15 questions to ask before hiring a web designer

Before you hire a web designer, ask about five things: their past work, exactly what the quote includes, who will own the finished site, how the project will run, and who looks after the site after launch. The answers tell you more than any portfolio. Here are 15 questions to ask, what a good answer sounds like, and the red flags to watch for.

Why do these questions matter?

A website isn’t a one-time purchase. You’ll live with it for years, and most of the problems people run into (surprise invoices, a site nobody will update, a domain they can’t get back) come from questions nobody asked at the start. You don’t need to be technical to ask them. You just need clear answers, ideally in writing.

Take notes on each call and compare the answers side by side afterwards. How a designer answers, clearly, patiently and without jargon, is a good preview of what working with them will be like.

What should you ask about their work and experience?

1. Can I see sites you’ve built for businesses like mine?

Look at live sites, not just screenshots. Open them on your phone. Are they fast? Easy to use? Do they look different from each other, or like the same template with new colors? Ask what changed for those businesses after their site went live.

2. Do you design from scratch or start from a template?

Both are legitimate, but you should know which one you’re paying for. A template can be fine for a simple site on a short timeline. A custom design is built around your business. What matters is an honest answer.

3. Who will actually do the work?

Some studios sell the project, then pass it to a junior designer or a subcontractor. Ask who designs it, who builds it and who you’ll talk to along the way. “The same person” is a good answer.

4. Which platform will you use, and why?

WordPress, a website builder like Wix or Squarespace, Shopify, or a custom build. Each is right for some projects. A good designer explains the choice in terms of your business, not their habits, and tells you what happens if you outgrow it.

What should you ask about the price?

5. Is this a fixed quote, and what exactly does it include?

Get it in writing: the pages, the features, the number of design revisions and what happens if you want something extra. A fixed quote protects both sides.

6. What will I pay after launch?

Hosting, domain renewal, maintenance, software or plugin licenses, support and changes. Some quotes look small because the ongoing costs aren’t mentioned. Ask for the full picture over a few years, not just the build.

7. What could cost extra?

Writing the text, sourcing photos, moving content from your old site, extra revisions, a rushed timeline. None of these are unreasonable to charge for. Finding out afterwards is the problem. My own rule is simple: the quote is the price, with no hidden charges and no surprises.

What should you ask about ownership?

8. Whose name will the domain be registered in?

Your domain (yourbusiness.com) should be registered in your name, with login details you can access. If a designer registers it in theirs, getting it back can be painful.

9. Who owns the design, the content and the code?

Your text, photos and design, and the site built for you, should be yours. Get it in writing. On monthly website builders, the platform owns the software underneath, which is worth understanding before you commit.

10. If we stop working together, can I take the site with me?

The answer should be yes, with a clear process. If the honest answer is “no, it only runs on our system,” you’re renting, not buying.

What should you ask about the process?

11. What are the steps, from first call to launch?

Look for a clear order: a conversation about your business, a written plan, a design you approve before building starts, then testing and launch. If design and code happen at the same time with no sign-off, changes get expensive.

12. What do you need from me, and when?

Text, photos, logins and feedback. Most delays come from missing content, not because clients are slow, but because nobody told them what was needed. A good designer gives you a short list up front.

13. Will the site be set up for Google at launch?

At a minimum: fast pages, a title and description for every page, structured data (code that helps Google understand your business), a sitemap and Google Search Console. If you’re replacing an old site, ask about redirects, the rules that send old page addresses to the new ones. Skipping them is one of the most common ways a new site loses its Google rankings.

What should you ask about life after launch?

14. Who hosts, updates and backs up the site?

Someone has to keep the software updated, take backups and keep the site secure. If the answer is “you,” make sure you know how. If it’s the designer, ask what’s included, how often backups are taken and how quickly they respond.

15. How do I make changes, and who do I call when something breaks?

Can you edit text and photos yourself? Is there a simple way to request bigger changes? When the contact form stops working, will you reach someone who knows your site, or a support queue?

What are the red flags?

• A vague quote, or a price given before they understand your business.
• Guaranteed Google rankings.
• The domain registered in the designer’s name.
• No live sites you can check for yourself.
• No clear answer to “what happens after launch?”
• No written scope or contract.
• Pressure to sign quickly.

How would I answer these questions?

Since you’re reading this on my site, it’s only fair to share my own answers. I design every site from scratch and do the work myself, from the first call to every update after launch. You get a fixed quote in writing after a free call, and you approve the design before I write any code. Every site launches with the SEO basics in place, and I host and look after what I build, with a client portal for invoices, support tickets and edit requests. The details are on my custom websites and hosting and care pages.

Bring this list to our first call and ask me anything on it. You can look through my client case studies first, then start a project when you’re ready. I work with clients in the USA, France, England and beyond, in English and French.