Most website regrets are not about design. They come from things nobody asked about at the start: a hosting bill that appears after launch, a domain registered in the designer’s name, or a site the owner cannot change without paying an hourly rate. These fifteen questions surface those issues before you sign.
Cost and scope
- What is the total cost for the first year? Ask for build, hosting, SSL, backups, security updates and changes as separate lines. A low build price with everything else extra can cost more than a higher all-in price.
- How many pages are included, and what does a new page cost later? Scope creep is normal; surprise pricing is not.
- Who writes the content? Copywriting is often the slowest and most expensive part. Find out whether you are expected to supply every word.
- How are changes billed after launch? Hourly, per request, a monthly plan or included? Ask for an example: “What would it cost to add a new service page in month four?”
- What do you need from me, and by when? A designer who asks for your goals, customers and competitors before talking about colours is a good sign.
Ownership and control
- Whose name is the domain registered in? It should be yours.
- Who owns the design, code and content? Get it in writing, including what happens if you cancel. We cover the details in who owns your website.
- Can I edit the site myself if I want to? Even if you never will, the answer tells you how locked-in you are.
- If we part ways, what do I get and how? Files, a full backup, admin access, a migration? Ask now, not during a dispute.
Search, speed and quality
- What SEO is included at launch? At minimum: unique page titles and descriptions, a clear heading structure, an XML sitemap, structured data for your business, Google Search Console and Analytics set up, and redirects from any old pages.
- How will the site perform on phones? Ask to see a recent site on your own phone and run it through Google’s PageSpeed Insights.
- Can I see live sites you built, not just screenshots? Live sites show speed, forms and mobile layouts that images hide.
Timeline and support
- How long will it take, and what usually causes delays? An honest answer mentions content and feedback, not just their workload.
- Who do I contact when something breaks, and how fast do you respond? A named person and a stated response time beat “just email us”.
- What happens at renewal? For any yearly or monthly plan, ask about price changes and notice periods.
What good answers sound like
Good answers are specific, written and boring in the best way: a number, a date, a name. Vague answers (“it depends”, “we’ll sort that out later”) on ownership, hosting or post-launch costs are the ones to push on.
For reference, here are our answers in one line: $1,950 a year covers design, hosting, SSL, daily backups, on-page SEO and unlimited updates; you own the domain and content; most sites go live in 7–14 days; you pay $49 to start and the rest after launch; we email at least 30 days before renewal. Compare that with any other quote using our website cost guide.