What to Ask Before You Hire
Most bad website projects were predictable on the first call. Not because anyone lied — because nobody asked the questions whose answers would have revealed the mismatch.
Here are the ones worth asking, and what a good answer sounds like. You do not need to ask all twelve; the first four catch most of it. Clear ownership works best when expectations are explicit; accountability and responsibility in the workplace is a useful reference on that distinction.
The four that matter most
"Who exactly will do the work?" With an agency the person you meet is often not the person who builds it. That is fine if it is said out loud. It is a problem if you find out in week three.
Good answer: a name, and whether that person is available for the whole project.
"What do you need from me, and when?" Every project stalls in the same place: waiting for the client's text and images. A designer who has done this before will tell you exactly what they need and when, and will have a plan for what happens if it is late.
Bad answer: "just send whatever you have." For an independent reference beyond this site, Toptal is a useful place to compare approaches.
"What happens if I want changes after we agree the design?" There should be a defined number of revision rounds and a stated rate beyond it. This protects you as much as them — an undefined process is where relationships sour.
"What do I own at the end, and what do I keep paying for?" The single question that prevents the worst outcome. A good answer covers domain, hosting, files, and accounts separately, without being pushed.
About the work itself
"Can I see a site you built that is like mine?" Not their prettiest work — the closest to your situation. If they have not built anything comparable, that is not disqualifying, but they should say so rather than steer you away from the question.
"Can I talk to a client from a year ago?" A year, not last month. Anyone can be pleasant during a project; what matters is whether they answered the phone eight months later.
"What will this site score on a speed test, and on a phone?" Most designers do not get asked this. It is decided at the design stage rather than fixed afterwards, and someone who has an opinion about it has thought about more than looks.
"How will it work for someone using a screen reader?" Accessibility is a legal exposure in some contexts and a decency question in all of them. You want an answer with specifics rather than a reassurance.
About what happens afterwards
"Can I update the text myself?" Be honest about whether you actually will. Many people ask for full editing control and never use it, and a simpler site would have served them better.
"What does support look like after launch, and what does it cost?" What happens after launch is where most surprises live.
"What if I need you in eighteen months and you are unavailable?" Nobody likes this question and the answer tells you a lot. A good one: everything is documented, standard tooling, another developer could pick it up.
"What is not included?" Copywriting, photography, logo design, ongoing SEO, content migration. Assume each is excluded until told otherwise, because that is where quotes diverge.
What to listen for, beyond the answers
Do they ask about your business before talking about design? Someone who asks what you sell, who buys it and what a good month looks like is building you a tool. Someone who opens with visual references is building a picture.
Do they push back? A designer who agrees with everything will build exactly what you asked for, including the parts that are wrong. You are hiring judgement, and judgement occasionally sounds like disagreement.
Do they tell you when you do not need them? Someone who says a platform builder would serve you better is worth trusting, because they have just declined money to give you the right answer.
Is anything in writing? A proposal that arrives as a verbal figure and a handshake will produce a dispute later, and the nine things a contract should cover take fifteen minutes to put in an email. Not because of dishonesty — because two people remember conversations differently.
The one to ask yourself
"What is this site supposed to do?"
Bring in enquiries. Let people buy without emailing. Look credible enough to be taken seriously. Stop the same five questions arriving by phone.
If you cannot answer it, no designer can answer it for you, and you will get a site that looks fine and does nothing in particular. Ten minutes on this question before the first call is worth more than any of the twelve above.
The short version
- Four questions catch most of it: who does the work, what you must supply, how changes are handled, and what you own
- Ask to speak to a client from a year ago, not last month
- Assume copywriting, photography and logo work are excluded until told otherwise
- Listen for whether they ask about your business before talking about design
- A designer who never pushes back will build the wrong thing correctly
- Answer "what is this site supposed to do?" yourself before the first call