What to ask a web designer before you hire

You are about to pay someone to build the face of your business online. Most owners ask about price and timing first. Those matter. But the questions that protect you later are about ownership, access, and what happens after launch.

This list is built around one idea: you should still be in control of your site if the designer disappears. Use it in the first call.

Who will own my domain, hosting, and site files?

Start here. It is the question that causes the most pain when a project ends badly.

Your domain name is your web address. You should be the registrant, meaning the named owner on the account. ICANN, the group that oversees domain names, publishes registrant rights and responsibilities. They say your registration must sit under an agreement with an accredited registrar. That agreement is between you and the registrar. It should not be a private deal buried in your designer's account.

Ask these in plain words:

• Will the domain be registered in my name, with my email?
• Will I have the login for hosting?
• Do I get a full copy of the site files and database if I leave?
• Is any part of the site built on a tool or plugin I can only use through you?

A good answer is short and clear. A shaky answer is a vague promise to handle it all for you. Handling it is fine. Owning it is not.

What exactly is in the price, and what costs extra?

Ask for a written scope. It should name the number of pages, who writes the text, who finds the photos, and how many rounds of edits you get.

Then ask about the costs that show up after launch:

• Hosting and domain renewal
• Security updates and backups
• Edits after launch (hourly, monthly, or included?)
• Paid plugins, themes, or stock photos that renew each year

Get every answer in writing before you sign.

Is the price one time or monthly?

Both models are normal. A one time build with a separate care plan is common. A monthly plan that bundles design and upkeep is common too. The risk is not the model. The risk is not knowing which one you are buying. Ask what you would pay in year two, and what happens to the site if you stop paying.

Can I see live sites you built, and talk to the owners?

A portfolio shows taste. It does not show how the designer behaves when something breaks. Ask for two or three recent clients you can call or email.

Google gives similar advice when you hire for search work. Its guidance on hiring an SEO lists useful interview questions, including asking to see examples of previous work. Use the same habit with a designer.

When you talk to a past client, ask:

• Did the project finish on the date promised?
• How fast did the designer reply when you had a problem?
• Could you update the site yourself afterward?
• Would you hire them again?

Look at the live sites on your own phone too. Do they load fast? Can you read the text? Is the phone number tappable?

How will the site be found in search, and in AI answers?

A pretty site that nobody finds does little for you. Ask what the designer does to help people find the site, and listen for specifics.

Good signs:

• Each service gets its own page
• Page titles and headings use the words your customers use
• Your address, hours, and phone number are on the site as text, not only in an image
• Structured data (code that labels your business details for search engines) is part of the build
• They talk about Google Business Profile as a partner to the site

Google's own hiring tips say a good SEO should care about how your whole business does, not only where a page ranks. Search Engine Journal's summary of that advice says a heavy focus on rankings alone is a red flag. A designer who asks about your customers, your competitors, and how you make money is thinking the right way.

Be wary of anyone who promises a ranking. Nobody outside Google controls it. Google also says it never accepts money to include or rank sites in organic results, and that point appears in the same Google guidance.

Who writes the words, and who edits them later?

Many projects stall on text. The designer waits for you, and you wait for the designer. Ask who is writing the page copy. If it is you, ask for a template or outline. If it is them, ask how they learn the details of your business.

Then ask about editing. Can you change a phone number or add a holiday notice without calling anyone? If the answer is no, ask what a small change costs and how long it takes. For a local business in Minnesota, hours change with the seasons. You will make small edits often.

What happens if the project goes wrong?

Nobody likes this question. Ask it anyway. A clear contract should cover:

• What happens if a deadline is missed
• How you can end the project, and what you owe at that point
• Who owns the design and text when you finish paying
• What you get if you stop mid-project

Ask whether you will pay in stages tied to finished work, such as design approval and launch. Staged payment keeps both sides honest.

Will the site work for every visitor?

Ask how the designer checks the site on phones, since many local customers search from one. Ask about accessibility too: readable color contrast, labels on forms, and text descriptions on images. The official standard is called WCAG. A designer who has heard of it and can explain how they follow it is a better bet than one who has not.

What will you need from me, and when?

Good projects take effort from both sides. Ask what the designer needs from you: logo files, photos, service lists, reviews, and a point person for approvals. Ask how long you can take to reply before the schedule slips.

This also tells you how the designer runs projects. Clear lists and dates are a good sign.

Questions to bring to your first call

Here is a short list to print:

1. Who is the registrant on my domain, and who holds the logins?
2. What is included in the price, and what renews each year?
3. Can I talk to two recent clients?
4. How do you handle search, local info, and structured data?
5. Who writes the text, and how do I edit it later?
6. What does the contract say if you part ways with me?
7. How do you test on phones and for accessibility?
8. What do you need from me, and by when?

Compare two or three designers with the same list. The answers will differ, and the differences are useful. Pick the one who answers plainly, puts ownership in writing, and does not promise what no one can control.

Ellment Creative is a web design and search visibility studio in St. Louis Park, and you are welcome to bring this list to Ellment when you compare options.