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Client Onboarding Questions/Checklists

📝 General Overview

The Client Intake & Discovery process starts with a broad understanding of the client’s business, goals, and expectations. This section gathers key details to align our development and design strategies with the client’s needs.

🏢 Business Background

Understanding the client’s business helps shape the website’s messaging, structure, and features.

  • What does your business do, and what makes it unique?
  • Who is your target audience/customers?
  • What are your main business goals for the year?
  • Do you have any competitors you admire or want to differentiate from?

🌐 Current Digital Presence

Assessing the client’s existing digital presence helps identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement.

  • Do you already have a website?
    • If so, what do you like/dislike about it?
  • Do you have active social media accounts?
    • Which platforms are you using?
  • Have you worked with a web development or marketing agency before?
    • If yes, how was your experience?
  • Are there any technical challenges you’re currently facing?

🎯 Project Goals & Expectations

Defining clear goals ensures that the project stays focused and delivers value to the client.

  • What is the main objective of this website/project?
  • What would define success for you in this project?
  • Do you have a deadline or launch date in mind?
  • Do you have a budget range for this project?

💬 Preferred Collaboration & Communication

Establishing communication preferences ensures a smooth working relationship and timely project progress.

  • How do you prefer to communicate?
    • Email, text, FaceTime, Google Meet, calls, in-person?
  • Who will be the main point of contact for approvals and feedback?
  • How involved do you want to be in the process?
    • Hands-on with frequent updates, or hands-off with milestone check-ins?

Identifying Pain Points & Must-Haves

This part of the conversation helps uncover the client's frustrations and key requirements to ensure the project delivers maximum value.

🔍 Pain Points – Questions to Dig Deeper

Understanding the client’s pain points helps identify challenges, roadblocks, and opportunities for improvement.

  • What are the biggest challenges you face with your current website?
  • Have you lost customers due to website or digital issues?
  • What’s been the most frustrating part of managing your online presence?
  • Are there any gaps between your website and customer expectations?
  • Is your website bringing in leads/sales? If not, why do you think that is?
  • Are there features or integrations you need that your current setup doesn’t provide?

💡 Must-Haves – Getting Clear on Priorities

Defining the client's must-haves ensures that the final deliverable aligns with their expectations.

  • What are three things this project MUST include for you to consider it successful?
  • Are there any specific functionalities you absolutely need?
    • (e.g., booking system, e-commerce, client portal, custom forms, etc.)
  • Do you have SEO or content marketing as a priority, or is design the main focus?

3️⃣ Defining Client Preferences

Understanding the client's preferences helps ensure the website aligns with their brand identity, functionality needs, and technical requirements. This section explores design aesthetics, must-have features, and backend preferences to tailor the project to their vision.

Visual & Branding Preferences

Clarifying the client's branding expectations ensures the design reflects their brand identity and connects with their audience.

  • Do you have a brand identity already established?
    (Logos, colors, typography, brand guidelines?)
  • Do you want your site to feel:
    • Modern and sleek
    • Fun and vibrant
    • Professional and corporate
  • Are there any specific color palettes or styles you love?
  • Do you have any design inspiration? (Websites you like or competitors you admire?)
  • Would you like us to handle branding elements, or will you provide assets?

⚙️ Functionality & Features

This section helps identify essential website features and integrations.

  • Do you need:
    • E-commerce functionality? (Shopify, WooCommerce, Stripe, etc.)
    • Appointment booking? (Calendly, integrated scheduling tools?)
    • Custom integrations? (APIs, CRM systems, automation?)
  • Do you want blog functionality?
    • If so, how often will you post? (Weekly, monthly?)
  • Should the website be:
    • Fully self-managed? (Client updates content and handles admin tasks.)
    • Developer-managed? (Dunosis handles updates, maintenance, and optimizations.)
  • Are there any must-have third-party tools? (CRM, email marketing, analytics?)
  • Will you need multi-language support? (If yes, specify which languages.)

🛠️ Technical Preferences

Understanding the client’s technical requirements ensures a smooth development and handover process.

  • Where do you currently host your website? (Or do you need hosting recommendations?)
  • Do you want a:
    • Custom-built solution (Django, React, Vue.js, Flask?)
    • *CMS like WordPress, Webflow, or Squarespace?
  • What is your comfort level with updating and maintaining the site yourself?
  • Will multiple people in your team need different levels of website access?

Industry-Specific Client Intake Questions

Different businesses have different needs. This section breaks down intake questions by industry focus, ensuring we collect the right details for marketing, social media, or web development projects.

📢 Marketing Intake Questions

Understanding the client’s marketing strategy helps tailor solutions for their audience and growth goals.

  • What are your current marketing efforts? (Email, SEO, paid ads, social media, influencer marketing?)
  • What marketing strategies have worked for you in the past?
  • What hasn’t worked, and why?
  • Do you have a brand voice or messaging guide? (Tone, style, key messages?)
  • What are your top 3 marketing priorities for the next 6 months?
  • Are you looking for:
    • Organic growth (SEO, content marketing, social media engagement?)
    • Paid advertising (Google Ads, Facebook Ads, Instagram, TikTok, etc.)
  • Do you need help with email marketing and automation? (Drip campaigns, newsletters, abandoned cart emails?)

📱 Social Media Intake Questions

If the client wants social media strategy or management, these questions help define platforms, tone, and goals.

  • Which social media platforms are most important for your business? (Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter/X, TikTok, YouTube?)
  • How frequently do you post, and do you have a content calendar?
  • Are you looking for:
    • Social media management (Posting, scheduling, engagement?)
    • Ad campaigns (Paid promotions, targeting strategy?)
    • Both?
  • What’s your preferred tone and style on social media?
    • Casual
    • Professional
    • Fun
    • Authoritative
  • Do you have high-quality images and videos, or do you need content creation? (Photography, videography, graphic design?)
  • Are you currently tracking performance with analytics? (Meta Business Suite, Google Analytics, third-party tools?)

🌐 Web Development Intake Questions

If the client needs a new website or redesign, these questions clarify technical and strategic needs.

  • Will the site need e-commerce functionality? (Shopify, WooCommerce, Stripe, PayPal integration?)
  • Should the website be focused on:
    • Lead generation (Forms, CTAs, email collection?)
    • Content marketing (Blog, SEO, resource hub?)
    • Showcasing services (Portfolio, case studies, testimonials?)
  • Do you have an existing website structure, or do we need to create a sitemap from scratch?
  • Do you require any custom features? (Forms, calculators, appointment booking, interactive elements?)
  • What is your preferred domain name? (If not purchased, do you need domain registration assistance?)
  • How important is page speed and SEO optimization for you? (Do you need performance testing and ranking improvements?)