Choosing a website designer is harder than choosing most other services, because you usually can't judge the work until it's already built. These are the questions I'd want answered if I were hiring someone myself — ask any designer these before paying an advance.
Quick answers
Will I own the website once it's finished?
Ask this first. Once paid in full, you should own your website's content, design and accounts outright — with domains and hosting registered in your name, not the designer's.
What exactly is included in the quoted price?
Get a written scope listing the number of pages or products, design work, and integrations included, so nothing is added later as a surprise extra.
How long will the project actually take?
A realistic designer gives a specific timeline — typically 1 to 3 weeks for a business website, 2 to 4 weeks for an online store — not a vague "a few weeks."
Can I see examples of similar work?
Ask for live sites, not just screenshots or mockups — you want to see how real pages load and behave, ideally in the same industry as your business.
Who do I contact if something breaks after launch?
Know this before you pay, not after. Some designers disappear post-launch; ask directly what support looks like in month two and beyond.
Will I be able to update the site myself?
If you want to change products, prices or text without calling the designer every time, ask whether training or an editor is included — platforms like Shopify and WordPress support this, custom HTML generally doesn't.
How is the payment structured?
A fair structure is usually an advance to start (commonly 50%) with the balance due at launch — be cautious of anyone asking for the full amount entirely upfront.
Is the price fixed, or will it change as we go?
Ask whether the quote is fixed for the agreed scope, with any extra work quoted and approved separately — not an estimate that quietly grows.
Will the site work properly on mobile?
Ask specifically whether it's designed mobile-first and tested on real phones, since most of your visitors will arrive on one.
Does the price include basic SEO setup?
Confirm whether page titles, meta descriptions, schema markup and Google Search Console setup are included, or sold separately as an add-on.
What happens to my domain and hosting if we stop working together?
You should be able to walk away with your domain, hosting account and website files intact — if a designer can't explain this clearly, treat it as a warning sign.
Can you explain this in plain language, not jargon?
If every answer comes wrapped in technical terms you can't follow, that's worth noticing — you're going to need to communicate with this person for weeks, and ideally for years after launch too.