Notebook
How to choose who builds your website: 7 questions before you sign
Seven questions worth asking a web developer before you sign: price, timeline, access, copy, maintenance and what happens after launch.
Website quotes can differ by several thousand euros, and at first glance it is not clear why. Most disappointments do not come from the design but from things nobody asked about. These seven questions usually reveal them before you sign.
1. Is the price fixed or hourly?
With an hourly rate, the client carries the risk. Every unclear point resolved during the work gets billed. A fixed price means the developer had to think the scope through up front. Also ask how changes during the project are priced.
2. Who will actually work on the project?
At agencies it is common for one person to sell, another to design and a freelancer you never meet to build. Every handover between them is a place where something gets lost. Ask who you will talk to and who will actually build the site.
3. Will I get all the access?
Domain, hosting, admin, Google Analytics, Search Console. Everything should be in your name or handed over to you. If the developer keeps the domain, you can lose it when you part ways.
4. Who prepares the copy and photos?
Copy is the most common reason a project drags on. If you are writing it yourself, plan for it in the timeline. If the developer is preparing it, make sure it is in the quote, including the price.
5. How will content be changed after launch?
Ask to see the admin of another site the developer built. Can you change text, add a reference or an article without breaking the page layout?
6. What happens to the old site and Google rankings?
If you already have a site, its URLs are in Google and in e-mails. A new site needs redirects from the old URLs to the new ones. Without them, the site drops in search and it takes months to recover.
7. What after launch?
Who will update the site, back it up and deal with it when something stops working? How much does that cost per month and what exactly is included?
Summary
A good developer answers these questions without hesitation and covers most of them before you ask. If the answers are not clear before you sign, they will not get clearer during the project.