Before you hire a web designer
The questions to ask any web company, what a good answer sounds like, and the red flags.
Ask every web company the same questions and get the answers in writing. Who will own the domain, site and accounts? What exactly is included, and what costs extra later? Who does the work and checks it, and how do you approve changes? Who handles updates, backups and security? And how do you leave?
Free, with no sign-up. Last updated October 31, 2026. Prints on US Letter. Tagged for screen readers, with real text and bookmarks, and every checklist item links to the page on e-3design.com that explains it.
What's inside
- What to do before the first call, so you can compare companies fairly
- Eighteen questions on ownership, scope, approvals, care, results and leaving, with what a good answer sounds like
- A table of red flags and why each one matters
- A one-page checklist to take into every conversation
The guides behind it
- What should I ask a web company before I hire one?Ask who will own the domain, site, content and accounts; exactly what's included and what costs extra later; who does the work and who checks it; how you approve changes before they go live; who handles updates, backups and security; how fast they reply; and what happens if you leave.
- How do I choose a web design company?Pick a company that shows recent work for businesses like yours, explains things in plain words, registers your domain and accounts in your name, and is clear about who looks after the site after launch.
- How do I write a brief for a new website?A website brief is one page that tells a designer what the site must do.
- Planning a new website: the complete small-business guidePlan a new website in order: write a one-page brief, gather real content, turn it into a page plan, choose a platform you can own and maintain, review designs with one decision-maker, build on a private staging copy, set accessibility and speed targets from the start, launch with a checklist, then spend 90 days fixing and improving.
More free checklists
- Website launch checklistCheck a new website in three passes: the week before, launch day and the week after.PDF, 5 pages
- Google Business Profile checklistSet up, verify and keep the free listing customers see on Google Search and Maps.PDF, 6 pages
- Website care checklistWhat to check every week, month, quarter and year so your site stays up, safe, fast and current.PDF, 6 pages
- Email deliverability checklistSPF, DKIM and DMARC set up in the right order, plus the senders people forget.PDF, 6 pages
- What 7,500+ website support requests taught usAbout 7,600 small-business support requests, 2017 to 2026: what people ask for, what breaks, how fast it's fixed and what prevents it.PDF, 5 pages
Rather we did it for you?
Everything in these checklists is something we do for clients every week. Call, or start with a free website check.