9 questions to ask before you hire someone to build your website

Hiring someone to build a website is hard if you don't build websites. Every proposal sounds good, prices range from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands, and it's difficult to tell what you're actually comparing.

These are the questions I'd ask if I were on your side of the table. Some of them I'd answer differently from other developers, and that's fine. What matters is that you get a clear answer.

1. "Who will actually do the work?"

Some studios sell the project with a senior person and hand the build to someone you've never met. Some freelancers subcontract parts of it. Neither is automatically bad, but you should know.

Ask who designs it, who writes the code, and who you'll talk to when something breaks six months from now. If those are three different people, ask how they hand work to each other.

My answer: me, for all three.

2. "Is the price fixed, and what does it include?"

An hourly estimate can grow. A fixed quote can't, but only if it's clear what it covers.

Ask for the scope in writing: the pages, the features, the number of revision rounds, and what happens when you want something that wasn't in the original plan. A good quote should also say what isn't included, such as copywriting, photography, or ongoing hosting.

3. "Can I update the site myself?"

Ask to see the editing screen, not just the finished website. Try to picture yourself changing your hours or adding a product on a busy Tuesday.

If the answer is "just email me and I'll change it," ask how quickly they usually respond and what each change costs.

4. "Who owns the site when we're done?"

You should own your domain, your content, and the design you paid for. Check who registers the domain and whose account the hosting is under.

Then ask what happens if you part ways. Can you take the site to another developer? Can you export your content? If the answer is vague, treat that as the answer.

5. "How fast will it be on a phone?"

Most of your visitors will see your site on a phone, often on a weak signal. A slow site loses people before they read a word.

Ask how they test speed and what they aim for. You don't need to understand every number. You're listening for whether they've thought about it at all.

6. "Is it accessible?"

An accessible site works for people who use screen readers, keyboards, or larger text, and for anyone reading in bright sunlight. It's the right thing to do, it helps with search, and in some industries it's a legal question.

Ask what standard they follow. "We make it look nice on mobile" isn't the same thing.

7. "What happens after launch?"

Things break, browsers change, and your business will change too. Ask:

Is there a support period after launch, and how long is it?
What does help cost after that?
Who keeps the software and security up to date?