A stakeholder interview is a structured conversation with key people involved in a project—usually before any real design or development begins. These interviews help uncover goals, challenges, expectations, and concerns from the people who actually matter most to the project’s success.
In the context of websites, branding, or digital strategy, stakeholders are typically decision-makers like:
- Business owners
- Marketing leads
- Sales managers
- Product owners
- Internal IT or operations staff
These conversations aren’t about gathering technical specs—they’re about getting aligned.
Why stakeholder interviews matter
Too many digital projects fail because the team jumps into execution without a full understanding of the business needs or user expectations. Stakeholder interviews prevent that by creating clarity from the start.
They help:
- Set the right priorities
- Identify gaps in knowledge
- Discover internal constraints or risks
- Avoid misaligned expectations
- Create buy-in across departments
If a new website doesn’t actually support business goals—or tries to serve everyone and ends up serving no one—it’s often because there was no real discovery phase.
What gets asked in a stakeholder interview?
Every interview is tailored, but common questions include:
Business context
- What’s the purpose of the project?
- What problems are you currently facing?
- What’s changing in your business right now?
Users and audience
- Who are your core users or customers?
- What are they trying to accomplish when they visit the site?
- What frustrates them about the current experience?
Goals and KPIs
- What does success look like?
- Are there specific metrics you care about (e.g. leads, sales, sign-ups)?
- How will we measure progress?
Content and functionality
- What pages or features are essential?
- Are there systems (CRM, booking, ecommerce) that need to be integrated?
- What absolutely must stay—or must go?
Process and people
- Who needs to sign off on decisions?
- Who will be responsible for content, images, or approvals?
- What’s your preferred timeline or deadline?
When to conduct stakeholder interviews
These interviews typically happen at the very beginning of a project—during the discovery or strategy phase. They’re also helpful during a website relaunch, company rebranding, or any major digital transformation.
Even small projects benefit. A 30-minute conversation with the right person can surface insights you’d otherwise miss until it’s too late (or too expensive) to fix.
How to run them
- Keep the tone conversational, not interrogative.
- Record with permission, or take detailed notes.
- Ask open-ended questions—and listen more than you speak.
- Avoid jargon. The point is to understand, not impress.
- Summarize findings in a simple briefing document.
Bottom line
A stakeholder interview is your shortcut to clarity. It helps you avoid guesswork, uncover hidden priorities, and align your digital project with real business needs. If you’re investing in a website, app, or campaign, talking to the right people early can save you time, money, and major headaches down the road.
