User Experience Design
User Interview Questions Template for Website Research
We interview customers at the start of every major website project. This guide is for business owners who want to run their own customer interviews. It provides a question template, explains how to run each interview and shows how to record the answers. Use it before a redesign, so you hear directly what customers need from your website.
How to prepare for user interviews
Good interviews start with clear goals and the right people. Decide what you want to learn before you write any questions. Choose customers who represent the visitors you most want to win. Prepare with these steps.
- Write two or three things you want to learn, such as why customers chose you.
- Invite five to eight customers, mixing new and long-standing ones.
- Book 20 to 30 minutes for each interview, by phone, video or in person.
- Ask permission to take notes or record the conversation.
- Prepare your question list, but be ready to follow interesting answers.
Thank each person for their time, and consider a small gift or discount. People are generous with feedback when they feel valued. Our user research guide explains how interviews fit with other methods.
User interview questions template
The questions below cover the full journey from first need to choosing a supplier. Ask them in order, but skip any that do not fit. Open questions work better than yes-or-no questions. Adapt the wording to your business.
- What were you trying to solve when you first looked for a business like ours?
- How did you start looking, and what did you search for?
- Which other businesses did you consider, and why?
- What information did you need before you got in touch?
- What nearly stopped you from contacting us?
- What made you choose us in the end?
- When you visited our website, what did you look for first?
- Was anything confusing or hard to find on the site?
- What would you tell a friend about working with us?
- What one thing would you change about our website?
Follow interesting answers with "Can you tell me more about that?" Avoid suggesting answers or defending your website. The goal is to understand, not to persuade.
How to record and use the answers
Clear notes make the findings easy to share and act on. Record what people say in their own words where possible. Their language often becomes your best website copy. Follow these steps after each interview.
- Write up notes within a day, while details are fresh.
- Highlight direct quotes about needs, worries and decisions.
- Note the words customers use for your services.
- Group findings across all interviews into themes.
- Turn the top themes into changes to pages, content or forms.
Share a one-page summary with your designer and copywriter. Our guide to customer journey maps shows how to map the findings.
User interview checklist
Use this checklist when you plan and run customer interviews. Each item helps you collect useful, honest feedback. Review it before each round of interviews.
- Research goals written down
- Five to eight customers invited
- Permission to record or take notes agreed
- Question list prepared and adapted
- Notes written up within a day
- Customer quotes and language highlighted
- Findings grouped into themes and actions
Good to know
User interview FAQs
How long should a user interview last?+
Most website interviews take 20 to 30 minutes. That gives enough time for the core questions and a few follow-ups. Longer interviews tire people and rarely add much. Respect the time you agreed.
Should I interview customers or people who did not buy?+
Both groups are useful, but customers are easier to reach. They explain what persuaded them and what nearly stopped them. People who chose a competitor reveal different concerns. Start with customers, then add others when you can.
What if customers only say positive things?+
Ask specific questions about difficulties, such as what was confusing or slow. Reassure them that honest feedback helps you improve. Ask what they would change rather than what they disliked. Follow up on any hesitation.
Keep this template with your research notes and reuse it for each project. Share the findings with everyone who works on your website. So you can hear what customers really need and build those answers into your site.
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