Hiring someone to build your website is a big investment in your business, and the web design company you choose can affect much more than how your finished website looks.
Before signing a contract, it’s important to understand exactly what you’re getting, how involved you’ll be in the process, and how much control you’ll have over the finished product. Some web design arrangements can leave business owners dependent on their designer for basic changes or make it difficult to take their website or domain elsewhere in the future.
If you’re researching how to hire a web designer, start by asking these questions before making your decision.
1. Who Owns My Domain Name and Website?
One of the most important questions to ask before hiring a web designer is what sort of ownership rights you’ll have when the website is completed and launched.
Wes Web recommends that your domain name be registered under your name or business when possible and under an account you have access to. Some web design companies have in their contracts that they themselves own the domain itself rather than allowing you to have that ownership. This can be a problem later down the road if you want to switch hosting providers or hire a different web service company later.
The same question applies to the website itself. Will you receive full administrative access? Can you move the website to another host? Are there tools or agreements that prevent you from taking your website elsewhere?
At Wes Web, both the domain and website overall belong to you, our client. Your domain is registered to you, and you receive access to the website we’ve created for your business. We don’t put red tape around transferring your domain or website elsewhere. While we’d love to continue working with you on SEO and future website improvements, we don’t want you to stay because you’re locked in. We want you to stay because you see value in the work we’re doing and because you love working with us.
2. Can I Edit My Website Myself?
Another important question is what happens when you need to make a simple update six months from now. You’ll want to know can you change a photo? Update a paragraph? Add information about a new employee or service? Or if you will need to contact your web designer and potentially pay a fee every time something changes.
We build our websites in WordPress and show clients how to handle the basics themselves. You’ll learn how to make common updates to text, photos, and other website content so you aren’t dependent on us for every small change. And if you’d rather not deal with it at all and have us handle it? We’re here for that, too!
3. What Is the Website Design Process?
When you’re comparing website design services, ask each company to walk you through its process from beginning to end
After you sign the contract, your website shouldn’t just appear after a few months of silence from your web designer without a place for you to provide feedback or be updated on what’s going on in the process. There should be a clear planning process with a timeline presented to you, along with obvious opportunities for you to give your feedback and have checkpoints to make sure the web design is heading in the right direction for you and your business.
At Wes Web, planning is a huge part of our web design process. That includes wireframing the landing page to plan carefully before we get too far into building. Our websites don’t include a complete branding package, but we do spend time getting to know your existing logo and color palettes to determine how that translates to your web design.
Most importantly through our process, you’re involved. You have opportunities to review and approve the direction rather than receiving a finished website you’ve never even seen before.
4. What Is Included In the Website Design?
Not every website design quote includes the same services. One company may provide design and development but expect you to supply all of the written content. Another may include copywriting, photography, SEO work, hosting, or other services.
Before you compare the pricing and packages from multiple companies, make sure you list out exactly what you’re getting from each scope of work you were quoted for. Ask each company you’re considering exactly what’s included in your proposal and what the things are that you will be responsible for providing. Knowing what the complete scope is up front can help you choose the web designer you’re most comfortable with.
5. Who Writes the Website Content?
Your website isn’t just a design project. What it says matters just as much as how it looks. Ask prospective web designers how website copy is created. Are you expected to write it yourself? Is there a copywriter involved? Is the content generated entirely by AI?
AI can be a useful tool in the content-writing process in today’s day and age, but an entirely AI-written copy that feels “fluffy” without a clear understanding of your business can be harmful to SEO. Find out exactly what goes into creating the words that will go on your website to represent your company.
6. Is SEO Considered During the Website Build?
Your website should still be built thinking about how search engines crawl it, even if you don’t want full SEO services right away. Ask whether your web designer considers fundamentals such as:
- Page structure, navigation, & URLs
- Headings
- Mobile usability and responsiveness
- Metadata
- Opportunities for future content
A beautiful website isn’t particularly useful if its structure makes it harder for potential customers to find you.
Looking for a Web Designer? Ask Wes Web These Questions!
Choosing a web designer shouldn’t require giving up control of your website.
At Wes Web, we believe you should understand what you’re paying for, have a voice throughout the design process, and maintain ownership and access to the website we’ve created for you. We’ll plan the website with you, create it around your business, and show you how to manage the basics once it’s yours.
If you’re currently researching how to hire a web designer or comparing website design services, we’d be happy to answer every question on this list and any others you have. Contact Wes Web about your website design project today.