Hiring someone to build your website is a lot like hiring a contractor for your home: the portfolio looks great, the price seems fair, and the real differences only show up halfway through the project. The good news is that most of those differences can be uncovered before you sign — if you ask the right questions. This guide gives you 22 of them, grouped by topic, with a short note on what a good answer sounds like and why each one matters.
You don't need to be technical to use this list. Send the questions by email, or keep them open during a call, and pay attention to how the developer answers as much as what they say. Clear, specific, unhurried answers are a good sign. Vague answers and impatience are information too. If you're still deciding between a freelancer, an agency, or building it yourself, start with our guide on freelancer vs agency vs DIY — it covers how to vet each option and avoid the most common scams. This article goes deeper on the interview itself.
Process and timeline questions
These questions show whether the developer has a repeatable way of working — or whether your project will be figured out as it goes. They also tell you what will be expected of you, which is the part most owners underestimate.
01Who will actually work on my site?
The person who pitches you isn't always the person who builds the site. Ask who designs it, who codes it, and whether any part is subcontracted. A good answer names people and roles; a vague "our team" is worth one more question.
02What are the steps from kickoff to launch, and what do you need from me at each one?
A developer with a real process can describe it in a few sentences: discovery, design, build, review, launch. They should also tell you where you're needed — usually content, feedback, and approvals — because client delays are the most common reason projects run late.
03What's the timeline, in writing, with a start date and a launch date?
Not "a few weeks" but dates, with the assumptions behind them (for example, copy delivered by a certain day). If you want a sense of what's realistic for your size of project, our guide to website timelines breaks it down by type.
04How is payment structured, and what triggers each payment?
A normal structure ties payments to milestones — a deposit to start, then payments as work is delivered and approved. A request for the full amount before any work begins removes the developer's incentive to finish well.
05How will I see progress along the way?
You shouldn't wait until launch day to see your site. Ask whether you'll get a staging link (a private preview of the site in progress), how often it's updated, and how you give feedback.
For realistic ranges by project size — and the reasons projects slip — see how long it takes to build a website.
Ownership and access questions
If you only ask four questions, ask these. Ownership problems rarely show up on launch day; they show up a year or two later, when you want to change developers, and discover that your domain, hosting, or code isn't really yours. A developer having access to your accounts is normal and necessary. The accounts belonging to the developer is not.
06Whose name will the domain be registered in?
The only good answer is yours — your business, with your own login to the registrar. A domain registered to a developer is the most common way small businesses lose control of their own website.
07Who owns the code, design files, and content when the project is finished?
You're paying for the site, so you should own it outright once the final invoice is paid. Ask for it in the contract, including original design files, logos, and full-resolution images.
08Where will the site be hosted, and can I move it somewhere else later?
Hosting with your developer is fine — it's often the simplest option. What matters is that leaving is possible: you should be able to get a full copy of the site and move it, without a rebuild or an exit fee you didn't know about.
09Which accounts and paid licenses will the site depend on?
Themes, plugins, form services, fonts, and APIs can all carry yearly fees. Ask for a list of every recurring cost, whose card pays for it, and what happens to the site if a license lapses.
Our guide to what's included in a professional website lists every deliverable you should receive at handoff, so you can check the answers against it.
Design questions every owner should ask
Design is where most owners focus, and it's also where expectations most often drift apart. These questions are less about taste and more about scope: what you'll get, how many chances you'll have to change it, and who is responsible for the words.
10Will the design be custom, or based on a template or theme?
Neither answer is automatically wrong, but you should know which one you're paying for, because it affects the price, how unique the site looks, and how flexible it is later. If you're weighing the two, our comparison of custom vs template websites covers the trade-offs.
11How many rounds of revisions are included, and what does an extra round cost?
A specific number protects both sides. "Unlimited revisions" sounds generous but often means the scope was never defined; "we'll see" means you'll find out the cost later.
12Who writes the text on the site?
This is one of the biggest differences between quotes. Some include copywriting, some include editing what you send, and some expect you to deliver finished text. Clarify it before you compare prices.
13How will you make sure the site works well on phones?
Most visitors to a small business website arrive on a phone. Look for an answer that mentions designing for small screens first and testing on real devices, not just "it's responsive."
14Can I see two or three live sites you built — and talk to one of those clients?
Screenshots show design skill; live sites show the work actually shipped and still works. Open them on your phone, click around, and check how quickly they load. One reference you can actually contact is worth more than a page of anonymous reviews.
You'll get sharper, more comparable answers if you send a short brief first — your services, your customers, the pages you think you need, and a few sites you like. Our website brief template covers what a developer needs from you before quoting.
SEO and performance questions
A beautiful site nobody finds doesn't bring in work. You don't need to become an SEO expert to hire well, but you should know what the build includes, and be wary of anyone who promises specific rankings. No honest developer can guarantee where Google will place you.
15What SEO setup is included in the build?
Basic setup — page titles and descriptions, heading structure, an XML sitemap, clean URLs, image alt text, and connecting Google Search Console — should be part of any professional build. Ongoing SEO is a separate service. A good answer separates the two clearly.
16How fast will the site load, and how do you measure it?
Speed affects both rankings and whether visitors stay. A developer who cares about it will name a tool (such as Google's PageSpeed Insights or Lighthouse) and a target, and test on mobile, not only on their office connection.
