How to choose a web designer: questions to ask before you hire

Look at relevant work, then look closer

Start with work similar to what you need. A designer who has built sites for firms, nonprofits or service businesses like yours will already understand the pages and features you need.

Then go past the screenshots. Visit the live sites. Check them on your phone. See whether they load quickly, whether the contact path is obvious, and whether they still look maintained. A portfolio shows what a site looked like at launch; the live site shows how it holds up.

Get the scope in writing

Misunderstandings about scope cause most disputes between businesses and web designers. Before work starts, you should have a written list of what is included: the pages, the features, who writes and supplies the content, how many rounds of revisions there are, and what is not included.

• 01Which pages will be built, by name
• 02Which features are included: forms, booking, donations, search
• 03Who writes the copy and who supplies photos
• 04How many revision rounds are included
• 05What counts as a change that would be quoted separately

Fixed price or hourly

Hourly billing can make sense for open-ended work. For a website with a defined scope, a fixed price agreed before work starts protects both sides: you know what you will pay, and the designer has a clear boundary for extra requests.

If a quote is hourly, ask for an estimate range and what happens when the work runs over. If it is fixed, ask what would cause the price to change.

Ownership and handoff

Ask directly who will own the domain, the hosting account and the site files, and what you will receive if you stop working together. The answers should be simple: the domain and hosting in your business's name, admin access for you, and a copy of the site you can take elsewhere.

Be cautious with any arrangement where the site runs on the designer's own platform or account and cannot be moved, unless you are comfortable renting it indefinitely.

Timeline and your part in it

Most delays on website projects come from content: copy, photos and approvals that take longer than expected. Ask what the designer needs from you, by when, and how the timeline changes if it arrives late. A good plan shows something to review every week, so problems surface early instead of at launch.

Search and speed from the start

Search visibility and page speed are much easier to build in than to add later. Ask how the designer handles page titles and descriptions, how they structure service pages, whether the site will be fast on a phone, and whether they set up analytics and Search Console so you can see how people find you.

Support after launch

A site needs updates, backups and small changes after it launches. Ask what ongoing support costs, what it includes, how quickly problems are handled, and whether you can cancel it and keep everything. If you plan to maintain the site yourself, ask for training and written notes as part of the handoff.

Questions to ask on the first call

Bring these to your first conversation with any designer or studio, including us.

• 01Can I see live sites you built for businesses like mine?
• 02What exactly is included in the price, and what is not?
• 03Is the price fixed, and what would change it?
• 04Whose name will the domain and hosting be in?
• 05What do I receive if we stop working together?
• 06What do you need from me, and by when?
• 07What does support cost after launch, and can I cancel it?

Questions.

How long does it take to build a small business website?

A custom site for a small business commonly takes two to six weeks once content is ready, depending on the number of pages and features.

Should I choose a freelancer or an agency?

Either can work. What matters more is relevant experience, a written scope, clear ownership terms and a plan for support after launch.