14 Must-Ask Questions for Marketing Agency to New Clients

Good communication with the client is the key to the success of any project. Well-thought-out questions allow designers to get to know the client well and understand the client's needs at the beginning of the cooperation. Professionals can use the information obtained to help their clients to make better decisions and offer them solutions very well-tailored to their needs... which clients may not always be aware of!

I prepared a list of essential questions you must ask a client before starting the project. Thanks to this, you will choose the right direction during the implementation of the project and provide the client with results that exceed his expectations!

Understanding what the client wants to achieve and what role the project has to play is crucial before starting the design process. Therefore, it is imperative to determine the client's general assumption and get to know his expectations for the project. Is the company undergoing rebranding and needs an entirely new image? Or maybe the client wants to improve a few elements of the visual identity of the brand, and it is enough to refresh the already existing ideas?

For example, if your task is to provide a logotype, ask if the client expects the project to be developed from scratch or if they prefer to modernize the current logo. Setting goals early in the design stage will help you avoid extra work and later changes.

Before you start working on a project, you must find out how the client wants to use it. Thanks to this, you will know whether your proposed solution will work on various channels and media. Designing graphics for social networking sites and graphic design for a website will look different, and designing leaflets for printing will be different. So agree with the customer whether they needs printed materials, or their company is only active on the Internet.

For example, suppose you have created a digital business card, and the customer additionally wants the same graphic in a printed version. In that case, you need to adjust the project format to print. The client may not be aware that this knowledge should be transferred to the graphic designer before starting the design process. Therefore, to avoid confusion in the future, find out as soon as possible what the project's primary purpose is.

This is a fundamental question without which you cannot start working on any project. Determine all technical details, such as graphics dimensions, format, and number of pages. In the case of printed projects, it is also necessary to additionally ask about the printing specifications. It is also vital to agree on the project's end date. Clients are often unaware of the time it takes to complete a project, but they need quick order fulfillment. Therefore, it is worth estimating the work time and setting a deadline before starting the design. Also, don't be afraid to ask about the budget the client wants to spend on the project. Thanks to this, you will know whether you can allow yourself to implement progressive ideas or whether it is better to focus on minimalism.

Understanding the company's difficulties will allow you to deliver a project that responds to the real needs of the client. Focusing on solving a specific problem while designing will help you get better results from your work. Did the company notice the lack of contact between visitors on the website? Make analysis why this is so. Perhaps this is due to an unattractive graphic design or a poorly visible Call-To-Action (CTA) button. Therefore, it is worth considering how to design this subpage to encourage users to fill out the contact form. Proper recognition of the problem will allow you to create a project to help solve the brand's situation.

If you have identified an area that needs improvement, ask if the client has made any previous attempts to solve the problem. Thanks to this, you will find out why his actions did not achieve the expected results. It will allow you to understand what is the real cause of the difficulties faced by the company. Knowing what worked and what did not work is extremely important.

By asking this question, you can find out what solutions have not worked. Understanding the reasons for the customer's earlier failure will allow you to avoid repeating the same mistakes. This makes it easier for you to decide which ideas are worth developing and which are better to reject immediately.

Does the company have its logo and brand colors, or do you have to create everything from scratch? You must not skip this question even if you are designing for a newly founded company. There is a high probability that an organization already has some format for creating graphic designs. It's your job to learn about design and style guidelines. Be sure to ask if the company can provide you with a brand book with company logos, fonts, and brand colors. It will also be a good idea to familiarize yourself with previous projects. This will help you ensure your brand's visual consistency and identify which areas of design need improvement.

Be sure to ask the client about the nature of the project - should the graphics be casual, humorous, or formal? What emotions should your project evoke in the recipient? Asking this question will save you from making a blunder and submitting a project that doesn't fit the context.

You need to ensure that the design you create reflects the brand's true nature. If you design for a financial or legal company, the client will surely be pleased with the subdued colors and classic styling. However, bright colors and a funny font will work if your client runs a line of children's clothing. A good idea before starting work is to present the client with the so-called moodboard, i.e., an array of ideas and inspirations that will reflect the nature of the project.

This question will help you get an overview of the customer. The answer to this question should be the foundation from which to start your project. Getting to know the history of the brand and its founders is key to creating a good design. It is also worth asking what is the company's mission and what are the values that guide them. This basic information is the basis for starting any creative process. Thanks to this, you can create a unique design that will refer to the history of your customer's brand.

Ask the customer to briefly describe his brand with a few adjectives or to provide you with a company slogan or motto. As a result, the customer will present how they wants others to perceive their brand briefly and clearly. And it will be much easier for you to make good decisions regarding the design style.

If a customer describes their company as modern, innovative, and with the spirit of technology, you can choose futuristic fonts for the project. Your client is a photographer and wants to communicate that his brand is traditional and helps connect generations? You can create a design that emphasizes just such values with the right colors and techniques.

Asking customers about their top competitors is an excellent way to analyze what level of design the customer expects. You can always use the list of your client's competitors and create the so-called benchmark, i.e., an index of the strengths and weaknesses of the competition, and compare them to your client's company. Carrying out such a detailed analysis of the competition will help you spot the differences and the areas that need improvement. Thanks to this, your project will help your client align and outperform the competition.

By designing, you help your client build their brand. So you should get to know your client's target group in detail. Are you designing for a sportswear store? There are many sports and types of athletes, so ask who the client is targeting. Maybe its recipients are only runners? Does the client offer courses and training?

By asking the right questions about your target audience, you will be able to create a project tailored to the needs of your company's audience. Then you can use the acquired information and create a persona of a potential customer to whom you will direct your message in the project.

Be sure to agree with the client on the manner and frequency of communication. This will allow you to avoid misunderstandings and improve your work on the project. While some customers are open to regular feedback on editing and updating, not everyone has the time to communicate frequently. So agree with the client:

a) How often do they want to receive project progress reports?

b) How (your files and formats) will your needed reports look like?

c) What is your preferred method of communication? E-mail, phone call, or Skype?

d) Availability hours

e) Contact persons from the company

Understanding how the cooperation is carried out will help you focus more on the design or scheduled breaks. This way, you can better control your work.

Each design process should start with getting to know the client, their company, and project goals. This is the most important stage in the design. The better you understand the company and the customer at the beginning, the easier it will be for you to communicate with them later. Error-free communication will speed up the implementation of the project and guarantee satisfaction from cooperation for both parties. The right questions for the client will direct you to the most important aspects of the project. I hope you will use the knowledge you have gained to get to know your customers' needs better. The above list of questions will serve you as a reliable questionnaire that is worth using, especially in the first stage of cooperation with clients. This will allow you to create perfect designs in line with customer expectations.