Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Web Designer
The questions to ask any web designer before you hire: what's included in writing, timeline, who owns the domain, support after launch and how to leave.
Before hiring a web designer, ask about the five things a price doesn’t show you: what’s included in writing, how long it takes and what the clock depends on, who owns the domain and accounts, what happens after launch, and what happens if you leave. A good provider answers each one in writing, plainly. The questions below work with any designer, freelancer or agency, including us.
Asking them up front is how you avoid the two most common surprises: a site that stalls for months, and a site you can’t change without the person who built it.
What should you ask about what’s included?
Get the scope written down, item by item. Ask:
- Which pages are included, by name? “Up to five pages” is fine if you know which five.
- Who writes the text? Will they help turn your notes into copy, or must you deliver it finished?
- Photos: do you supply them, or is photography or stock included?
- How many rounds of changes are included, and at what stage? Changes on a design mock-up and changes on the built site are different things.
- Forms, maps, booking links and your Google Business Profile: which are included?
- Hosting, security updates and backups: included, extra, or your job?
To compare the prices themselves, our small business website cost guide for Waterloo Region lists published market ranges with sources.
How should a designer answer “how long will it take?”
With a range, and with what it depends on. The honest answer sounds like “this range, counted from the day we have your content.” The weak answer is a firm date given before anyone has seen your text and photos, because content is usually what decides the timeline. We explain why in how long a small business website takes.
Follow up with: “What do you need from me, and by when, to stay inside that range?”
Who will own the domain, the website and the accounts?
Ask three separate questions, because they have three separate answers:
- Domain: whose name is on the registration, and do I get my own login? ICANN tells registrants “You will assume sole responsibility for the registration and use of your domain name” (ICANN), so the registrant should be your business.
- Content: are the text, photos and logo mine to take elsewhere?
- The site itself: if it runs on the designer’s platform or code, what exactly do I get if I leave: a copy, a licence, an export, or nothing?
There’s no single right answer to the third question, but there should be a clear, written one.
What happens after launch?
A website needs updates, security patches and someone to call. Ask who does each, how you reach them, and how quickly they usually reply. Ask what small changes cost after launch (a new photo, holiday hours) and whether you can make them yourself.
What happens if you decide to leave?
Ask how you’d move: how the domain transfers, how your content is exported and in what format, and how long it takes. A provider who’s confident in the service will answer this without hesitation.
If the site includes an AI assistant, what should you ask?
Ask four things. Where do its answers come from? What does it do when it doesn’t know? How does a customer reach a person? How will you test it before it goes live? The last one matters: a BC tribunal found that “It should be obvious to Air Canada that it is responsible for all the information on its website. It makes no difference whether the information comes from a static page or a chatbot” (Civil Resolution Tribunal, Moffatt v. Air Canada). More in who is liable when your chatbot gets it wrong. This is general information, not legal advice.
Which answers are red flags?
| Question | A good answer sounds like | A red flag sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| What’s included? | A written list of pages, features and rounds of changes | ”Everything you need”, with no list |
| How long? | A range, counted from when content arrives | A fixed date before seeing your content |
| Who owns the domain? | ”Your business is the registrant; here’s your login" | "We handle all that, don’t worry” |
| Can you get me to #1 on Google? | ”Nobody can promise that" | "Guaranteed first page” |
| What if I leave? | A written export and transfer process | Silence, or “why would you leave?” |
| Does the chatbot ever guess? | ”No: it says it doesn’t know and hands off" | "It can answer anything” |
On rankings, Google is explicit: “There’s no way to request or pay for a better local ranking on Google” (Google Business Profile Help).
Do you need to ask about accessibility and privacy?
Briefly, yes. Ontario’s website accessibility rule applies to businesses with 50 or more employees (Ontario.ca), but readable, accessible pages help every customer, so ask what the designer does by default. If the site collects names and emails, ask where that information goes and who can see it, since PIPEDA applies to businesses collecting personal information in commercial activity (Office of the Privacy Commissioner). This is general information, not legal advice.
A hypothetical example
Picture the owner of a gift shop on Wyndham Street in Guelph comparing two quotes. One is cheaper but says “complete website” with no page list and no mention of the domain. The other lists six pages, says the shop is the domain registrant and explains the export process. Asking the same questions of both makes the difference visible before either is signed. It’s an illustration, not a case study. Our retail website guide for Guelph shows what a shop site usually needs.
Next step
Next read: DIY website builder or web designer?, in case hiring isn’t the right move at all. The bigger picture is in the small business website guide for Waterloo Region.
Bring these questions to your next quote, ours or anyone’s. Copying them into a note takes about 15 minutes, and a question asked before you sign costs less than a rework after launch. Ask us the same questions: the five steps and their prices are at /express. Each step shows a range in business days, and the clock starts when we have your content. Name and email are enough to get the price in writing. If the site includes our assistant, it’s set up to answer from your own information and say “I don’t know” when the answer isn’t there. Whoever builds it, before any assistant goes live, ask it your own customers’ questions, including ones it must decline.
Sources checked on 29 September 2026. Examples are hypothetical.
How we wrote this: drafted by the YourFirstAI team with AI assistance, sources checked on 2026-09-29, and reviewed against our editorial rubric before publishing. Examples are hypothetical unless they cite a source.
Frequently asked
How many web designers should I talk to?
Two or three is usually enough to compare. Ask each one the same questions in writing, so the answers line up side by side and you're comparing what's included, not just the total.
Should the quote include the timeline?
It should include a range and say what the range depends on, which is usually when you deliver text, photos and approvals. Be wary of a fixed launch date promised before the designer has seen your content.
Is it a red flag if a designer registers the domain for me?
Not by itself, as long as your business is listed as the registrant and you get your own login to the registrar account. The domain is your address online, so control of it should sit with you.
What if a designer promises first place on Google?
Treat it as a warning sign. Google states there's no way to request or pay for a better local ranking, so nobody can guarantee one.
Can I use these questions with YourFirstAI too?
Yes. Ask us the same questions and expect the answers in writing. Our quote lists what's included and gives a timeline range counted from the day we have your content.