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JournalCommissioning a website

Questions to ask before hiring a web designer

Ten questions for choosing who builds your website, with the answer you should hear and the warning signs. The same ones I’d like people to ask me.

The words “Who?”, “With what?”, “Whose?” and “When?”, one below the other

Before hiring someone for your website, ask about their live work, who will do it, which tool and why, whether you’ll be able to edit it, who will own the domain and logins, exactly what the quote includes, how long it will take, how they’ll handle speed, accessibility and SEO, what happens after launch and how you’ll communicate. The answers say more than any portfolio. They’re the questions I’d like people to ask me.

Ten questions before hiring

  1. 01Can I see websites you’ve built that are live?
    What you should hear
    Links to live sites and exactly what they did on each.
    Warning sign
    Only mock-ups, templates or screenshots with no link.
  2. 02Who will do the work?
    What you should hear
    Actual names, and if anyone else does part of it, which part.
    Warning sign
    Vague answers, or subcontractors nobody mentions.
  3. 03Which tool will you use, and why?
    What you should hear
    A choice explained for your case, with its pros and cons.
    Warning sign
    Always the same template or builder, whatever the project.
  4. 04Will I be able to edit it myself?
    What you should hear
    They show you the editor and what you can change without help.
    Warning sign
    “For any change, just message me.”
  5. 05Who will own the site, the domain and the logins?
    What you should hear
    You, in your name, with every login handed over at the end.
    Warning sign
    The domain or hosting stays in their name.
  6. 06What does the quote include, and what doesn’t it?
    What you should hear
    A written breakdown: pages, languages, content, training, maintenance.
    Warning sign
    A fixed price with no detail of what’s included.
  7. 07How long will it take, and what do you need from me?
    What you should hear
    A schedule by phase, with your part in each.
    Warning sign
    “As soon as possible.”
  8. 08How will you handle speed, accessibility and SEO?
    What you should hear
    Concrete measures and how they’re checked.
    Warning sign
    “We’ll look at that at the end.”
  9. 09What happens after launch?
    What you should hear
    Clear training, support and maintenance, and who provides them.
    Warning sign
    Silence, or they vanish after delivery.
  10. 10How will we work, and how often will I hear how it’s going?
    What you should hear
    Planned reviews and a clear channel to talk.
    Warning sign
    You won’t hear anything until delivery.

Answered well0 of 10

No answers yet: ask the questions and come back.

Open each question to see the answer you should hear and the warning sign. Tick the ones that were answered well.

The three that matter most

If you can only ask three: who will own the domain and logins, whether you’ll be able to edit it yourself and what the quote includes. They’re the ones that save the most trouble later.

Live work beats a pretty portfolio

Ask for links to real, live websites and what exactly they did on each. Open them on your phone: do they load fast? Do they read well? It’s the best evidence of what yours will be like. In my case studies I explain what I did on each project, including when part of the work was someone else’s.

Freelancer, studio or agency

A freelancer usually means direct contact and flexibility; an agency, more hands and more services under one roof. What matters isn’t size, but knowing who will do the work and who will answer when something goes wrong.

Money questions, without fear

A serious quote says what’s included and what isn’t: pages, languages, content, photos, training and maintenance. If you want to understand what drives the price, I explain it in How much does a custom website cost?.

Prepare your answers too

The best conversations start with a clear brief: the better you explain your project, the better the answers. And ask for the schedule by phase; more in How long does it take to build a custom website?.

In short

Ten questions, and pay as much attention to how they’re answered as to what: concretely, in writing and without rushing. Someone who’ll build you a good website usually appreciates being asked.

If you’d like to ask me, tell me about your project and I’ll answer them all.

Keep reading

  1. 2 min readHow long does it take to build a custom website?A medium-sized custom website takes about eight weeks if the content is ready. What stretches it, what shortens it and how the time splits, phase by phase.
  2. 3 min readWhat to put on your website: the content, page by pageWhat copy, photos and facts each page of a business website needs (home, about, services and contact) and a checklist to prepare yours.
  3. 3 min readWebsite brief template: the questions I ask every clientThe questions I ask before designing a website, and a template that fills itself in so you can tell me about your project in five minutes.