Website Discovery Questions to Ask a Small Business Owner
The first call after "yes" sets the tone for the whole project. If you ask good questions, the owner feels heard, you learn what to build and you avoid half the changes that show up later. If you skip it and start designing, you will probably build the wrong site and redo it.
The best projects tend to begin with a short, friendly conversation where the designer listens more than they talk.
This guide gives you a set of discovery questions grouped by topic, a simple call script, and a way to turn the answers into a one page brief.
What discovery is for
Discovery is not a sales pitch and not a long interview. It has three goals:
- Understand the business: what it does, who it serves and what a good week looks like.
- Understand the website's job: what the owner wants visitors to do.
- Understand the practical details: who decides, who supplies content and when.
Aim for 20 to 30 minutes. If you have already sent a preview, use the call to find out what they liked, what is wrong and what is missing. If you are starting from scratch, the same questions apply.
Before the call
Prepare lightly so you can listen:
- Look at the current website and Google listing, if there are any.
- Write down two or three things you noticed.
- Open a blank page for notes.
- Decide the length and tell the owner at the start.
If you want a list of things to check on an existing site, the website audit checklist for small business is a quick way to do it.
Opening the call
Start with a thank you and a plan: "Thanks for making the time. I have about ten questions, it should take around twenty minutes, and then I will send you a short summary so we are on the same page. Is that okay?"
Then begin with an easy question about the business, not the website.
Questions about the business
These help you describe the business in the owner's words.
- What does the business do, in a sentence or two?
- How long have you been doing this, and how did you start? (Only use what they are happy to share on the site.)
- Who are your best customers? What do they have in common?
- What do customers say they like about you?
- What kinds of jobs or products do you want more of? Less of?
- Where do you work? Which towns or areas?
- What makes you different from other businesses nearby?
Listen for words the owner repeats. Those are the words that belong on the homepage.
Questions about the website's job
Now move to what the site should do.
- What is the main thing you want a visitor to do? Call, book, request a quote, visit the shop?
- How do customers find you today? Referrals, Google, social media, signs?
- What happens when someone gets in touch? Who answers? How fast?
- What is not working on your current site, if you have one?
- Which websites do you like, and what do you like about them? (Look for style hints, not copying.)
- Which websites do you dislike, and why?
- Is there anything the site must not say or show?
Be careful with number two. Owners sometimes talk about "ranking first on Google." Do not promise search results. Say you can build a clear, fast, well structured site and help the listing details match, but that nobody controls where Google places a page.
Questions about content
Content is the biggest cause of delay, so ask early.
- Do you have photos of your work, your team or your premises?
- Do you have a logo and brand colors? If not, are you happy for me to suggest simple ones?
- Do you have customer reviews or quotes you can share?
- Do you have a list of services written down anywhere?
- Who will check the text for accuracy?
- Are there licenses or certificates you want shown?
Promise to send a content list after the call. The client website content checklist has one you can adapt, including how to make it easy for a busy owner to reply.
Questions about logistics
These keep the project moving.
- Who makes the final decisions? One person or several?
- Do you own a domain name? Who has the login?
- Where is the current site hosted, if any?
- Do you use business email at your domain?
- When would you like the site live, and is there a reason for that date?
- How do you prefer to communicate: phone, email or text?
- How soon can you reply to questions during the project?
Question one matters more than it looks. If a spouse, partner or manager has a veto, bring them into the conversation early. Late feedback from a new person is a common cause of extra rounds. For more on that, see how to handle website revision requests.
If the owner is unsure about hosting and domains, offer to explain it simply later; the guide on launching a client website: domain and hosting can help you prepare.
Questions you should not skip
A few extra questions prevent surprises:
- Is there anything about the business that is changing soon? A move, a new service, new hours.
- Are there rules for your trade I should know about? Some fields require license numbers or specific wording.
- Do you need people to book, pay or upload anything on the site? This changes the build.
- Who will update the site after launch? You, the owner, or nobody?
How to listen
A few habits make the call more useful:
- Ask one question at a time and wait through the pause.
- Repeat back what you heard in a sentence: "So the main goal is more calls from homeowners in the east side. Is that right?"
- Write the owner's exact words for the headline and about section.
- Avoid jargon. Say "the page people see first" instead of "above the fold."
- Do not solve everything on the call. Note an idea and say you will think about it.
If the owner asks about the price, answer clearly based on your written offer. If you have not set it yet, say you will send a clear proposal after the call rather than guessing on the spot. The web design proposal for small business guide shows what to include.
Turning answers into a one page brief
Within a day, send the owner a short summary. Include:
- The business in two sentences, in their words.
- The main goal of the website.
- Who it is for and where they are.
- Pages needed.
- Content you are waiting for, with who owns each item and a date.
- Decisions still open.
- Next step and date.
Ask them to reply "yes, that is right" or to correct anything. This small step catches misunderstandings while they are cheap to fix. Keep the brief; it will help you if scope questions arise later.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Talking too much. If you speak more than the owner, you are pitching, not learning.
- Asking only about design. Most useful answers are about customers and goals.
- Skipping the summary. Without it, memory differences become arguments.
- Promising outcomes. Never promise more calls, sales or rankings.
Each group of questions has a job. Use this table to keep the call on track.
| Topic | A question to ask | Why you ask it |
|---|---|---|
| The business | What makes you different from other businesses nearby? | Gives you words that belong on the homepage |
| The website's job | What is the main thing you want a visitor to do? | Decides the layout, the wording and what to leave out |
| Content | Do you have photos of your work, your team or your premises? | Content is the biggest cause of delay |
| Logistics | Who makes the final decisions? | A late voice from a new person causes extra rounds |
The call in order
Use this order: welcome and plan, business questions, website job questions, content questions, logistics, then a recap with next steps. Send the brief and the content list the same day.
Where SiteRevive fits
SiteRevive finds local U.S. businesses with old or missing websites, checks each site, and takes the owner's email from the business's own website. You pick a trade and a U.S. state. With Run with your AI, you paste one prompt into your AI. It builds a one-page preview site for each business and drafts or sends a short first note from your own inbox. You can choose "drafts only," read each message and send it yourself.
The preview gives you something concrete to react to on the discovery call, and the site check gives you notes to start from. You still decide what to send, how to follow up and what to charge. SiteRevive plans start at $97 a month, plus your own AI plan. There is a 7-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked. It does not promise replies or sales. SiteRevive's servers never send email; your own AI sends from your own account, or saves drafts. Visit the SiteRevive home page or try the free website check.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a website discovery call be?
Twenty to thirty minutes is enough for a small business. Tell the owner the length at the start and send a written summary afterward.
What is the most important discovery question?
"What is the main thing you want a visitor to do?" It decides the layout, the wording and what to leave out.
Should I send the questions in advance?
Sending a short list a day before can help owners think. Keep it to five or six questions and say that a call is fine instead of written answers.
What if the owner does not know what they want?
That is common. Show examples, offer two simple options and ask which feels closer. A preview of their own business often helps them react.
Should I talk about price on the discovery call?
Answer honestly if asked, based on your written offer. If you have not set it, say you will send a clear proposal after the call.
Does SiteRevive run the discovery call?
No. SiteRevive finds and checks businesses and, with Run with your AI, helps your own AI build a one-page preview and a first note. The conversation with the owner is yours.