Give each designer the same job to quote.
One provider cannot fairly quote five service pages while another is quoting an online shop and a booking system. Write a short description of your business, the pages you need and the action customers should take.
Include whether you already have a domain, website, logo, photos and usable copy. State your target date and any feature that is essential for launch. Use the website brief template if you are not sure where to start.
Tell providers what is still undecided. For example, you may know that you need more renovation enquiries without knowing the best page structure. Ask whether planning that structure is part of their work or something you are expected to supply.
Open the websites, not just the portfolio pictures.
Look at examples on your phone as well as a computer. Can you tell what the business does? Are service details easy to find? Is it clear how to make an enquiry? A screenshot will not show you what happens when you open the menu or follow a contact link.
Ask which parts of each example the provider handled. They may have designed the site, developed someone else’s design or only supplied one part of it. Ask whether you can visit a working website and which features are included in the proposed build.
Relevance matters more than an exact industry match. A designer who has built good project galleries and quote forms for a builder can do the same for a landscaper or carpenter. Compare how our construction examples and painting website plans handle those needs.
Do not submit pretend enquiries to other businesses while reviewing a portfolio. Inspect the public pages and ask the designer how they test forms on their own builds.
Ask for inclusions you can check.
A quote saying “complete website with SEO” leaves four questions unanswered: which pages, who writes them, what SEO work is done and what happens after launch. Ask the provider to name the pages, features and work included.
| If the quote says | Ask this |
|---|---|
| Custom design | What is designed for my business, and where will an existing theme or layout be used? |
| Content included | Do you write from my business details, edit text I provide, or expect finished copy? |
| SEO included | Which page titles, content, links and technical checks are included? Is there any ongoing work? |
| Support included | What issues and changes are covered, how do I request help, and what costs extra? |
| Ready in a week | What must I supply, what do I review, and what does the delivery milestone include? |
Keep the answers with the quote. Verbal reassurance is harder to rely on later than a clear written description.
Know how the build and feedback will work.
Ask who your contact will be and how they collect feedback. Find out when you see the proposed pages, when the copy is checked and what happens if a feature changes after work starts.
- Who prepares the first draft of the copy?
- Who checks business details and image permissions?
- Which design and content changes are included before launch?
- What testing is done on phones and enquiry forms?
- Who makes the final decision to publish?
Choose a process you can keep up with. If you work on site all day, ask whether a 30-minute call and one feedback document will work. A process that expects you to write five pages of finished copy is the wrong fit if you’re on the tools all week, even if the design work is good.
Check the costs and access after launch.
Separate the build price from domain renewal, hosting, email, paid software, maintenance and content changes. A monthly plan may be an ongoing service or a fixed project paid in instalments. Ask which applies and what you owe if you stop.
Ask who controls the domain account, which files or content you can take elsewhere and whether there are transfer fees or software licence limits. Do not assume that every platform or plan can be moved to another host in the same way.
Use the quote calculator to compare known payments, and the maintenance guide to clarify who looks after the site. Neither replaces reading the actual agreement.
Questions to ask a web designer.
- Who writes the words, and do I need to supply finished copy?
- Which pages and features are included in the price?
- What will I pay each month after launch, and what does it cover?
- How many rounds of changes are included before launch?
- Who fixes a problem after launch, and how quickly?
- If I leave, what can I take with me: the content, the site files, the domain?
Choose the provider whose proposal you understand.
Write a short note for each option: what they will build, what you must supply, the total commitment, the ongoing costs and any unanswered questions. Get any unanswered question about price, scope or ownership answered in writing before you pay a deposit.
It is reasonable to choose someone whose process and design suit your business rather than the lowest starting price. It is also reasonable to choose a simpler site if that covers the job. The point is to know what you are buying and who is responsible for delivering it. If none of the quotes fit, compare building the website yourself.
SMB Sites offers five pages from $99/month + GST, with no setup fee, copy help, hosting and SEO setup. Payment starts when you order. Delivered in 7 days. Extra scope is quoted separately; see the plan details before making a decision.