Questions to ask your web designer

Questions to ask your web designer #1: What platform will you use to design my website?

When you aren’t familiar with websites, it can be easy not to care which platform your web designer uses to create your website – after all, once it’s up and running, that’s it isn’t it?

Unfortunately, that’s never just it. Your website should be a living, growing thing if you want Google to feature your business at the top of search rankings and keep relevant to your target audience. That means that you will need to make updates to your website from time to time and if it’s a platform that you are scared to touch then you are going to be paying fees to your web designer any time you want to change or add something to your website.

At Port Douglas Web Design, we use Duda as our platform – there are many reasons we chose Duda (see more here) but one of the biggest ones is because it’s easy for our clients to use and be able to make their own updates.

Questions to ask your web designer #2: Are there any ongoing fees or lock in contracts?

You’d think it would be a no brainer that every web designer would mention this upfront, but you’d be amazed how many stories we hear about people who were blindsided by a hefty monthly maintenance fee once the site was finished.

As we use Duda to create your website, there are no maintenance fees – only the monthly (or annual if you prefer) hosting fee which is to keep the website live on the internet and if you ever decide you no longer want your website live then you can cancel your hosting subscription at any time.

Questions to ask your web designer #3: Can I see some examples of your work?

Not all web designers are created equal. Ideally, you’d like your web designer to be able to send you a few links to websites they have created recently so you can see the quality of their work. When you receive those examples, be sure to look them over and see if you think they can produce a website that you will be proud of.

Questions to ask your web designer #4: What do I need to provide and when?

Creating a website isn’t simply a matter of enlisting a web designer and leaving them to it. There are things that will be required of you along the way. Some of the things that you will likely need to provide include:

• Access to your existing domain
• Photos, Videos and other images of your business
• Written copy to be used on the website (unless you are working with a copywriter)
• Menus/Price Lists
• Files you want available for download
• Logo files & Brand Guide
• Website examples to show the style you like
• Testimonials
• Business Hours
• Feedback on designs

As web designers, we often get asked about how quickly we can design a website and the truth is that when projects extend beyond deadlines it’s usually because we are waiting on information or files from our clients. Every web designer has their own process so it’s worth asking this question, so you know what and when you’ll need to provide everything.

Questions to ask your web designer #5: What are your payment terms?

It’s worth asking your web designer when they expect to be paid. Most will require a deposit before starting any work and some will require progress payments before a final payment before the final launch of your website.

As payment terms can vary depending on the size of your website and the designer you choose, this is a great question to ask.

Questions to ask your web designer #6: Do you optimise for SEO?

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) has huge benefits for small businesses but not everyone who claims to be a web designer understands SEO so it’s important to ask the question.

At Port Douglas Web Design, we ensure your meta tags, descriptions, and titles are optimised and this is one of the reasons we recommend working with a great copywriter as they will optimise your copy to give you the best chances at ranking well on Google. We have a fantastic copywriter that we can recommend you to if you don’t already have one.

Duda websites are also fast-loading which helps contribute to a good SEO ranking.

Questions to ask your web designer #7: Do you guarantee SEO results?

This is a great question to ask your web designer because it will truly call out any that are telling you what they think you want to hear. Nobody can guarantee you will reach the number one spot on a Google search so if they tell you that they can, that’s a good cue to run a mile!

The best any web designer can do is optimise your website to give you the best possible chances.

If you want to take your SEO to the next level then we highly recommend working with a reputable SEO specialist who can develop a strategy for your business and help you with paid advertising options to strengthen your SEO position.

Questions to ask your web designer #8: Will my website be secure?

Security is vital to ensure you don’t become victim to a cyber security attack that could ruin your reputation. 

Many cyber security experts have run tests on Duda websites to try and gain access and as far as security goes, Duda ranks very highly without any need for additional SSL security certificates or costly apps.

Questions to ask your web designer #9: Who owns the rights to my website when it’s finished?

Strange as it may seem, some web designers retain full control over your website even after it has been launched. This means that you have to contact them for any changes you’d like to make. We hear a lot of stories about web designers effectively holding business owners to ransom over their websites, so you want to be clear on who owns the rights to it from the very beginning.

Our philosophy at Port Douglas Web Design is that your website belongs to you so as soon as it’s launched, you will be given logins to access the back end of the website and it’s yours to do with as you wish.

Questions to ask your web designer #10: Do you provide any training on how to use the website?

It’s our belief that you should be empowered to use your website for the little updates and changes you may need to make along the way. After all, we all have a bottom line to look after and if you have to fork out fees every time you want a change made then it can certainly add up.

That’s why every website we create comes with 1:1 custom training to teach you how to make those little changes. Not all web designers offer this so ensuring you know exactly what you are getting for your money will avoid disappointment after launch.

Questions to ask your web designer #11: Can I come to you for help after the website is launched?

If websites are not your area of expertise (they probably aren’t if you are hiring a web designer) then you may like to have someone to call if you need help with the website down the track. Not all web designers are accommodating to past clients which is why this is a great question to ask.

At Port Douglas Web Design, we believe in ongoing relationships with our clients and welcome your call/email when the changes you want to make are beyond your capabilities.

Questions to ask your web designer #12: Who will do the actual design work?

Offshore outsourcing is very common in the web design industry with many salespeople starting web design businesses and farming the actual design work off to designers in India or the Philippines. Whilst there are many talented designers offshore, they often don’t understand the Australian market and the time zones and language barrier can often mean things take longer or are miscommunicated. This can be extremely frustrating and may sometimes end in a website that isn’t really what you wanted.

When you deal with Port Douglas Web Design, you speak directly to the person who is designing your site who is a Port Douglas local herself.

To Sum it Up

Hopefully, this article has prompted you on questions to ask your web designer before you agree to do business with them. If you choose to use them, you may find you feel more empowered to make an educated decision about who to work with. Of course, if you are considering Port Douglas Web Design then you have all our answers above!

Ready to get in touch with us? Let’s chat.