15 Questions to Ask a Web Designer Before You Sign
Most website regrets come from questions nobody asked before signing. Who owns the domain? What does "a few revisions" mean? What happens when you need a change six months later? The answers decide whether you end up with a site that works for you or one you're stuck with.
Below are the 15 questions to ask a web designer before you pay anything, grouped into five areas: ownership, price and scope, process and timeline, life after launch, and SEO. For each one we explain why it matters and what a good answer sounds like. At the end, we answer all 15 ourselves, briefly and honestly, so you can hold us to the same standard.
Print this list and bring it to every call. A good designer won't mind. A designer who gets cagey about these is telling you something.
Ownership
1. Whose name will the domain be registered in?
Why it matters: Your domain is your address online. It's on your truck, your cards, and your Google profile. If a designer registers it in their own name and you part ways, getting it back can be slow, expensive, or impossible.
A good answer: "Yours. It's registered in your name, at a registrar where you have the login." If they already registered it for you, ask them to show you the account.
2. Who owns the site, and what can I take with me if I leave?
Why it matters: Some setups are easy to move. Others only work on the designer's system, and leaving means starting over. You want to know that before you sign, not after a falling out.
A good answer: A plain explanation of what's yours (your content, photos, domain), how the site is built, and what moving it would involve. Honesty here beats a vague "you own everything."
3. Will I have logins to everything?
Why it matters: If the designer disappears, you need access to the domain, the hosting, your Google Business Profile, and analytics. Lots of owners find out too late that only the designer had the keys.
A good answer: "You'll have owner access to your domain and Google accounts. Here's what we'll hand over at launch."
Price and scope
4. Is the price fixed, or is it an estimate?
Why it matters: An estimate can grow. Hourly billing with no cap can grow a lot. A fixed price puts the risk on the designer to scope it right.
A good answer: A flat price in writing, or a written quote with a clear cap. If it's hourly, a not-to-exceed number.
5. What exactly is included?
Why it matters: "A website" means different things to different people. Number of pages, forms, mobile design, SEO setup, and domain connection should all be spelled out.
A good answer: A short list you can check off. "Up to five pages, contact form, mobile design, basic SEO, domain connected." Vague answers lead to surprise invoices.
6. How many rounds of revisions do I get?
Why it matters: Unlimited revisions sound nice but often mean nobody owns the deadline. Zero revisions means you get what you get. You want a clear number and a clear idea of what counts as one round.
A good answer: "Two rounds. You send all your changes for a round together, we make them, then you review again."
7. What would cost extra?
Why it matters: This is where cheap quotes get expensive. Stock photos, copywriting, extra pages, booking systems, online stores, and integrations are common add-ons.
A good answer: A list of what's outside the price and how it's quoted. "Anything beyond the five pages, or features like a store or member area, we quote before we start."
Process and timeline
8. Who will actually build my site?
Why it matters: At some agencies, the person who sells you the site isn't the person who builds it. Work gets passed to junior staff or contractors, and your notes get lost in the handoff.
A good answer: A name or a role, and a clear yes or no on whether work is outsourced. Small studios often have the edge here.
9. What's the timeline, and what do you need from me?
Why it matters: Most delays come from the client side: missing photos, unwritten copy, slow feedback. A good designer tells you up front what they need and when.
A good answer: A rough schedule broken into steps, plus a list of what you need to provide. "Once we have your text and photos, here's how long each step takes." We break our own steps down in how long a website takes.
10. Can I see live sites you've built?
Why it matters: Screenshots and mockups are easy to fake or polish. A live site shows you speed, mobile layout, and whether the forms work.
A good answer: Links to real, working sites. Open them on your phone during the call. Ask which parts the designer did, since some portfolios include sites they only touched.
Start with a free 20-min call.
Talk through your website, your goals and what comes next. No pressure.
Book a free callAfter launch
11. Who hosts the site, and what does it cost each month?
Why it matters: Hosting is an ongoing bill. Some designers mark it up heavily. Others leave you to figure it out alone. You want a clear monthly or yearly number and to know what it covers.
A good answer: "Here's the monthly price, here's what's included, and here's what isn't." Our post on website hosting and care explains what you should be getting for the money.
12. How do updates work after launch?
Why it matters: Your hours, prices, staff, and services will change. If every small update is a new invoice and a two-week wait, the site goes stale.
