What to ask before you hire a web designer

Why this matters

Asking the right questions helps you find the right designer and avoid surprises. This guide covers what to ask before you hire.

For more on choosing between designer and developer, see choosing a web designer vs developer.

Portfolio and experience

What to ask

• Can I see examples of your work? Look for sites similar to what you need.
• Do you have experience with my industry or type of site? Relevant experience helps.
• Can I contact past clients? References help verify quality and process.
• What types of sites do you build? Make sure they match your needs.

Process and timeline

What to ask

• What is your process? Understand how they work from start to finish.
• How long does a typical project take? Set realistic expectations.
• What is included in the project? Design, build, content, training, support?
• How do you handle revisions? How many rounds of changes are included?
• What happens if the timeline slips? Understand how delays are handled.

For more on timelines, see website project timelines: what to expect.

Accessibility

What to ask

• Do you build accessible sites? Accessibility should be standard, not optional.
• What accessibility standards do you meet? WCAG 2.2 AA is a good baseline [1]Source 1 .
• How do you test accessibility? Manual testing, automated tools, user testing?
• Can you show me examples of accessible sites you have built? Verify they actually do it.

For more on accessibility, see what accessibility means.

Performance

What to ask

• How do you ensure sites load fast? Performance should be built in, not added later.
• What performance targets do you aim for? Core Web Vitals, load times, page weight [2]Source 2 .
• How do you test performance? Real devices, tools like Lighthouse?
• Can you show me performance metrics for sites you have built? Verify they actually deliver.

For more on performance, see fast websites: what fast means.

Mobile and responsive design

What to ask

• Do you build responsive sites? Sites should work well on desktop, tablet, and mobile.
• How do you test on mobile devices? Real devices, not just browser resizing.
• What devices and browsers do you support? Make sure it matches your audience.

Content and CMS

What to ask

• Do you help with content? Writing, editing, or just structure?
• What CMS do you use? WordPress, custom, headless, static? Make sure it fits your needs.
• Will I be able to edit content myself? How easy is it to update?
• Do you provide training on how to use the CMS? Training helps you maintain the site.

For more on CMS choice, see CMS choice guide for small teams.

SEO

What to ask

• Do you build SEO-friendly sites? Technical SEO should be included.
• What SEO work is included? Meta tags, sitemaps, structured data, internal linking?
• Do you do ongoing SEO work? Or just the initial build?

For more on SEO, see search engine optimisation basics.

Support and maintenance

What to ask

• What support is included after launch? Bug fixes, updates, training?
• Do you offer ongoing maintenance? Updates, backups, security?
• What are your support response times? How quickly do they respond?
• What happens if something breaks? Who fixes it, and how quickly?

For more on support, see maintenance plans that pay for themselves.

Costs and contracts

What to ask

• What is included in the quoted price? Make sure you understand what you are paying for.
• Are there any additional costs? Hosting, domain, plugins, third-party services?
• What is the payment schedule? Upfront, milestones, on completion?
• What happens if I want to cancel? Understand cancellation terms.
• Who owns the design and code? Make sure you own what you pay for.

For more on budgeting, see budgeting for website projects.

Red flags to watch for

• Cannot show examples: If they cannot show past work, be cautious.
• Vague answers: If they cannot explain their process clearly, be cautious.
• No accessibility or performance focus: These should be standard, not optional.
• Unrealistic promises: "We will get you to page 1 of Google" or "Your site will be perfect" are red flags.
• Pressure to sign quickly: Good designers do not need to pressure you.

Summary

Before hiring a web designer, ask about: portfolio and experience, process and timeline, accessibility standards and testing, performance targets and testing, mobile and responsive design, content and CMS, SEO work included, support and maintenance, costs and contracts, and ownership of design and code.

Watch for red flags: cannot show examples, vague answers, no accessibility or performance focus, unrealistic promises, pressure to sign quickly.

For more on working with developers, see working with web developers: what to expect. For help finding the right designer, see website build services or get in touch to discuss your project.