Before hiring a web designer, ask them: (1) Who will I actually be working with day-to-day? (2) What's your process and timeline? (3) Who owns the final files and accounts? (4) What happens if I'm not happy with the design? (5) What's included vs. extra? (6) Who writes the copy? (7) What happens after launch? (8) Can I talk to your last three clients? If they can't answer all eight clearly, walk away.
Hiring a web designer is uniquely scary for small business owners. You're spending real money on something you can't see in advance, with someone you've often never met, on a project that will affect your business for years.
The standard questions ("what's your rate?" "how long will it take?") miss the real risks. Here are the eight questions we wish every prospect would ask us — and that you should ask anyone you're considering.
1. "Who, specifically, will be doing my project?"
Sales calls are often led by the most charismatic person in the agency. The actual work is done by someone else, often someone less senior, sometimes offshore. This isn't always bad — but you should know.
Ask: "Will I be working directly with the designer building my site, or through a project manager? Who is the designer? Can I see their previous work?"
The agency dodges the question or talks about "our team" without naming specific people. If they can't tell you who's actually doing the work, you have no way to evaluate the work in advance.
2. "What's your process, week by week?"
A designer who can't describe their process week-by-week doesn't have one. That means your project will run on improvisation, scope will creep, deadlines will slip, and you'll spend the next four months wondering when it'll be done.
Ask: "From the day I sign, what happens in Week 1? Week 2? Week 3? When do I see design? When do I review? When does it launch?"
A real answer looks like: "Week 1 is discovery and sitemap. Week 2 is design — you'll see homepage by day 9 and have 48 hours to give feedback. Week 3 is build. Week 4 is QA, content, and launch."
3. "Who owns everything when this is done?"
This is the question that prevents 70% of post-project disasters. Make sure, before you sign, that you'll own:
- Your domain registration (it should be in YOUR account, not theirs)
- Your hosting account
- All design files (Figma, PSD, whatever)
- Admin access to your CMS
- Any third-party accounts (analytics, search console, email service)
Get this in writing. Some agencies build sites on platforms they own and lock you in. Some hold "design license" terms hostage to force ongoing payments. Walk away from any agency that resists transferring ownership.
4. "What happens if I don't like the design?"
Listen carefully to the answer. There are three categories:
- "That won't happen, we always nail it." Run. They're either lying or they don't take revisions seriously.
- "You get 2 rounds of revisions, then it's extra." Reasonable but standard. Make sure "revisions" are defined clearly.
- "If you're not happy after the first design, we refund and walk away." Rare, but signals strong confidence and respect for the relationship.
5. "What's included vs. extra?"
Get an itemized list of what your quote covers. The places where surprises hide:
- Copywriting (is it included, or do you write it?)
- Images (stock, custom photography, or do you provide?)
- Number of pages (and what counts as a "page")
- Revisions (how many rounds, and what counts as a revision)
- Forms and integrations (contact form is one thing — what about Calendly, CRM, payment gateway?)
- Mobile responsiveness (this should be standard, but ask)
- Browser/device testing
- SEO setup
- Analytics installation
- Launch and DNS configuration
- Post-launch support window
6. "Who writes the copy?"
The dirty secret of web design: most designers will not write your copy. They'll send you a "content questionnaire" two weeks in and expect you to fill it out. Then they'll wait. And wait. The project will be 3 months late because you never finished writing about your services.
Ask directly: "Is copywriting included? Will you write it, or am I expected to?"
If copy isn't included, factor in either your time (40-80 hours for a 5-page site if you've never done it) or a copywriter ($800-$3,000 for the same site).
7. "What's the relationship after launch?"
Most agency horror stories are about post-launch. Site launches. Three weeks later you need a small change. They quote $150 for what should be a 10-minute edit. You delay. The site doesn't get updated. It rots.
Ask: "What happens if I need a small change six months from now? What about a year?"
Good answers include: a window of free post-launch edits, a clear hourly rate for future work, a monthly retainer option, or a self-serve CMS with training.
8. "Can I talk to your last three clients?"
This is the killer question. Testimonials are easy to fake. Case studies are curated. But the willingness to give you three phone numbers — including the most recent client, who is freshest in their memory — separates the confident from the careful.
If they only give you one. If they only have testimonials from 2 years ago. If they get evasive. Those are signals.
The best designers actively want you to call their clients. They know it'll close the deal.
How we'd answer these for ourselves
- Who's doing it? The Avoxan founder, plus a small partner team. You'll know each one by name.
- Process? 4 weeks, mapped above. See our process section.
- Ownership? You own everything. Domain, hosting, CMS, design files. Always.
- If you don't like it? 14-day money-back guarantee. Full refund, no conditions, no kill fees.
- What's included? Everything in our 8-item stack. No upsells in scope.
- Copy? We write it. Every word. Included.
- After launch? 90 days of free edits, then $95/month maintenance or à la carte at $90/hour.
- Talk to clients? We're a new studio. We'll tell you that openly. Founding-client testimonials are coming as projects complete.
Ready to ask us these in person?
Book a 20-minute discovery call. Ask us anything. We'd rather lose a deal because we weren't a fit than win one we couldn't deliver well on.
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