Web Developer Questions

Questions to Ask When Choosing a Freelance Web Designer:

  1. What is your background?
  2. Do you build sites that render on mobile devices? (Ask to see an example)
  3. Do you do the work yourself? If not, who does the work and where are they located?
  4. Who will be my point of contact during the design/build process? Will I have access to the person building the site?
  5. Do you maintain the site after it’s built? Are there recurring fees?
  6. Does your fee include search engine optimization?
  7. If so, what is your approach to search engine optimization and how comprehensive is your process? Can you do more for an extra fee?
  8. How do you handle the content of the site? Do I provide it? Is writing included?
  9. How do you handle photography for the site? Is some stock photography included or do I need to provide photography?
  10. What technology do you recommend for building the site?
    • traditional html/css (fastest)
    • Content Management System (CMS) – most common
    • 60% of CMS in use today are WordPress, 6% are Joomla, 5% are Drupal. (beware of others)
  11. What does your schedule look like? When can you start?
  12. How long does it usually take to have the site completed?
  13. Do you build it on a test site and then move it to my url?
  14. Do you have a hosting company that you recommend? (steer clear of GoDaddy).
  15. Do you host the site on your own server? (don’t let anyone do this)
  16. Do I pay you or the hosting company? (I recommend that you always pay the hosting company so that the site belongs to YOU and not your web developer)
  17. Do you do social media for a recurring fee? Can you supply images for a Twitter background, a Facebook timeline and profile?

Downloadable Version