How to choose a website designer: questions to ask first

Your website is too important to hand to the wrong person. Before you hire anyone — freelancer, agency, or service — ask these questions. The answers tell you more than any portfolio.

Ownership and control

• •Will I own my site, domain, and content — and can I leave with them?
• •Where is it hosted, and who controls that?
• •What happens if we part ways?

Support and maintenance

• •Who fixes it when something breaks, and how fast?
• •Are updates included or billed separately?
• •Who handles hosting, security, and backups?

Results, not just looks

Ask how they'll make the site fast, findable in search, and built to convert — not just how it'll look. A pretty site that no one finds or acts on isn't doing its job.