10 Questions You Should Ask Before Hiring a Web Designer

One of the awesome things about using Squarespace is that it’s completely possible to DIY a lovely website for yourself or your business, no coding necessary!

Sure, there are some fancier things that require more advanced knowledge of code (like creating round images, vertical text, etc.). And it can be helpful to have a professional web designer help you with your site’s set-up so it performs well with SEO, brings in more traffic and better converts your traffic into sales or mailing list conversions…

But, as we’ve covered before, you don’t need to hire a web designer to create a functional website on Squarespace.

That said, despite all the DIY capability of Squarespace, there are some reasons people do still choose to work with a professional web designer:

desire for a more professional and polished site than they can create themselves
lack of time to fully learn and use the Squarespace platform (a professional designer can usually create an advanced element more quickly than a DIYer can learn to do it)
desire to “do it right” the first time (many DIY sites are eventually rebuilt—which means duplication of work)
desire to perfect your business’ website as its online (or possibly only!) storefront, and your primary way to woo your audience and make sales

Whichever the reason(s) for choosing to work with a web designer, it’s a large and important investment, so it’s best to thoughtfully select someone who will be a good fit for your project and its particular needs.

I’ve shared specific tips and what to look for when choosing a web designer for your website project.

And to help with this, here are ten questions to ask a potential web designer to get to know their work style and process:

What to ask before hiring a web designer

These questions can help you understand your web designer’s design process and abilities, as well as their needs from you (and how you can help the project run smoothly!)—all in all, setting a strong foundation for your project to finish on time, on budget, and with a design outcome you’re happy with.

1. Which website platform(s) do you recommend & build on?

Most web designers have a particular tool of choice for their craft, so it’s important to know which platform(s) they’re skilled in using, as well as which they’d recommend for your needs.

For example, I design exclusively on Squarespace, my tool of choice, and make that very clear upfront to any new clients. At times, I’ve even turned away potential clients for whom I’ve felt Squarespace was not the best option (those cases were usually best suited with Shopify, which is better at handling large volumes of physical products).

This is not to say that a designer can’t be adept at using multiple platforms—but most have a favorite (and good reasons for that), so it’s useful to inquire about where they stand on this.

If your project requires use of other technology platforms (such as an email marketing service, or a membership tool like MemberSpace), also inquire about the designer’s familiarity with these tools and integrating them with their/your website platform of choice.

2. Do you work with custom code?

These days, it’s totally possible to build a reasonably professional-looking website without any back-end coding knowledge. But, in most cases, since you could do that yourself, you’re not looking to hire a web designer to create something that looks… like you DIY’d it.

One of the most important distinguishing characteristics for a designer who will be able to bring your website vision to life is someone who is comfortable using code to manipulate the function and design of your website.

Most likely, you’ll be looking for knowledge of CSS; however, more complex projects and functionality can require knowledge of other programming languages as well.

3. What design assets do you need from me to begin?

Your web designer will likely need some essential information and material from you to begin work on your project—your branding guidelines and assets, copywriting, imagery, etc.

Web design requires high-resolution imagery, so be prepared to either a) provide your own high-res imagery (photography, graphic design, etc.), or b) work with your web designer to create or source imagery for you.

Side note: If you’ll be relying on your web designer to create or source imagery for your site, it’s essential that they are aware of this at the beginning of the discussion, as it can greatly affect cost and timelines. Moreover, it’s important to understand their ability to work with these design elements (more on that in the next question).

4. What does the website project scope include?

It’s usually on the web designer to clarify the scope of work—what’s included in the project fee and what would be an additional cost to add on (as a dynamic project, web design would be never-ending if we didn’t set parameters for each project phase!)—but it’s also important for you as the client to know for your own awareness, so you’re completely on the same page about what you’re getting, and how it will be delivered.

There are certainly some specific sub-questions here that would be good to ask based on your particular project needs and goals, but the moral is: don’t be afraid to ask the questions needed to understand exactly what you’ll be getting for the price quoted.

5. What is your process for feedback & revisions?

Most web design projects include a first draft with some type of revision process so you, the client, can see and review your site design and functionality, and provide feedback or request revisions as needed, before the project is finalized.

For a smooth experience working together, it’s helpful to know what your designer’s process is for sharing drafts with you, seeking your feedback, and incorporating your feedback into revisions.

Because the revision process can be both lengthy and time-intensive for the designer (more on that below), some web designers set a limit on the number of rounds of revisions included in their project fee. Other designers complete revisions on an hourly basis (in which case it can be good to ask for an estimate of the typical amount of time they spend on client revisions, to help you budget for this).

6. What’s the estimated timeline for this project?

Bonus question:
What’s needed from me to stay on track with this timeline?

Many website projects have a specific timeline attached to them—the website is needed for a product, business or event launch!

If your website launch is time-sensitive, be sure to communicate this to your web designer and inquire about specific dates and milestones leading up to the launch that can be used to ensure you’re on track.

We web designers love our clients (we really do!), but the vast majority of our custom web design projects are paced by the client’s ability to compile the information/material needed and review and send feedback on drafts—and this typically takes them much longer than they expected.

If you’re in a rush to complete your project, ask your designer what you can do to help move things along. They’ll be able to set timelines and let you know what will be most helpful to keep the design process moving swiftly.

7. What are the payment terms, and how do you invoice for and accept payment?

There are quite a few different ways payment can be handled for web design projects. Some designers bill hourly. Some require a percentage of the project fee as a deposit or retainer, and bill the remainder upon final delivery.

In addition to knowing the cost of your project (or, the estimated cost if it’s billed hourly), it’s also important to be prepared for the specific payment terms and details.

These days, many designers use specialized software to create and send invoices via email (for example, I use Bonsai)—these services often have automatic reminders that can alert you if you have an unpaid invoice. They’re efficient and easy to use, and usually accept payment via credit card or PayPal.

8. How will we communicate throughout the project?

At the end of the day, you’ll be most happy with your project if you understand how and why it’s built the way it is, and you have input along the way. So—it’s mega important to be comfortable reaching out to and communicating with your web designer, offering honest feedback when needed, etc.

However, most web designers (🙋‍♀️) are quite busy and work with many clients at one time—which means they likely have some processes in place to keep everyone’s projects and needs straight. This may mean that they block off time for specific projects and don’t answer other emails/calls/texts during that time. It may mean they prefer to receive correspondence from you via a certain method.

It’s a good practice to ask your web designer how to best get in contact with them if you have any questions or updates, and then follow their recommendation (aka don’t text them your desired edits if they’ve asked to communicate via email).

9. Will I receive any files created for the project?

There may be additional collateral developed in the creation of your website: a logo, favicon, or other website-specific files—in addition to any other branding you’ve contracted with your web designer to create for you.

If this is the case for you, always good to confirm if you would like to receive those files, and if so, how they’ll be shared.

10. What support (if any) do you offer following delivery of the website?

So, your new website is beautiful, it’s completed—and now you have a question or you don’t know how to update something.

Some designers offer a grace period for providing complimentary assistance if any questions come up with your new site; after this period, you’d need to hire them again for additional services. (So, good to know what the time period is!)

For my custom web design projects, I provide a screen share tutorial, Squarespace cheat sheet (step-by-step instructions for maintaining and updating your new site), and a grace period for providing email support if any other questions come up.

In addition to these questions, feel free to ask any other questions that are relevant to your decision to hire a web designer—as it’s typically a costly investment (as well as an important one!), it’s best to be confident and prepared going into your contract with them.

Speaking of contract… make sure you have one and review it thoroughly before signing!

Best of luck with your project! 😊