What Questions Should You Ask a Web Designer Before Hiring Them?
Most businesses judge a web designer on their portfolio and price. Both matter, but neither tells you what happens after the site launches, which is where a lot of disappointment quietly happens. A kitchen and bathroom renovation firm and a management accountant have very different sites, but they should get the same straight answers to these questions.
Worth asking directly
The conversation worth having before you sign
Ownership
Do you own the domain and the code, or is it locked to their platform if you ever leave?
What's included
Is SEO, sitemap submission and Google Business Profile setup part of it, or a separate extra?
Hosting and support
Who hosts the site, what happens if that server goes down, and is support ongoing or one-off?
Making changes yourself
Can you update prices, hours or photos without calling someone every time?
- Do I own the domain and the code, or is it locked to your platform?
- Is SEO (sitemap submission, Google Business Profile setup) included, or extra?
- What happens if I want to leave in a year? Can I take the site with me?
- Who hosts it, and what happens if that server goes down?
- How do I make small content changes myself, if at all?
- What's included after launch: is support a one-off, or ongoing?
The answer that should give you pause
Vagueness. A designer who can't clearly answer what happens to the site if you stop paying them, or who's evasive about whether you own the domain, is worth a second thought. Those are exactly the details that turn into a problem months later, not at signup.
Worth reading alongside this how much a website should cost, choosing a web designer in Glasgow and our pricing.
Thinking about your own website or getting more from the one you've got?
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