Before You Hire a Website Designer: 5 Questions to Ask

Most small business owners who hire a web designer go into it without asking nearly enough questions. That's not a knock on them — the whole process feels unfamiliar, quotes look similar on the surface, and you're usually just relieved someone is handling it. Then three years later you want to switch providers and find out you don't own your own website, your domain is stuck in someone else's account, and you'd have to start from scratch.

These five questions won't take long to ask. A designer worth hiring will answer them straight. If someone gets cagey or the answers don't quite line up with what you were told on the sales call, that's information too.

1. Who Owns the Code and the Domain When We're Done?

This is the first thing to nail down, and more people skip it than you'd think. There's a real difference between a designer who builds you a site and hands over the files versus one who hosts your site inside their own system where you're essentially renting.

What you want to hear: You own everything outright — the code, the files, the domain name. If the relationship ends, you can take it all to another developer or hosting provider without losing your site.

Watch out for: Answers that reference proprietary platforms, site-builder accounts tied to their agency login, or vague language like "you own your content." Owning your content isn't the same as owning your website. If you can't download the code and host it elsewhere, you don't really own it.

I've written more on this in do you actually own your website — it's a surprisingly common problem and worth understanding before you sign anything.

2. What Does the Monthly Fee Actually Cover?

Many designers charge a recurring monthly fee, which on its own isn't a red flag — hosting costs money, and ongoing support is worth paying for. The question is what you're getting for that number.

What you want to hear: A clear breakdown. Hosting, SSL certificate, some number of update requests per month, priority support when something breaks. If there's a cap on updates, they should tell you upfront. If security patches and plugin updates are included, great. If they're not, ask who handles them.

Watch out for: Monthly fees with no clear scope. "It covers maintenance" without defining maintenance means you might pay for years and still get billed separately every time you ask for a change. Also watch out for fees that can increase arbitrarily — find out if the rate is locked and for how long.

At Stonecrest, our founding rate is $79/month and it covers hosting, updates, and support plus an AI chatbot, missed-call textback, and Google Business Profile management. Our standard rate is $97/month. The founding rate is locked for your first 12 months, and the scope is clear from day one.

3. Who Actually Maintains the Site After Launch?

This sounds like the same question as above, but it's not. You're asking specifically about who is responsible when things go wrong or need updating — and whether you'll be able to reach them.

What you want to hear: There's a named point of contact, a clear process for submitting update requests, and a reasonable response time commitment. If you're dealing with a small agency or solo freelancer, ask what happens if they get slammed with other work or go out of business. Is there a backup plan? Can you download your files if you need to?

Watch out for: "Reach out anytime" with no SLA, or a setup where you're basically managing the relationship with a developer you've never met. A designer who bills hourly for every tweak after launch isn't the same as one who includes a maintenance retainer — both are fine models, but you need to know which you're in before you sign.

Also ask whether they'll train you to make small changes yourself, if you want that option.

4. How Long Will This Take?

Turnaround time matters, especially if you're trying to hit a business milestone — a grand opening, a seasonal push, a referral you sent to your (currently non-existent) website. The answer you get here also tells you something about how organized the designer is.

What you want to hear: A specific estimate with a realistic range. Four to six weeks for a custom build is reasonable. Two to four weeks for a templated or semi-custom site is also reasonable. Either way, they should be able to tell you what they need from you (copy, photos, logo) and how their revision process works so you're not waiting on them while they're waiting on you.

Watch out for: Vague answers like "it depends on scope" with no follow-up effort to scope your project right then. Any designer who can't give you a ballpark after a short conversation either isn't organized or doesn't want to commit. Both are worth knowing early. Also watch out for dramatically short timelines — "we can have it live in 48 hours" usually means a template dropped with your name on it and minimal customization.

Our builds at Stonecrest typically go live in 7–10 days once we have what we need from the client. That's a templated build, but genuinely customized to your business — not a skin swap.

5. What Happens If I Want to Leave?

This is the one most people feel awkward asking. Ask it anyway. How a provider answers this question tells you more about their business ethics than almost anything else.

What you want to hear: You can cancel anytime, no penalty. Your site files and domain come with you. They'll help with a reasonable handoff or at minimum not obstruct one. Some providers charge a final setup or export fee — as long as it's disclosed upfront, that's not inherently wrong.

Watch out for: Long-term contracts with early termination fees, domain ownership held by the agency, or sites built on proprietary platforms where you'd effectively have to rebuild from scratch. Any answer that amounts to "it's complicated" when it shouldn't be is a sign that leaving will be harder than you're being told now.

If you're worried about free website offers and what the catch is, this is often where it shows up — the free build locks you in, and the exit costs more than the build was ever worth.

One last thing: if you're still deciding whether to hire someone at all, I compared the trade-offs honestly in DIY website builders vs. hiring someone. For some businesses, DIY makes sense. For most established ones, it doesn't — but the reasons matter.

These five questions aren't meant to be a gotcha. They're the things any serious designer should be happy to answer before you give them a dime. If you walk away from those conversations with clear answers you feel good about, you're probably in the right hands.

Want a website like this — built free?

Stonecrest builds small businesses a professional website for free — $79/mo runs the site plus the lead system, and you own the site and domain. Quick chat, no commitment.