17If you're redesigning my existing site, how will you protect the Google rankings I already have?
Changing page addresses without redirects is one of the fastest ways to lose search traffic. The answer should mention mapping old URLs to new ones and setting up redirects before launch.
18Will I have access to analytics and Search Console from day one?
You need to see your own numbers — visits, searches, and which pages lead to inquiries — in accounts you own. Otherwise you can't judge whether the site works, or whether any future change helped.
If these terms are new to you, our plain-language overview of SEO for small business websites explains what the setup covers and when ongoing SEO is worth paying for.
Post-launch support questions
A website isn't finished at launch any more than a car is finished when it leaves the lot. Software needs updates, forms need to keep delivering, and you'll want to change things as your business changes. These questions make sure you know who handles all of that, and what it costs.
19What's covered after launch, and for how long?
Some developers include a short window for fixing bugs after launch; others start billing the day the site goes live. Neither is wrong, but you should know which before you sign.
20What does ongoing maintenance cost, and what exactly does it include?
Hosting, updates, backups, security monitoring, and small edits are ongoing work. Ask for a monthly price and a list of what it covers, so you can compare it to doing it yourself or hiring someone else.
21If something breaks, how do I reach you, and how quickly will you respond?
"Just email me" is fine for a small project, as long as you know roughly how quickly to expect a reply and what counts as urgent. A site that's down or a contact form that stops sending leads can't wait a week.
22If we stop working together, what do I get and how does the handover work?
This is the question that reveals the most. A confident developer will describe a clean handover: accounts transferred, a full copy of the site, and notes for whoever takes over. Hesitation here is a red flag.
To judge whether a maintenance quote is reasonable, see our breakdown of what website maintenance actually costs and what tends to break first when it's skipped.
Good answers vs red-flag answers
Here's a quick reference for the questions where the difference between a good and a bad answer matters most. A single weak answer isn't necessarily a deal-breaker — ask a follow-up. But if several answers land in the right-hand column, keep looking.
| Question | Good answer | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Who owns the domain? | "You do — registered to your business, and we'll add ourselves as a user." | "We register it for you, it's easier that way." |
| Who owns the code? | "You own it once the final invoice is paid. It's in the contract." | "We license it to you while you're on our plan." |
| How is payment structured? | "A deposit to start, the rest tied to milestones and launch." | "100% upfront before we begin." |
| What's the timeline? | "Launch around [date], assuming content is ready by [date]." | "Pretty quick — a couple of weeks, usually." |
| How many revisions? | "Two rounds on design, one on content; extra rounds at a set rate." | "As many as you want" — with no defined scope. |
| Will I rank on Google? | "Here's the SEO setup we include. Rankings depend on competition and ongoing work." | "We guarantee first-page rankings." |
| Can I see your work? | Live links you can open, plus a client you can contact. | Screenshots only, or links that are broken or lead to template demos. |
| What happens if we part ways? | "You get every account and a full copy of the site." | "You'd have to rebuild" — or no clear answer. |
Once you have answers from two or three developers, put them side by side with their proposals. Our guide on how to compare website quotes shows how to line up the scope so you're comparing the same thing, not just the bottom line.
How we'd answer them
It's only fair to put our own answers on the table. At Nous Frame, every site is hand-coded and custom-designed — no templates or page builders. You own the code and the accounts. Landing pages typically take about two weeks and most marketing sites four to six, with staging previews along the way so you can see progress. Every build includes SEO setup, and we target a Lighthouse score of 95+. Pricing is public: Landing from $1,500, Website (up to five pages) from $2,500, and Scale (up to fifteen pages with a CMS) from $5,500. Hosting and maintenance are separate care plans starting at $99 a month.
Send us any of the 22 questions above — or all of them. If our answers don't fit what your business needs, we'll tell you that too.
Frequently asked questions
What should I ask a web developer before hiring them?
Cover five areas: process and timeline (who does the work, how long it takes, how payments are tied to milestones), ownership and access (who owns the domain, hosting, and code), design (custom or template, how many revisions, mobile testing), SEO and performance (what setup is included, how speed is measured), and support after launch (what's covered, what it costs, how fast they respond). Ask in writing so the answers become part of the agreement.
What are red flags when hiring a web developer?
Vague answers about ownership, a domain or hosting account registered in the developer's name, a request for full payment upfront, no live sites you can visit, no written scope or revision limit, "guaranteed" first-page Google rankings, and no clear answer about who fixes the site after launch. Any one of these is worth a follow-up question; several together are a reason to walk away.
Should I ask a web developer for references?
Yes. Ask for live websites they built that you can visit, and ideally one past client you can contact. Screenshots and mockups only show that someone can design; a live site shows that the work actually shipped, loads quickly, and still works.
How many questions should I ask before signing a web design contract?
There's no magic number, but the questions in this guide fit comfortably in one email or a 30-minute call. A good developer will welcome them, because clear answers up front prevent most of the disputes that happen later.
Is it normal for a web developer to keep the login details?
It's normal for a developer to have access while they work and while they maintain the site. It isn't normal for the accounts themselves — domain, hosting, CMS, analytics — to be registered only to the developer. The business should be the owner, with the developer added as a user.
Interviewing developers? Put us on your list. Send your questions and we'll answer every one in writing — ownership, timeline, price, and support.