25 Questions for Website Redesign Sitemap

A website redesign turns on the interrogation light.

A redesign is more than a digital makeover: it's an exercise in assessing a company's mission vs. goals, self-conception vs. brand perception, image vs. reality.

This self-scrutiny and soul-searching holds up a necessary mirror, revealing the concepts and constraints that will combine to form an accurate, intelligent digital presence.

Site redesign is as much discovery as creation.

After years of guiding this conversation and process for clients, Sherpa! Web Studios started its own redesign with the same  project brief. Over multiple meetings and energetic discussion, the 20-page brief  of questions expanded to nearly 60 with answers, insights, and team consensus.

From these responses, a sitemap emerged — the framework for content, functionality, and navigation. Thanks to the time dedicated to planning, research, and internal dialogue, the sitemap went beyond providing a digital skeleton. It crystallized Sherpa's essence in a fresh, recognizable form.

1. Do you have a budget? Can it be divided into phases to accommodate time constraints?
2. What is your timeline?
3. What specific areas of your current site do you feel are successful? Why?
4. What shortcomings exist with the current site, and what things would you change today if you could?
5. Have you conducted usability tests or gathered visitor feedback?
6. What issues and problems spearheaded the need for the redesign?
7. What are your primary business objectives for the redesign? Secondary?
8. How will you measure the success of the redesigned site?
9. Who is the target audience? What do they care about?
10. What other websites does your target audience visit? How do they incorporate the Internet into their lives?
11. What is the primary action visitors should take when visiting your site?
12. What are the five most common tasks the user should do when they visit?
13. What adjectives describe how a visitor should perceive the new site?
14. How is your company perceived offline?
15. Do you have preferred company colors, imagery, styles, guidelines?
16. How would you describe your company's brand identity? What is the promise you make to your customers?
17. What specifically do you want to communicate with your logo and brand?
18. How is your company or web presence different from your competitors? What sets you apart?
19. How would you rate your competitors' sites?
20. Will this site use existing content from the current site? How often will content be updated? How will visitors know?
21. Are there any scripts or code that have already been established? Are there specific technologies you would like to use?
22. Are there any features you hope to add to the site, now or in the future?
23. What is short- and long-term marketing strategy for the website?
24. What methods of distributing the URL already exist within the company and offline?
25. Who is the maintenance team, and what are their individual responsibilities?