Questions to answer before a website redesign

Key takeaways

Answer ten questions internally before approaching any supplier: why now, what success looks like, who the buyers are, what they ask, what works today, what must change, who writes content, who owns what, what the budget is, and when it must launch. Clear answers produce better briefs, closer quotes and fewer surprises.

• Answer internally before contacting suppliers.
• Start with why now and what success looks like.
• List what already works so the redesign protects it.
• Decide who writes content and who signs off.

Why answer questions before a redesign?

Answering key questions before a website redesign turns a vague wish for a new site into a clear brief. It helps suppliers quote accurately, stops the project drifting, and ensures the business agrees on goals and responsibilities before money is spent.

• Signs your business needs a new website

What are the ten questions?

Write short answers to each. If you cannot answer one, that is the first job.

• 1. Why redesign now, and what happens if we wait?
• 2. What single result will show it worked?
• 3. Who are the buyers we most want?
• 4. What do they ask before enquiring?
• 5. Which pages and features work today?
• 6. What must change, and what evidence says so?
• 7. Who will write and approve content?
• 8. Who owns the domain, hosting and accounts?
• 9. What is the budget, including maintenance?
• 10. When must it launch, and what dates must it avoid?

• A website brief template agencies can quote from

Which question gets skipped most?

'What works today?' Owners focus on what is wrong and forget the pages that rank, the form that converts and the case study buyers mention. Listing them protects them, because a redesign that breaks what works is the most common way to lose enquiries.

• What to keep, cut and rewrite before a redesign

Why does content ownership matter so much?

Content is the most common cause of delay. If nobody is named to write or approve it, projects stall waiting for text. Decide whether you will write it, the supplier will, or a copywriter will, and budget time accordingly.

• How much of your time a website redesign needs

How do these answers help with suppliers?

They let you compare quotes on the same basis and ask better questions. A supplier who responds to your goals and evidence, and challenges assumptions, is usually a better fit than one who only talks about design.

• Questions to ask a web design agency before signing

What if the answers say not to redesign?

Then the questions have saved you money. If 'why now' has no answer, the evidence for change is thin, or the budget does not cover content and maintenance, fix the biggest problems in place and revisit in six months.

• When not to redesign your website

How long should the answers take?

A focused two-hour session is usually enough for a small business, with the owner, the person who handles enquiries and whoever will approve the budget in the room. Bring 12 months of enquiry data, the current site on a screen and a list of what customers ask.

Write the answers in plain language as you go and circulate them the same day for correction. Questions that cannot be answered in the session become actions with names and dates, such as setting up tracking or confirming who holds the domain.

• Book two hours with the key people.
• Bring enquiry data and customer questions.
• Write answers as you go.
• Turn unanswered questions into named actions.

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern in UK logistics: three directors each want a different website. Working through the ten questions in a single meeting reveals they agree on the buyer and the goal, and disagree only on the look. The brief that follows gets consistent quotes and a project that runs to plan.

• See client work
• Website Design & Development for UK businesses

Pre-redesign checklist

Complete before contacting suppliers.

• Write answers to all ten questions.
• Agree them with everyone who will sign off.
• List what works today.
• Name the content owner.
• Confirm account ownership.
• Turn the answers into a brief.

Next step

If you are preparing for a redesign, we will work through the ten questions with you in a 30-minute call.