text and approved photos? | What editing or writing is included? |
| Existing accounts | Who controls the domain and email? | What access is needed, and when? |
5. Who approves the work?
Name one person who consolidates feedback. Record the desired launch date, any real deadline behind it and the materials still missing. Ask how revisions are handled and what counts as a new request. A single approval route helps prevent contradictory feedback from turning a small project into a prolonged rewrite.
A completed example
Illustrative example: a painting business wants more residential repaint inquiries. It serves three nearby communities, needs separate interior and exterior service information and has permission to use six project photos. The owner receives form emails, checks availability and replies with an estimate-visit option. The current services URL must remain. This is a planning example, not a claim about a Tech Turtle client or result.
Use the answers to agree the next step
Share the worksheet with your chosen provider and ask for a clear response to unresolved items. Compare the proposed pages, responsibilities, revisions and recurring costs. For Tech Turtle, start with the redesign process and current website plans. A standard plan should not be assumed to include every migration, integration or custom feature.
Frequently asked questions
No. Answer what you know and mark unresolved items. The purpose is to make the discussion specific, not to force you to make technical decisions alone.
No. Record who controls each account, then arrange appropriate access separately through a secure process.
No. It is a planning worksheet. Your provider still needs to confirm the scope, price, timing and terms.
Written by
Tech Turtle
Website planning resources
Practical website planning guidance from Tech Turtle, a Wausau, Wisconsin team serving small businesses across the United States.
