Questions to ask a web designer before hiring

Before hiring a web designer, ask what the quote includes, who supplies the content, how accounts and access will work, what costs continue after launch, and how the finished website will be tested.

You should also understand how feedback works and who helps when the business needs a change later.

You do not need to know how to code to ask those questions. You need answers specific enough to compare proposals and plan your part of the project.

Use the questions below during the first conversation, then make sure the important answers appear in the written scope. A pleasant call helps you judge the working relationship, but it cannot replace clear project details.

Start with the customer's action. That might be requesting a quote, booking a service, buying a product, or evaluating your work before contacting you.

Ask how the proposed pages support that action. A service business may need detailed service explanations and examples. A restaurant may need a readable menu, location information, and a clear ordering route.

A useful answer: describes the audience, the important decisions, and the path through the website.

Follow up: “Which information do you need from me before you can recommend the pages?”

This question helps you judge whether the proposal fits your business. It also makes the later design conversation more concrete than choosing a style in isolation.

Ask for the pages, features, design approach, and launch work included in the quote. Confirm whether it covers forms, booking links, copywriting, photography, ecommerce, or integrations.

At Frontstage, the $500 Starter Website covers up to four pages using a proven layout system. It includes mobile optimization, a contact form, basic on-page SEO, and one revision round. The customer provides the copy and photos.

That is a specific scope you can compare. An original design with more substantial planning is a different offer; Frontstage's Custom Website starts at $1,250.

A useful answer: names what will be delivered and what needs a separate quote.

Follow up: “If I add a page or feature later, how will you quote the change?”

Check the current website design packages and the Joliet website cost guide for more context on Frontstage's pricing.

Content can be a substantial part of the work. Clarify whether the designer expects finished text or helps you plan and write it.

Also ask what image files are needed and who is responsible for obtaining permission to use them. A logo saved from a social profile may not be suitable for every placement on the site.

A useful answer: explains what you supply, what the designer does with it, and whether additional writing or image work is included.

Follow up: “Can you show me what a ready-to-build content package looks like?”

If you have not prepared the material, say so early. The right proposal may include content work, or you may need time to gather it before the build begins. The website timeline guide explains how those dependencies affect delivery.

Look at live work and case studies that resemble the kind of project you need. The designer does not have to work exclusively in your industry, but the examples should help you assess relevant skills.

Open them on a phone. Read a service page, use the menu, and look for the next step a customer would take. Do not submit a real inquiry to another business just to test the portfolio.

A useful answer: points to specific projects and explains the designer's role.

Follow up: “What part of this project did you handle, and what was the business trying to improve?”

You can review the Frontstage portfolio, including the C&C Detailing case study. Assess the actual work. A designer should distinguish visual or usability improvements from sales results they have not measured.

Ask who controls the domain registration, hosting or platform account, website files where applicable, and any tools the site depends on.

Those are separate questions. Having a login to edit page text does not necessarily explain how billing works or how the site could move later.

A useful answer: identifies the account responsibilities, the access you receive, and the handoff process in terms you understand.

Follow up: “If I work with someone else later, what access and materials can I provide to them?”

Ask for that arrangement in writing. Different platforms support different transfer and export options, so a general statement about owning the website needs practical detail. Do not assume every platform can be moved unchanged to any host.

Tell the designer how the business operates. Will you change prices weekly? Publish articles? Sell products? Take bookings? Will staff need to update content?

The platform should fit those needs and the support you expect.

A useful answer: connects the recommendation to your editing needs, functionality, budget, and future plans.

Follow up: “Show me how the update I will make most often would work.”

A platform name alone tells you little about whether the finished site will be manageable. A short demonstration of changing a service price or updating hours may be more useful than a long feature list.

Separate the build price from ongoing costs. Ask about the domain, hosting or platform subscription, third-party tools, maintenance, and future edits.

Identify which charges are required to keep the site running, which are optional services, and which are paid directly to another provider.

A useful answer: names the recurring items, their billing schedule, and who receives the invoice or renewal notice.

Follow up: “What happens if I stop an optional support service?”

The website maintenance cost guide can help you prepare for that conversation. Compare the cost of the arrangement over time as well as the initial project price.

SEO can refer to basic page setup, technical cleanup, local search work, content development, or an ongoing campaign. Ask which work is in this proposal.

Frontstage's Starter Website includes basic on-page SEO. That does not make it the same offer as a separately scoped SEO campaign.

A useful answer: describes the actual tasks and how the designer will check them.

Follow up: “What work would still be needed if I want to compete for local service searches?”

Google's SEO Starter Guide explains why there is no automatic first-place ranking formula. Ask for clear deliverables rather than a promise about a position the designer does not control.

Find out when you will see the work, what feedback is expected, and how revision rounds are counted.

Ask how the designer distinguishes a correction, a design revision, and a new request outside the agreed scope. Replacing a photo can be different work from adding a booking integration.

A useful answer: gives you a clear review process and explains what happens if the scope changes.

Follow up: “Who should collect the feedback if several people at my business need to review it?”

Choose one person to consolidate comments where possible. Conflicting instructions from several reviewers can slow a project even when the designer responds promptly.

Ask what starts the delivery timeline and which items can move the date. The work may depend on approved content, access to the current site, third-party tools, or decisions from your team.

A useful answer: explains the build schedule and the dependencies behind it.

Follow up: “What needs to be ready by each review point for that date to stay realistic?”

If you have an opening, seasonal deadline, or event, raise it before agreeing to the project. Also clarify what counts as launch: an approved preview, a published site, and a tested public customer path are different milestones.

Ask about desktop and mobile review, important links, forms, accessibility checks, and any booking or shopping functions included in the work.

For a replacement website, discuss existing URLs and business email as well. A redesign should account for the parts of the current setup your customers still use.

A useful answer: describes the checks that apply to your actual site, including verification on the public version after publication.

Follow up: “How will we confirm a customer inquiry reaches the correct inbox?”

W3C's accessibility tips explain useful checks such as labels, keyboard access, and form feedback. Ask what review is included and what would require a more extensive assessment.

Ask how you request updates, who handles technical issues, and what support is included or separately charged.

Make sure you understand the difference between fixing an issue in the agreed work and adding something new after launch.

A useful answer: gives you a contact route, describes the support scope, and sets expectations the provider can actually meet.

Follow up: “If the main contact is unavailable, what information or access would another provider need?”

You do not need an elaborate support package for every small website. You do need a practical answer to who handles the next change.

Send each designer the same description of the business, required services, content readiness, functionality, and deadline. Then compare what each proposal includes.

The lowest price can be the right choice when the smaller scope matches the need. A larger quote may be reasonable when it includes work the other proposal leaves to you. The goal is to understand what you are comparing.

If Frontstage looks like a fit, tell me what you want to build. Share the business, the required features, and what content you already have. I can help you work out the appropriate scope so you know what the project includes before deciding.