You have found a web designer you like. You like their work. You like the price. Now they are asking for a deposit. Before you hand over any money, know exactly what you are buying and what happens if things go wrong. Here are ten things to nail down in writing before you pay anything.
1. Who actually owns the domain name?
Your domain name is your web address. yourname.co.uk or similar. This is one of the most important things you own. Make absolutely sure it belongs to you, not the designer.
The designer should register it in your name with a domain registrar (like Namecheap or 123-reg). You should get the login details. You should be able to log in and manage it yourself whenever you want. If the designer registers it in their name and gives you access 'for now', they own it. If they go out of business or you fall out, they can keep it. That is a disaster.
Get this in writing. 'The domain name will be registered in [your name/company name] with [registrar name]. You will receive the login details before launch.'
2. Who owns the website files?
Your website is a collection of files. HTML, images, database backups. You need to own these. After the designer has finished and you have paid, you should be able to request all the files and move to another host or designer if you ever need to.
Some designers get cagey about this. 'You can use it, but we own it.' That is not acceptable. You are paying them to build you something you own. Get it in writing. 'All website files, code, databases, and assets created for this project become the property of [your name/company] on completion and payment.'
Also ask if there are any third-party tools or plugins they are using that have licensing restrictions. If the design relies on a plugin that costs money to licence, you need to know about it upfront.
3. Can you edit the site yourself? Is there a CMS?
A CMS (Content Management System) is software that lets you change the words and images on your site without knowing how to code. WordPress is a CMS. Squarespace has a CMS built in. Not all websites have one.
You need to decide upfront. Do you want to be able to edit the site yourself, or are you happy paying the designer to make changes for you?
If you want to edit it yourself, ask: What CMS will you use? Will I get training? Will I get documentation? What will you charge for changes I cannot make myself?
If you are happy paying for updates, that is fine. Just agree a price in advance. 'You charge 50 pounds per hour for updates' is better than 'we will charge you for updates' with no number attached.
4. What happens if they stop responding or go out of business?
You need a backup plan. What if six months after launch, your designer stops answering emails? Or they close their business? You still need to be able to run your site.
This is why you need to own the domain and the files (see above). If you own those, another designer can take over. But also ask this: If you stop working with me, will you hand over all the passwords and access details I need to manage hosting, email, backups?
Get a written promise. 'On request, or in the event that our working relationship ends, [designer name] will provide login credentials for all accounts related to the website including domain registrar, hosting, email, and any third-party services.'
5. How many design revisions are included?
The designer shows you a first draft. You say 'I like it, but can you make the heading red instead of blue and move the phone number to the top?' That is a revision. How many of these are included before they start charging extra?
Get a number in writing. Most designers include 2 to 3 rounds. 'This quote includes up to 2 revisions to the design. Additional revisions will be charged at 75 pounds per round.'
Also nail down what counts as a revision. Small tweaks to colours or text should be free. Completely changing a section or redesigning a page should probably count as a revision. Get clear on this before you start.
6. What is the timeline and what causes delays?
When will the site be ready? Two weeks? Four weeks? Three months?
Also, what depends on you? If they are waiting for you to provide copy, photos, or approvals, does that time count towards the timeline? Get specific. 'The design phase will take 2 weeks from the date we receive all content from you. If content is delayed, the timeline extends by that amount.'
Slippage happens. Designers get busy. Clients are slow to provide information. But you need to know what the expectation is before you pay, not after you are three months in and wondering what is happening.
7. What is included after the site launches?
Launch day is not the end of the relationship. What support do you get after launch? Fixes for bugs? Help if something is broken? Changes to text and images?
Ask clearly. 'After launch, what is included for the first 30 days?' (Or 60, or 90, depending on what you agree.) 'After that period, what support is available and what does it cost?'
You might agree 'we fix any bugs we introduced for 30 days, after that we charge our hourly rate.' Or 'we include one free training call and support via email for 90 days.' Just know what you are getting and what it costs.
8. Who handles hosting and email, and what does it cost?
The designer might include hosting. They might point you to a third-party host. They might do neither and expect you to figure it out.
Get clear. 'Will you be providing hosting, or do I need to arrange my own?' If they are providing it, what is the cost? Is it per month, per year? What happens if you stop paying or want to leave?
Same with email. Do you get business email addresses (your-name@yourcompany.co.uk)? Who hosts them? What does it cost? What happens to the email if you leave?
A good designer will make this simple and clear. A bad one will be vague and hope you do not ask too many questions.
9. Will the site actually get found in Google search?
A beautiful website is worthless if nobody can find it. You need to know that the designer is building it to be found by Google.
Ask: Will you set up Google Search Console and submit the sitemap? Will you add basic SEO things like page titles, descriptions, and heading tags? Will the site be set to 'allow search engines' (some designers accidentally set it to 'do not index')?
You do not need a complex SEO strategy to launch. You just need the basics so Google can actually find your site and rank it. If the designer does not know what you are talking about, that is a red flag.
10. Have you checked it on a phone and tested the speed?
Ask to see the design on a mobile phone before you approve it. Does it look good? Is it easy to click the buttons? Can you read the text? Many websites look great on a desktop and terrible on a phone. That is a problem because most people browse on their phone.
Also ask about speed. You can test any website on Google PageSpeed Insights (just go to pagespeed.web.dev and put in the web address). A site should score at least 70. If it is 50, it is slow. If you have a choice between a beautiful site that loads slowly and a less fancy site that loads fast, pick fast. People will not wait.
Test the site before you approve the final design. If it is slow, ask the designer to fix it before launch.
Get everything in writing
The best contract is the simplest one. It does not need to be a 20-page legal document. A one-page email that says 'we agree: the domain is yours, you own the files, you get 2 revisions, launch is on this date, it includes 30 days of support, after that it is 50 pounds per hour, hosting costs 20 pounds per month and is yours to cancel anytime' is enough.
If the designer is reluctant to write things down, that is a signal that they are not confident in what they are promising. A professional designer will put it in writing without hesitation.
You are about to hand over money. You deserve to know exactly what you are buying and what the plan is if anything goes wrong. Ask these ten questions. Get clear answers to every one. When you interview any designer or agency, hold them to this checklist. If they can answer all of it and they are happy to put it in writing, you have found someone professional.