A good answer: A clear path for small changes, whether that's editing it yourself or a set amount of update time included in a plan. Plus how bigger changes get priced.
13. What happens if the site breaks or gets hacked?
Why it matters: Sites go down, plugins break, and forms quietly stop sending. You need to know who notices, who fixes it, and whether that's included or billed.
A good answer: Who is responsible, how fast they respond, and what's covered. If the answer is "that's on you," at least you know.
SEO and results
14. What SEO is included at launch?
Why it matters: A site that looks great but has every page titled "Home" won't show up when people search. Basic SEO setup should be part of any business site.
A good answer: Specifics: unique page titles and descriptions, headings that name your services and city, fast mobile pages, and your site connected to Google. Not just "it's SEO-friendly."
15. How will I know if the site is working?
Why it matters: The point of a business site is calls, bookings, and form fills. If nobody is measuring that, you won't know if it's helping.
A good answer: A way to see form submissions and calls, and an honest note that rankings take time. Be wary of anyone who guarantees first place on Google. Nobody can promise that.
How 1320 Group answers these
Fair is fair. Here are our answers, short and plain.
- Domain (1): Registered in your name. You keep it no matter what.
- Site ownership (2): Your words, photos, and domain are yours. On the free call we'll walk you through how your build is set up and what moving it would involve.
- Logins (3): Your domain and your Google accounts stay in your name, with you as the owner.
- Price (4): $1,320 flat, paid upfront. No hourly meter.
- What's included (5): Up to 5 pages, mobile-first build, basic SEO, contact form, and domain connection.
- Revisions (6): 2 rounds.
- Extras (7): Memberships, customer portals, online stores, and other bigger work get quoted separately before we start. An AI chatbot add-on is $320.
- Who builds it (8): We're a small studio. The person you talk to is the person building your site.
- Timeline (9): We build remotely and move fast. The biggest factor is how quickly your text and photos come together.
- Live work (10): Ask on the call and we'll share live sites, like the Passage Gallery site we built for an art gallery and glass studio.
- Hosting (11): Hosting & Care is $32 a month or $320 a year, with managed hosting and security.
- Updates (12): Hosting & Care includes 1 hour of updates each month. Bigger changes are quoted separately.
- Problems (13): Managed hosting and security are part of Hosting & Care, and you reach the same person who built the site.
- SEO (14): Basic SEO at launch: page titles, descriptions, headings, and your services and towns where they belong.
- Results (15): We won't promise rankings. We'll build a solid, fast foundation and tell you plainly what moves the needle.
Here's how that compares with going DIY or hiring a typical agency:
You build it
Subscription varies by platform.
- Your time, design and setup
- You handle content and launch
- Platform-dependent ownership
$1,320 flat
Done-for-you business website.
- Up to 5 pages, mobile-first
- Basic SEO and launch
- Hosting from $32/mo, separate
Custom quote
Pricing and scope vary.
- Often a broader project scope
- Process varies by agency
- Ongoing fees quoted separately
We're not right for everyone. If you need a 40-page site with custom integrations, a larger shop may suit you better. If you want to compare a few local options first, our guide on how to choose a web designer in Siouxland can help, whether you're in Sioux City, Sioux Falls, or Vermillion.
FAQ
Is it a red flag if a designer won't give a fixed price?
Not always. Big custom projects are hard to price before scoping, and an honest designer may need a discovery step first. But for a small business site of five or so pages, a written price or a capped quote is reasonable to expect. If they won't put any number in writing, keep looking.
Should I pay the full price upfront?
It depends on the designer and how clear the scope is. Many charge a deposit and a final payment. We charge upfront because our price and scope are fixed and spelled out, so you know exactly what you're getting before you pay.
Do I need a written contract or agreement?
Yes, even for a small project. It doesn't have to be long. It should cover the price, what's included, revisions, who owns the domain, and what ongoing costs look like. A one-page summary in plain English beats a handshake.
How many web designers should I talk to?
Two or three is usually enough. Ask each one the same questions from this list so you can compare answers side by side. Pay attention to who explains things clearly, not just who's cheapest.
Is it ever fine to go with the cheapest option?
Sometimes. If the cheap option answers these questions well, puts the domain in your name, and shows real working sites, it might be a great deal. The trouble starts when cheap means vague, because vague is usually where the extra costs hide.
Your business. A $1,320 website.
Up to 5 pages, mobile-first and basic SEO. One flat project fee, built for your business.
Get a $1,320 website