Choosing the right web designer can make a huge difference for your business. After all, your website represents your brand and serves as the first point of contact for many potential clients. So you want to be selective in who you partner with to ensure your website presents your business in the best light.
If you could only ask five questions to your shortlisted web designers, what would they be?
We’ve narrowed it down for you and listed below five must-ask questions that will help you assess a designer’s expertise, understand what you’re paying for, and avoid any bad surprises.
Have they designed websites for businesses in your industry, and can they provide examples?
A designer with relevant experience building websites in your industry will know how to incorporate industry-specific features into your website build and highlight what matters most to your audience. That will save you money and time, and if you’re a rookie at web design, your web developer may even educate you on what exactly your website needs to look professional and appealing.
Ask for examples of websites they’ve done in your industry. Reviewing their portfolio helps you understand their style and expertise, and helps you assess if they can create the website you envision for your business.
When can they start and how long will it take from start to finish?
By asking about start dates and timelines, you can see if the web designer can prioritise your website build and meet your intended launch date.
Don’t be surprised if the web developer provides conditional dates. Every website build needs input from you, like filling out a questionnaire about your services and audience or supplying photos and written content. Most web designers won’t get started until you’ve provided all this to keep things efficient.
Similarly, meeting the launch date requires commitment from both sides, as you’ll need to review a couple of site versions and give feedback.
Nonetheless, agreeing on these conditional dates is key to getting things off to a smooth start.
What’s included and excluded in the package?
Understanding what’s covered in the website package is essential to avoid unexpected costs. Ask for a detailed list of included services and features. By the time you sign the website build contract, you should know exactly which web pages the developer will create, what integrations and special features they’ll set up, and what content (written text, images, logos) you need to provide versus what they’ll handle.
Don’t forget to inquire about their fee structure for any out-of-scope work. An honest web designer will always inform you when something is outside the initial agreement, so you won’t be surprised by extra charges.
Will you own the website once it’s completed?
Whilst some companies are happy to rent a website, most businesses want to own theirs. And rightly so – a website is an asset, like online real estate, with real value.
Most web developers will transfer ownership once the final payment is received and provide you with all login details. Always confirm ownership details in the contract to ensure your website remains your valuable asset.
(Remember, website hosting is separate from owning your website. Just because your website is hosted on the developer’s servers doesn’t mean they own it. At Web Bird Digital, we don’t retain ownership of websites. Once the contract is fulfilled, ownership is transferred to you, whether you host your site with us or another provider.)
How do they handle website security and backups?
If you’re buying a WordPress website package, ask your developer about security and backups since these need to be set up manually.
Good security measures help prevent breaches that can expose customer data, make your site unavailable or disrupt your site’s display, and hurt your search rankings. Fixing these issues can be expensive, so it’s best to take a preventative approach and tackle security from the start.
Backups are just as important. Unless you sign up for a website maintenance plan, make sure your developer shows you how to create and restore backups. This way, if something goes wrong with a front end change or a plugin causes issues, you can quickly get your website back up and running without too much hassle.
You might also want to ask about the CMS they use, any ongoing costs after launch, how many revision rounds they include, and if they offer training to manage your site yourself.
Choosing the right web designer is key to making your brand look its best online. If a web designer won’t take the time to answer your questions, keep looking until you feel confident in your decision.
At Web Bird Digital, we take the time to answer your questions, understand your business, and explain our process. If you’re looking for an affordable website package, get in touch to discuss your vision and receive a free quote.