Questions to ask a web designer before hiring

The short answer.

Ask who owns what, what it'll cost you every month after it's built, how people will find it, who's doing the work, and what happens when something goes wrong. A good web designer will be glad you asked, and they'll give you plain answers.

If someone gets vague or defensive about any of these, that's worth more than anything in their portfolio.

Questions about who owns what.

These matter most, and they get asked least. They only feel important on the day it's too late.

Will the domain be in my business's name, on an account I can log in to?
Will the hosting be in my name, and who pays for it?
Who owns the design and the code once I've paid?
Do I get all the logins, and can I take the site elsewhere if I want to?
If you stop trading, could someone else pick this up?

What a good answer sounds like.

"It's all in your name, and we'll give you a note of where everything is." A designer may reasonably keep the rights to their general methods or tools, and some site builders can't be moved at all, so you may hear some honest caveats. That's fine, as long as you understand them before you pay.

Be careful with anything that means the site can only exist while you pay this particular person. It's common with cheap monthly website deals, and it can mean you own nothing after several years of paying for it.

Questions about money.

The build price is only part of it. Ask about the whole cost over several years, and you'll compare quotes much more fairly.

What's included in this price, and what would count as an extra?
What will I pay each month or year afterwards, and to whom?
How many rounds of changes are included?
What will you charge for small changes after launch?
Who pays for plugins, licences, booking tools or text messages?
How do you take payment, and what happens if the project stalls?

Questions about being found.

A lovely website that nobody finds is an expensive business card. Not every site needs a big SEO effort, but a basic level of care should be included from the start, and it's much cheaper at the beginning than it is afterwards.

What will you do so this can be found on Google?
Who's writing the words, and do you research what people search for?
If I already have a site, how will you protect my current Google positions?
Will you set up Search Console and analytics in my name?
How fast will it be on a phone, and how do you check that?

Be wary of guarantees.

Nobody controls Google, so no honest person can guarantee you first place. If someone does, ask exactly what for. It's easy to rank first for a phrase that no one searches for.

What they should be able to do is explain what they'd do, and why. They should also be able to show you other sites they've worked on, and tell you what those sites are actually found for.

Questions about the work.

You're not only buying a website. You're buying a few months of working with someone, and possibly years after that.

Who'll actually do the work, and will I be able to speak to them?
Can I see something similar you've built, that's been live for a while?
Can I speak to one of those clients?
What do you need from me, and when?
When will I first see something working, on my own phone?
Will you be using a template or building from scratch, and why?

Questions about afterwards.

Launch day is the start of the site's life, and it's when plenty of suppliers lose interest. Find out now what happens next.

Who looks after updates, security and backups, and how would I restore one?
If the site goes down on a Saturday, what happens?
Can I change the words, photos and prices myself? Will you show me how?
How will you handle cookies, contact forms and customer data?

Warning signs.

One of these on its own doesn't mean much. If you can tick several, have another think before you sign anything.

They quote without asking you anything about your business.
They can't, or won't, say who'll be doing the work.
They guarantee first place on Google.
They register the domain in their own name, as a matter of routine.
They need a big payment up front, with no stages.
Their own website is slow or out of date, or they can't show you recent work.
They're pushing you to decide today.

Where With Gumption comes in.

You're welcome to ask us all of it. Our answers are that your domain, hosting and accounts go in your name, you own what we build, running costs go on your own accounts so you can see every line, and you deal with the person doing the work.

If you've already got a quote and you'd like a second opinion, send it to us. We'll tell you plainly if it looks fair, and what we'd ask next.

Questions people ask.

How do I compare website quotes?

Send everyone the same brief, then compare what's included rather than only the total. Add up what you'd pay over three years, including hosting, licences and changes. Look at who asked good questions, and who explained their thinking. A much cheaper quote usually means something's been left out, such as the words, the SEO or the aftercare, so ask what.

Should I own my website?

In most cases, yes, or at least you should know exactly what you're renting. You should always hold your own domain, because your email and your reputation depend on it. Some site builders and monthly deals work perfectly well, but you can't take the site with you if you leave. That may be fine for you, as long as it's a choice.

Is a cheap monthly website a good deal?

It can suit a brand-new business that needs something simple quickly. Just read what happens if you stop paying, as often the site goes, and sometimes the domain with it. Work out what you'd pay over three to five years, and compare that with paying once for something you own. Ask who holds the domain, too.

How can I tell if a web designer is any good?

Look at sites they built a while ago, and see if those are still live and well looked after. Try them on your phone. Search for what those businesses do, and see if they turn up. Then speak to a client or two, and ask what happened when something went wrong. How someone handles problems tells you more than a nice portfolio does.

Do I need a contract for a small website?

You need something in writing, however small the job. It doesn't have to be long. It should cover what's being built, the price and stages of payment, who owns what at the end, and what happens if either of you wants to stop. A friendly email agreeing to those points is far better than nothing at all.

Questions to ask a web designer before you pay them.