Hiring the wrong web designer costs more than money — it costs months. Use these questions to compare companies on what actually matters.
About the price
- Is the price fixed, and what exactly is included? Ask for a written scope: number of pages, revisions, content, SEO setup and support.
- What will I pay after launch? Hosting, domain, plugins, apps and maintenance.
- How are payments structured? A deposit and final payment tied to milestones is normal. 100% upfront is a risk.
About ownership
- Will I own the website, domain and hosting? The answer should be an unconditional yes.
- Will I get all the logins? Admin, hosting, domain registrar and analytics.
- Are all themes and plugins licensed? Pirated (“nulled”) software is a common source of malware.
About the work
- Can I see websites you have built? Look at them on your phone. Are they fast? Clear? Would you enquire?
- Who will actually build my site? Many agencies sell with seniors and deliver with juniors or subcontractors.
- How do you handle SEO? Page structure, speed, schema, redirects for redesigns. Vague answers are a warning sign.
- Will I be able to edit the site myself? And will they train you?
About after launch
- What support is included? 30 days is a reasonable minimum.
- Do you offer ongoing maintenance, and is there a contract? Good providers don’t need long lock-ins.
Red flags
- Guaranteed “#1 on Google” — nobody can promise that
- No written scope or contract
- They register your domain in their own name
- Reviews you can’t verify, or no real portfolio
- Pressure to decide today
How we answer these questions
Fixed published prices, 50% advance and 50% before launch, full ownership and logins, licensed software, founder-led delivery, 30 days of free support and maintenance plans with no contract. See our pricing or ask us anything.
Global Website Designer
Website design, development and maintenance for businesses worldwide. Our founder has built websites for 53 brands across manufacturing, finance, healthcare and retail.