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Web design discovery call questions

20 questions that get real answers, and the one you should stop asking.

Tandem··6 min read

The discovery call decides the whole project. Ask the right questions and the proposal writes itself. Ask the wrong one, "so, what kind of style do you like?", and you walk away with three adjectives and a revision round already booked.

Before the call, send a short questionnaire for the facts (pages, content, timeline). We've published a free one here. Then use the call for the things that need a conversation.

A 30-minute call, minute by minute

0 to 3
Thank them, confirm the time, say what you'll cover and that you'll send a recap.
3 to 12
Goals and success. Let them talk; this is where the real project shows up.
12 to 17
Customers and the people involved, including who decides.
17 to 23
Direction: show, don't ask (below).
23 to 28
Scope, budget range, timing.
28 to 30
Next step and a date. Recap by email the same day.

The 20 questions

Goals and success

  1. 1What made you decide to do this now?
  2. 2If this project goes really well, what's different six months from now?
  3. 3What's the one action you most want visitors to take?
  4. 4How do customers find you today, and how do you want that to change?

The people involved

  1. 5Who will give feedback on the designs, and who has the final say?
  2. 6Has anyone else been involved in the website before? What worked, and what didn't?
  3. 7How do you like to give feedback: calls, written notes, or comments on the designs?

Customers

  1. 8Who's your best customer, and why do they choose you?
  2. 9What do customers usually ask before they buy or book?
  3. 10What do you want someone to feel in the first five seconds on the site?

Scope

  1. 11Which pages and features are must-haves, and which are nice to have?
  2. 12What's coming in the next year that the site should be ready for?
  3. 13Who will update the site after launch?

Budget and timing

  1. 14Is there a launch date we're working towards, and how fixed is it?
  2. 15What budget range have you set aside for this?
  3. 16What would make you say this project was worth it?

Content

  1. 17Who's writing the words, and when will they be ready?
  2. 18Do you have photos, or will we need to create them?
  3. 19Are there brand assets we must use: logo, colours, fonts?
  4. 20What on your current site should we keep, move or retire?

The question to stop asking

"What kind of style do you like?" feels like the obvious question, and it's the one that causes the most trouble. Clients answer with words like clean, bold, modern and timeless. Every word is true, and together they describe almost nothing. You only find out what they meant when you show the first draft.

Clients can't describe taste before they see it. They can always react to it.

Do this instead: share your screen for five minutes and show pairs of real websites that differ in one clear way: quiet or loud, warm or cool, editorial or product-led. Ask one thing each time: "Which feels more like you?" Don't let them explain at first; just note the picks. Then ask why about the two or three that surprised you. You'll learn more in five minutes than in twenty of description.

Or send it before the call: our free website brief generator walks a client through eight quick style pairs and gives you a one-page brief. And it's the idea Tandem is built on: your client reacts to real website sections for about five minutes, their favourites go head to head, and you get a brief built from what they chose.

After the call

Send a recap the same day: what you heard about their goals, what's in and out of scope, the budget range and timeline you discussed, and the next step with a date. Keep it to one screen. It shows you listened, and it surfaces misunderstandings while they're still cheap.

Then turn it into a brief. Here's a free website brief template with a filled-in example, and the full onboarding process it fits into.

FAQ

Common questions

How long should a web design discovery call be?+

About 30 minutes for most small-business projects. Long enough to cover goals, people, scope, budget and timing, short enough that the client stays engaged. Send a questionnaire beforehand so the call isn't spent on facts.

Should I talk about budget on the first call?+

Yes, briefly. Asking for a range early saves both of you from a proposal that doesn't fit. Most clients are relieved when you raise it plainly.

How do I find out what style a client wants on the call?+

Don't ask them to describe it. Share your screen and show pairs of real websites, asking which feels more like them. Clients who can't name their taste can usually pick between two examples in seconds.

What should I send after a discovery call?+

A short recap: what you heard about their goals, the scope you agreed, the next step and the date. It shows you listened, and it catches misunderstandings before they reach the proposal.

Show, don't ask

Get a brief from choices, not adjectives

Send your next client the free brief generator before the call, or join the waitlist for Tandem, which does it with real websites.

Try the brief generator → Join the waitlist