The first call with a web designer tells you a lot, if you ask the right questions. Print this list, keep it next to you on your next discovery call, and pay attention not just to the answers but to how they’re given.
About the project
1. What do you need from me, and when? A good designer will tell you exactly what content, photos, logins and decisions they need from you, in plain English. Projects are usually delayed by missing content, so clarity here matters.
2. Who writes the content? Some designers expect you to supply all the words. Others write it for you with SEO in mind. Know which before you compare quotes.
3. How many design concepts and revisions are included? Find out how many rounds of changes you get, and what happens if you need more.
4. How long will it take? Get a realistic timeline with milestones. As a guide, a small business website typically takes 3–6 weeks and an e-commerce site 6–12 weeks.
About results
5. How will this website generate leads? Listen for answers about calls to action, enquiry forms, click-to-call, trust signals and SEO. If they only talk about how it will look, keep looking.
6. What SEO is included? At a minimum: page titles and meta descriptions, a fast mobile-friendly site, clean URLs, and Google Search Console set up. Ask whether ongoing SEO is available if you want to grow.
7. Will it work properly on mobile? Ask how they design and test for phones and tablets. Every site should be responsive as standard.
About ownership and costs
8. Will I own the domain, hosting and website? The answer should be a clear yes. If not, walk away.
9. What’s included in the price, and what isn’t? Get it in writing. Ask specifically about stock images, plugins, extra pages and training.
10. What will it cost to run each year? Hosting, domain, maintenance and any software licences. No surprises.
About the relationship
11. Who will I be dealing with? The person you speak to on the first call, or an account manager who passes messages on? A direct line makes everything faster.
12. What happens after launch? Who do you call if the site goes down or you need a change? How fast do they respond? Is there a maintenance plan?
Bonus question: “Can I speak to a past client?”
A confident designer will happily put you in touch with happy clients, or point you to plenty of genuine reviews.
Ask us anything
We love these questions, because we’ve got good answers. At Cultivate Digital you deal directly with Paul, you own everything we build, and we’ll explain every step in plain speak. For the bigger picture, read What Should I Look For When Choosing a Web Designer?
Book a Discovery Session or call 0489 262 100.
