3 Questions to Ask Any Web Designer Before You Hire Them
Most owners who got burned by a designer never knew what to ask. Ask every designer you talk to these three questions, before you pay a dime.
Question 1: "When something breaks, who will I actually talk to?"
A good answer sounds like: A name. A phone number. A real person who knows your site.
Red flags: "Submit a ticket." A support email that takes days. Someone overseas you can't reach once they've been paid.
Jake's answer: You talk to Jake or Justin.
Question 2: "Who owns my website?"
A good answer sounds like: "You do." Plainly, without fine print.
Red flags: Vague answers, or a site that only exists as long as you keep paying them. If you leave, you start over from scratch.
Jake's answer: You own your site.
Question 3: "Is there a contract that locks me in?"
A good answer sounds like: No long-term contract. If they're good, they don't need one to keep you.
Red flags: Twelve-, twenty-four- or thirty-six-month agreements, cancellation fees, or monthly charges you can't get out of.
Jake's answer: No contracts locking you in.
Write the answers down. If someone dodges a question, that's your answer.
Ask every designer these three questions. Jake's happy to go first.