8 Questions to Ask Before You Hire a Web Designer

Hiring a web designer feels a bit like hiring a contractor to redo your kitchen. You're trusting someone with a big chunk of money, you don't fully understand the technical side of what they're doing, and if it goes wrong, you're the one stuck living with it. Unlike a kitchen, though, a bad website doesn't just look ugly, it can quietly cost you customers for years.

The good news is you don't need to learn to code to avoid getting burned. You just need to ask the right questions before you sign anything. Here's the list.

1. "Can I see examples of sites you've actually built?"

Not a stock template with a few colors changed, real work with real client names attached. Click through to those sites on your own phone and laptop. Do they load quickly? Do they look current, or like they've been sitting untouched since they launched? A designer's own portfolio page is the one page they had unlimited time and motivation to polish, so the real test is the client sites they'll point you toward.

2. "Who actually owns the website once it's done?"

This sounds obvious until you find out the hard way that it isn't. Some designers build your site on their own accounts or platforms in a way that makes it painful or expensive to leave later, whether that's the hosting, the domain, or the code itself. Ask directly: if we ever part ways, do I walk away with full ownership and access to everything? A confident yes is what you want to hear. Hesitation is worth digging into further.

3. "Will my site work properly on a phone?"

You'd think this is a given by now, and yet plenty of cheaper builds still treat mobile as an afterthought. Ask specifically how they approach mobile design, not just whether the site is "responsive," which is a word that gets used loosely. Ask to see a mobile example, not just hear the word.

4. "What happens after launch?"

A website is not a one-and-done purchase, it needs occasional updates, security patches, and small tweaks as your business changes. Find out upfront whether ongoing support is included, offered separately, or entirely on you to figure out. There's no wrong answer here as long as it's clear, but a vague answer is a red flag for what happens the first time something breaks.

5. "How will this actually help people find my business?"

A beautiful website that nobody sees isn't doing its job. Ask how they approach basics like page titles, your business's location and services being clearly stated in the text, and connecting up your Google Business Profile. You're not looking for a wall of technical SEO jargon, you're looking for a straightforward answer that shows they've actually thought about it.

6. "What's included in this price, specifically?"

Get the scope in writing: how many pages, whether photography or copywriting is included, how many rounds of revisions, whether a contact form or booking system is part of it or an add-on. Vague quotes ("we'll build you a great site!") tend to turn into vague invoices later, with extras appearing that weren't discussed upfront.

7. "How do you handle revisions if I don't like the direction?"

Design is subjective, and there's a real chance the first draft won't feel quite right, that's normal and not a sign anything went wrong. What matters is knowing the process for that upfront: how many rounds of feedback are included, and what happens if you need more. This single question prevents most of the frustration that shows up later in these kinds of projects.

8. "What's your timeline, and what could realistically delay it?"

Ask for a real timeline, not just "a few weeks," and ask what tends to cause delays on their end. Good answers usually mention things like waiting on your content or approvals, which is honest and normal. Vague answers or promises that sound too fast for the scope of work are worth double-checking.

What good answers actually sound like

None of these questions are meant to catch someone out or start the relationship off adversarial. A designer who's confident in their process will usually welcome these questions, since they're the same things a good working relationship depends on anyway: clear ownership, clear scope, clear expectations for after launch. The designers worth avoiding are the ones who get vague or defensive when asked directly.

If you're currently vetting a few options and want a second opinion on a quote or a proposal you've received, feel free to send it over. We're happy to give you a straight read on whether it looks reasonable, even if you don't end up working with us. And if you'd rather skip the vetting process altogether, Blue Canary Web Design is always happy to answer every one of these questions ourselves, unprompted, before you even have to ask.