You’re ready to improve your website. You’ve spoken to a couple of developers, seen some attractive portfolios and received quotes that are miles apart. One promises a complete website in a week. Another wants several thousand pounds and a detailed planning stage. How do you know who’s offering the right service?
Before hiring a web developer, ask what the website will achieve, exactly what’s included, who owns it, how changes are handled and what support you’ll receive afterwards. I’ve spent more than 30 years building websites, and I’d rather a business owner ask these questions before paying a deposit than discover an expensive misunderstanding halfway through a project.
1. What will this website actually do for my business?
Start with your customers, not colours or animations. Are you trying to generate enquiries, take bookings, sell products or make a growing business look more credible? A developer should ask who you want to reach, what those people need to know and what action you want them to take.
If the discussion jumps straight to templates without understanding the business, you could end up paying for a website that looks respectable but doesn’t help you win work. Good business web design starts with a clear purpose.
2. What’s included in the price, and what’s excluded?
Two quotes aren’t comparable just because both say “five-page website”. One might include content planning, copywriting and image sourcing. The other might expect you to provide every word and photograph. Find out before work starts.
Ask for an itemised scope covering:
- The number and type of pages.
- Design, development and mobile layouts.
- Content writing, image sourcing and uploading.
- Contact forms, bookings and integrations.
- SEO setup, testing, launch and handover.
Also ask about hosting, ongoing licences and VAT where applicable. If you’re still working out the budget, my guide to business website costs in the UK explains what can affect the final price.
3. Who will actually build it, and can I see relevant work?
Will the person you speak to deliver the project, or will it be passed to someone else? Either approach can work. What matters is knowing who’s responsible, who makes decisions and who you’ll contact when something needs changing.
Ask to see websites serving businesses with similar requirements, not just a gallery of attractive homepages. Open them on your phone. Can you find the services, understand the offer and make an enquiry without hunting around? That’s a more useful test than a flashy portfolio screenshot.
4. Who supplies the words, photographs and business information?
Missing content can stall an otherwise straightforward website project. You may assume the developer is writing the copy while they’re waiting for you to send it. Weeks disappear and everyone gets frustrated.
Agree who writes each page, supplies images, checks facts and approves the final wording. If AI is being used to help draft content, ask who will check that it accurately describes your business. Customers need to recognise what you genuinely offer, not read generic claims that could belong to any competitor.
5. Why are you recommending this platform?
WordPress, Shopify, Wix, Squarespace and AI website builders can all be sensible choices in the right circumstances. Ask why the proposed platform suits your business today and what happens if you need more complex functionality later.
Can staff update pages? Can another supplier maintain the website? What features depend on paid subscriptions? I mainly build in WordPress because it provides useful control and room to develop, but I wouldn’t recommend it simply because it’s familiar to me. Your requirements should decide the technology.
6. Who controls the domain, hosting and website after launch?
You don’t want to discover that your domain, hosting or website access is tied to somebody who’s no longer answering your emails. Ask whose name each account is in and how you’ll receive the access you need.
There’s also a legal distinction between paying for work and owning its copyright. The UK Intellectual Property Office explains that commissioned work generally remains owned by its creator unless ownership is agreed otherwise in writing. Ask what you own, what you are licensed to use and what can be transferred if you change suppliers. Get those answers into the agreement.
7. What SEO work is included when the website launches?
“SEO-friendly” is too vague to accept as a deliverable. Ask about page titles, headings, readable content, internal links, redirects from old pages and whether search engines can access the finished site. If you’re replacing an existing website, ask how current URLs and valuable search traffic will be protected.
Basic SEO foundations are reasonable to discuss as part of a build. Ongoing keyword research, content development and improving competitive rankings are separate work. Nobody can responsibly promise first place on Google simply because they’ve built your website.
8. How will you test the website before it goes live?
Don’t settle for “we’ll make sure it works”. Ask what will actually be checked. Your customers will be using different phones and browsers, sometimes with a poor connection and very little patience.
At minimum, expect checks covering mobile layouts, navigation, page loading, contact forms, important links and basic accessibility. If enquiries matter, ask the developer to submit a test form and confirm it reaches the right inbox. A beautiful contact page is worthless if messages quietly disappear.
9. How do revisions, deadlines and payments work?
Most disputes don’t begin with bad intentions. They begin with different assumptions about what “included” means. Ask how many review rounds you have, how feedback should be supplied and when additional work becomes chargeable.
You’ll also want a realistic timetable, milestones and a clear payment schedule. Check what happens if you delay supplying content, or if a new idea changes the agreed scope. A developer who puts sensible boundaries in writing is usually making the project easier for both of you.
10. What happens when the website is finished?
Launch isn’t the end of your business’s relationship with its website. Someone will need to manage updates, backups, security, hosting and the occasional change to a service page. Ask which responsibilities are included in the original price and which require ongoing support.
For WordPress websites, a suitable website care plan can provide ongoing maintenance, but that should be a clear choice rather than a surprise bill. You should also know how to request changes and what happens if you decide to work with another supplier.
How to choose a web developer with confidence
Use these ten questions when comparing proposals. You don’t need to understand every technical answer, but you should be able to understand the commercial one: what you’re buying, what the developer is responsible for and where your money goes.
If somebody explains the trade-offs, challenges an unnecessary feature or tells you a simpler option would do the job, that’s worth paying attention to. I’d take a clear proposal and a sensible working relationship over a glossy sales pitch any day.
If you’re considering a new website or replacing one that isn’t delivering, book a call. Tell me what you’re trying to achieve and I’ll explain how I’d approach the project, what needs defining and whether I’m the right person to help.