12 Questions to Ask Your Website Designer Before the Project Begins – Net Designs

Whether you’re still searching or you’ve honed in on a website designer to build a website for your business, you’ve probably figured out that the process can get confusing fast.

Designers may talk about design technology or methodology that goes right over your head or present you with an overwhelming multitude of options for your website’s design.

Net Designs knows how flustering and frustrating this can be. After all, you’re hiring a website designer because all this technical computer lingo is out of your wheelhouse. When we are out of our element, we don’t always know what questions to ask, so Net Designs compiled a list of 12 questions to ask your website designer before the project begins—complete with Net Designs answers to all of them!

1. Will I own my domain and hosting account?

Net Designs clients own their domain and hosting accounts. We set them up, but our clients are the owners. This is extremely important because whoever owns these items ultimately controls what happens with them. Some website designers hold their clients hostage by owning these items, and then actually sell them their own domains for high prices if they ever want to use a different designer. Not cool. Make sure you will own your domain and hosting before you choose a designer.

2. How will you help boost website security?

Net Designs (and Google) encourages the purchase of an SSL certificate. You’ve seen the sites with either a “lock” or a green “https” in the address bar? That little sign means the site is secure and taking measures to protect visitor’s personal information. In addition, many hosting companies offer security options that should be considered. Go Daddy just acquired Sucuri and is now offering heightened security for the websites they host. Net Designs does its part by educating our clients on these options and manually installing WordPress and it’s database. We actively change WordPress standard usernames, passwords, and table names to make it more difficult to hack. We also add a custom SALT key and remove extra theme files and plugins typically installed automatically by WordPress. Clients who choose to utilize our site maintenance plan get additional benefits by having us update their systems, plugins, and manually checking the files of their sites several times per year.

3. Will my website be mobile friendly?

Net Designs knows that mobile friendly design is absolutely essential. This is why all of the websites we build are mobile friendly. It’s a no brainer that mobile friendly websites provide a better user experience and keep your customers happy, but there’s a myriad of other benefits to be reaped from this practice as well.

4. Do you offer content writing?

We encourage the use of our in-house content writer. Net Designs professional content writing service gives your website a consistent tone and adds value and a high level of professionalism to your website. To make this happen, we meet with clients in a conversational manner to learn more about their business and expectations to ensure the finished project is a website that not only meet our clients needs, but exceeds their expectations. After all, “content is king” and should be written thoughtfully, professionally, and with the utmost focus on the business at hand.

5. Do you offer blog writing?

Net Designs offers and strongly encourages blog writing. Implementing a regularly updated blog on your website drives in exponentially more traffic, shows off your expertise in your field, and builds trust and a human connection with readers. Telling your story in this manner is one of the best ways to connect with customers and potential clients.

6. Do you offer on site photography and video options?

We offer both photography and videography options. Net Designs will come to the business location with a professional photographer/videographer to snap high-quality shots that are unique to your business and will help solidify your brand.

7. Do you offer website maintenance after the initial build?

Net Designs encourages maintenance plans to lengthen the lifespan of the website. One of the most overlooked components, yet one of the most critical components to any successful website strategy is regular maintenance. These plans keep an eye on hackers, scan for corrupted files, and consistently update systems, plugins, themes, and frameworks.

8. Will I be able to make simple edits myself?

At the end of the day, this is your website. Simple edits like text, images, PDF file uploads, and more are easy to do yourself.

9. Do you offer training on the content management system?

We offer training to all clients on content management immediately after the initial website build. In just one short hour, you will be able to learn simple editing tactics to manage your content.

10. Do you offer on demand editing if I don’t have time to edit the website myself?

We support our clients after the build by offering on demand website editing with no contract necessary. We are happy to provide ongoing services to meet your needs, especially for larger organizations with complex sites. In fact, we have worked with many of our clients on an ongoing basis for over a decade!

11. What is the time frame for the project?

We can provide you with an honest answer to this question based on our workload and the size of your website.

12. What is the estimated cost of the project?

We are able to give an estimate after the initial meeting based on your website expectations.

This list of questions is by no means exhaustive, but these questions can help you get the ball rolling and better understand whether or not a designer will be able to help you meet your goals. This is of the utmost importance because ultimately you’re not just putting a project in their hands—you’re entrusting your business to them.

At Net Designs, we engage you in a process wherein we listen intensely to your specific needs to learn how we can use our tools to help you achieve your goals. If you’re still searching for a website designer or have any unanswered questions, contact Net Designs today! We are more than happy to answer any and all questions you may have.

Author: Kendall Dick, Net Designs Blogger

Net Designs, Wendy Bedell | (269) 428-5016 | wendy.bedell@netdesignsonline.com | Contact