Most website regrets are not about how the site looks on launch day. They show up months later, when you want to change a price, move to a new host, or find out why the phone stopped ringing. These seven questions are worth asking any web designer before you pay a deposit, including us.
1. Who will own the domain and the website?
Your domain name should be registered in your business's name, with you able to log in to it. The same goes for the website itself. If the relationship ends, you should be able to take the site and move it without asking permission. Get the answer in writing.
2. Where will it be hosted, and who pays for that?
Hosting is an ongoing cost, and it is often where surprise fees appear. Ask where the site will live, what it costs each year, what happens if it goes down, and whether backups are included and kept somewhere other than the server the site runs on.
3. Can I make simple changes myself?
Some businesses want to edit every page. Others never want to touch it. Either is fine, but you should know which one you are buying, and how much a small change costs if you ask them to do it.
4. How fast will it load on a phone?
Most local searches happen on a phone, often on mobile data. A site that looks beautiful on a big monitor but takes several seconds to appear on a phone loses people before they read a word. Ask how they test speed, and ask to see a recent site of theirs running on your own phone.
5. How will it help me get found on Google?
A new site should launch with the basics in place: a page for each main service, clear titles and descriptions, the area you serve written in plain words, and, if you are replacing an old site, redirects from every old address to the matching new one. Skipping that last step is one of the most common ways a new website quietly loses the rankings the old one had built up.
6. Where do enquiries go, and how will I know it works?
Ask where contact form messages are sent, and test it yourself after launch. A form that fails silently is worse than no form, because you believe it is working. It is also worth asking whether calls and form enquiries will be tracked, so you can see what the site actually brings in.
7. What happens after launch?
Websites need looking after: software updates, security, backups and the odd fix. Ask what is included, what costs extra, and how quickly they respond when something breaks. A cheap build with no support can end up costing more than a fair price with it.
The short version
Own your domain and your site, know what you will pay every year, make sure it is fast on a phone, launch it with the search basics done, test the contact form, and know who looks after it. A good designer will be glad you asked.
Assured Technologies helps businesses in Ipswich and across Australia with Website Design. If you would like a second opinion on your own situation, book a free consultation.