Website Discovery Questions: 25 to Ask on the First Call

Discovery is the conversation that decides whether a website project is worth taking, and how to price it. The right website discovery questions tell you what the client really wants, what it's worth to them, and who signs the check. Here are 25 questions for the first call, grouped by what each one uncovers.

Discovery call vs questionnaire

Use both: talk about the business on the call, and send a discovery form for the details afterwards.

1. The trigger: why now?

1. What made you look for a new website now?
2. What happens if you don't change anything this year?
3. Have you tried to fix this before? What happened?

2. Goals and results

1. What should the website do for your business: calls, bookings, sales, hires?
2. How many new customers a month would make this a clear win?
3. What is one new customer worth to you, roughly?
4. How do you measure it today?

3. Customers

1. Who is your best customer, and how do they find you?
2. What do they compare you against?
3. What makes them hesitate before calling?
4. Which services do you want more of?

4. The current website

1. What do you like about your current site?
2. What do customers complain about or ask that the site should answer?
3. Who manages it today, and who has the logins?
4. Do you know how many visits, calls or forms it brings?

Run a quick website audit before the call so you can point at real problems: slow on mobile, no HTTPS, no call button, an old copyright year.

5. Scope

1. Which pages and features are must-haves?
2. Booking, payments, quotes, a shop, a members area?
3. Which tools must connect (CRM, email marketing, booking app)?
4. Who will write the text and provide photos?

6. Budget, timing and decision

1. Do you have a budget range in mind?
2. When does it need to be live, and why that date?
3. Who else is involved in the decision?
4. What would stop you from going ahead?
5. If the proposal fits, how quickly can you start?

Write it down while you talk

Take notes straight into the lead in your CRM during the call, so the proposal, the follow-ups and the project all start from the same answers. See CRM for web designers.

Discovery form to send after the call

• Business details and services (prefill what you heard)
• Pages and features list with checkboxes
• Brand files upload (logo, colors, fonts)
• Photos and testimonials
• Domain and hosting logins
• Approver name and preferred contact