Before hiring a web designer, ask who will own the domain and hold the logins, what the total yearly cost will be, to see live sites they built, how the site performs on a phone, who writes the content, how changes are priced, what they test before launch, what happens after launch, how long it will take, and how you can leave. Get the answers in writing.
1. Who will own the domain name, and whose name will it be registered in?
Good answer: yours. Warning sign: “we handle all that for you” with no mention of whose name is on it. The domain is the one thing you cannot rebuild.
2. Will I get every login when the site launches?
Good answer: yes, with a written list: domain, hosting, website admin, email, analytics. Warning sign: logins released only if you stay on a monthly plan.
3. What will I pay each year after the build, and to whom?
Good answer: an itemised list: domain, hosting, email, maintenance. Warning sign: a low build price with the running costs left vague.
4. Can I open three websites you built, on my phone, right now?
Good answer: links to live sites. Warning sign: screenshots only, or sites that no longer exist. Open them on mobile data and see how long they take.
5. How will the site perform on a phone?
Good answer: designed for phones first, with a speed you can measure at pagespeed.web.dev. Warning sign: “it's responsive” with no numbers.
6. Who writes the text and supplies the photos?
Good answer: a clear split, in writing. Late content is the most common cause of late websites, so this matters more than it sounds.
7. What exactly is included, and how are changes priced?
Good answer: a written scope, and a rule that extra work is quoted before it is done. Warning sign: “we'll sort that out as we go”.
8. What do you test before launch?
Good answer: a list. Ours has eight checks, including sending real test messages through every form. Warning sign: no list.
9. What happens after launch?
Good answer: who updates the software, who makes backups, who you phone when something breaks, and what that costs. Warning sign: silence. Sites decay without care.
10. If we stop working together, what do I keep?
Good answer: everything: the domain, the site files, the content and the accounts. Warning sign: the site lives on a platform only they can access.
How we answer them
| Question | ADA Web's answer |
|---|---|
| 1. Domain ownership | Registered in your name. |
| 2. Logins | All handed over at launch, with a written record. |
| 3. Yearly costs | Listed in your scope as outside costs, before you agree. |
| 4. Live sites | Three client sites, linked and open. |
| 5. Phones | Designed for phones first. Test this site yourself. |
| 6. Content | Agreed in the scope: what you supply and what we write. |
| 7. Scope and changes | Written scope. Changes are quoted before they are built. |
| 8. Testing | Eight checks before launch. |
| 9. After launch | Care plans from N$349.99 a month, optional. |
| 10. Leaving | You keep the domain, the accounts and the content. |