A website is an important investment in your business, and you definitely need someone you can trust. After all- your web designer is building you an incredible, transformative tool- the foundation of your online presence and a sales machine that should be working on autopilot even when you’re not! So if you’re struggling with how to choose a website designer or wondering what the best questions to ask a web designer are, you’re not alone- and you’re in the right place!

As an experienced designer and successful small business owner, I’m relentlessly passionate about helping other entrepreneurs and small businesses make the BEST decisions for their businesses- the decisions that will set you up for the future that you deserve and that you’ve already worked so hard for! And that includes helping you learn how to choose a website designer that will help you weave together those magic parts of yourself into an authentic website and brand that works as hard as you do. So let’s dive in!

BEST questions to ask a website designer

1. How do you handle revisions and feedback? Is there a limit to the number of them I can request during the project?

Remember- there’s no ego in design. A great website designer operates with this philosophy and not only welcomes feedback, but encourages it. They are 100% determined to work with you in a collaborative way to get your website right, and that should include either unlimited or a large number of revisions.

2. What exactly is included? Do you offer basic SEO, copywriting, or other services as part of the package?

Our packages at SO Digital are all-inclusive, but many website designers ONLY offer design. Make sure you ask this question so you know if you’ll need to find and pay a copywriter to finish the website for you.

3. How will my site look on mobile and tablets?

Nearly 60% of website traffic is coming from a mobile device, so you absolutely can’t afford to work with a website designer who doesn’t fully optimize your website for mobile and tablet.

4. Will I be able to easily update the site on my own after the project wraps? Do you provide any resources for support?

This is so important! When your business scales or changes, you update your offerings, or you just want to update your photos, you should be able to hop into your backend quickly and make those changes with ease! Be sure to ask about what kind of help content or support is available to you, whether the platform your new website is being built on will be intuitive for you to work on as needed!

5. Can you show me some examples of your previous work?

No portfolio? Red flag!

Always ask for examples of previous work, but remember- most website designers don’t actually have a pigeon-holed signature style. Our style is designed to adjust to your style! After all, it’s your business. So make sure the portfolio is professional and well done, but don’t forget that each example of work is suited to that individual business and owner- not what the designer would necessarily create for YOUR unique tastes and desires!

6. How long will the project take?

If a project is taking more than a few weeks or a month, you deserve better- especially if that website designer is charging by the hour instead of at a flat rate for your project (in my opinion, hourly rates are a bullsh*t way for big agencies to take advantage of small business owners).

If you do work with someone who has hourly fees and lengthy turnaround times, make sure that there are clear, agreed-upon timelines and contingencies for projects that are late or delayed (time is money- so if you’re waiting months or even weeks for your website, that is time you can’t use it to start selling!).

At SO Digital, we offer all-inclusive, totally custom website packages (Website in a Day and Website in a Week) at a flat rate, including copywriting, SEO, domain connection- the works! Why? Because I was exactly where you are, struggling when I started out and sifting through agencies trying to find someone with the urgency and offerings that were right for MY needs- not theirs. As a solopreneur or tiny business, not having a website is COSTING you clients and cash every day that you wait.

✔️ A website legitimizes your business.
✔️ A website makes you searchable for your dream clients.
✔️ A website makes your services look professional.
✔️ A website shows that this isn’t your first day doing the work! Who wants to work with someone that looks like they’ve never done the job before?

7. What tools or platforms do you use to build websites?

Again, this is important for making sure it’s a user friendly platform that YOU can navigate and make changes to in the future. This is one of the most important things to add to your list of “best questions to ask a website designer.”

8. Will you test the site before it goes live to make sure everything works smoothly?

A great web designer will check, double check, and triple check design, loading time, menus and buttons, links, contact forms, etc!

9. Are there any costs other than the listed project price, platform hosting fee, and my domain?

At SO Digital, you don’t pay me a single cent more than the flat, all-inclusive rate listed for the website package that you select (unless you decide you’d like additional services, like adding on a 3-blog starter pack for SEO)! Unlike most web designers, I do not believe in charging by the hour or folding in additional bogus fees and leaving you uncertain about the final cost. 

Whichever designer you decide to work with, know that there should only be 2 additional, reoccurring costs that come with having a website of any kind. And these fees should be paid directly to that provider:

1. The cost of your domain name (I personally pay $10 a year for my domain name from GoDaddy to give you an idea of the cost), and
2. Your website hosting account (when you work with me, your web hosting account is Showit)! All website platforms have a hosting fee. If you have an ecommerce site, you are also responsible for your Shopify or Square account fees. 

Did these questions help you better understand how to pick a website designer? I hope so! And if you’ve been googling things like “best freelance website designer,” “female website designer near me,” or “best website designer for women entrepreneurs,” I’m SO glad you’re here! I’d love to connect with you on building your dream website. Contact me today or review my FAQs about my Website in a Day and Website in a Week packages, specifically designed for dream chasers, go getters, and taste makers just like you!