5 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Web Designer (And What the Answers Should Tell You)

Most local businesses hire a web designer the same way they hire anyone — cheapest quote wins, or it's someone's nephew. That usually ends in a site that looks okay but doesn't actually work: no leads, no mobile, no updates. The right questions to ask before hiring a web designer separate the ones who'll deliver from the ones who'll disappear. Here are the five that matter most.

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Question 1: Can I See Examples of Sites You've Built for Businesses Like Mine?

This is the first question to ask — and the answer tells you more than any polished portfolio page will.

What you're looking for: actual local service businesses. Not a startup landing page, not a restaurant with a national design budget, not a tech company that wanted something "clean and modern." You need to see sites built for plumbers, HVAC contractors, roofers, landscapers — businesses where the goal is one specific thing: getting a stranger to call or fill out a form.

The red flag: a portfolio full of Behance mockups that were never actually built, or sites for industries that have nothing in common with yours. A designer who's great at portfolio sites for photographers has a completely different skill set than one who understands what makes a service business website convert. If they can't show you relevant work, that experience gap will show up in your finished site. Service business websites have specific goals — lead generation, local SEO, prominent phone numbers and contact forms above the fold. Generic design experience doesn't automatically translate.

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Question 2: Will My Site Be Easy to Update Myself, or Do I Need to Come Back to You for Every Change?

This question is about your future — and whether you'll be tied to someone else's schedule and invoice every time something needs updating.

What you're looking for: a direct answer. Either they'll train you on a content management system (CMS) you can actually use, or they'll be upfront about what's editable and what's not. Both answers are acceptable depending on your needs. What's not acceptable is a vague non-answer.

The red flag: "We handle all updates for you" — especially when there's no maintenance plan with a defined price attached. That phrasing often means one of two things: they built something so custom that only they can touch it, or they're setting up a recurring billing relationship before you've agreed to it. If you can't update your own business hours, add a new service page, or swap out a photo without calling someone, you're locked in. That dependency costs you money and time for the entire life of the site. Know what you're agreeing to before you sign.

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Question 3: What Happens to My Site If We Stop Working Together?

This is the question most business owners forget to ask — and it's the one that causes the most pain later. Ask it every time, with every designer, no exceptions.

What you're looking for: clean ownership. You own the domain. You own the files. Everything transfers without a fight if the relationship ends. That is the only acceptable answer.

The red flag: "we host on our platform" with no clear exit path — or a domain registered in the designer's name, not yours. This is the most common way local businesses get held hostage by their own web presence. I've talked to business owners who wanted to leave a designer but couldn't, because the domain was in someone else's account or the site was locked inside a proprietary system with no export option. Getting your own website back becomes a negotiation, not a transition. Ask this question early and get a clear answer in writing. If they get defensive or vague, walk away.

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Question 4: How Do You Handle Mobile and Page Speed?

What you're looking for: a specific, confident answer — not a tagline.

"We build responsive sites" is table stakes. Every designer says that. What you actually want to hear is how they test speed, what tools they use (Google PageSpeed Insights, Core Web Vitals, Lighthouse), and whether mobile performance is built into the process from the start or patched on at the end.

The red flag: "all our sites look great on mobile" with no details to back it up. That phrase is meaningless. Ask them to show you a Lighthouse score. Ask them what they do when a site scores below 70 on mobile. If they look confused, that's your answer.

Here's why this matters beyond aesthetics: Google uses mobile-first indexing, meaning it evaluates and ranks the mobile version of your site — not the desktop version. A slow, poorly-built mobile experience actively drags down your local search rankings. For a service business in the northwest Chicago suburbs where most customers are searching on their phone, this isn't a bonus feature. It's the foundation.

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Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Web Designer, #5: Who Do I Call After Launch?

Something always needs attention after launch. Not necessarily a disaster — sometimes it's a contact form that stops sending emails, an image that loads wrong on a specific phone, or a plugin update that shifts a layout. The question is whether you'll have someone to call when it happens.

What you're looking for: a clearly defined post-launch support window and an honest explanation of what's included. Even a 30-day support period shows the designer is confident in their work and is prepared for the transition period every site goes through.

The red flag: silence on this question, a vague "we'll figure it out," or an expensive monthly retainer pushed immediately after signing. Post-launch support shouldn't be a surprise negotiation after you've already paid for a site. If a designer hasn't thought through what happens after launch, the launch itself probably won't be as smooth as you'd hope. Knowing your coverage before you sign protects you from scrambling when something small goes wrong — as it inevitably will.

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These questions won't guarantee a great result, but they'll filter out most of the bad ones. A designer who hedges, gets defensive, or gives vague answers to any of the above isn't ready for a professional engagement. The right person will answer all five without hesitation.

If you want to ask them to us — go for it. We'll answer every one. Book a free 20-minute call to talk through your project.