Hiring someone to build your first website can feel like buying something in a language you don't speak. You know you want a site that looks good and brings in inquiries, but you may not know which questions separate a good fit from a poor one. The good news is that you don't need technical knowledge to choose well. You need a short list of plain questions, and a sense of what a clear, honest answer sounds like. This post gives you both, so your first conversation with any web designer or developer is easy and useful.
Start with the question most people skip: "What do you need from me?"
The best first question isn't about the builder at all. It's about you. Ask what they will need from you to get started, and what they will ask you along the way.
A good answer sounds like a simple plan. They should want to understand what your business does, who your customers are, and what you want people to do after they visit your site, such as call, message, or book. Expect a few questions about your services, your area, and what makes you different.
If someone says they need nothing from you at all, that's worth a second look. A website built without understanding your business tends to sound like every other business. A short conversation at the start is what makes the finished site sound like you. If you'd like to get ready for that conversation, here's a guide on what to prepare before your first discovery call.
Questions about the work itself
These questions help you see whether the person's work suits your business.
- "Can I see examples of sites you've built?" Look at them on your phone, not just a laptop. Most of your visitors will likely find you on a phone, so the mobile version matters most.
- "Who writes the words on the site?" Some builders write the copy for you. Others expect you to send every line yourself. Neither is wrong, but you want to know before you start, because writing a whole website is real work.
- "How many pages do you think my business needs, and why?" A thoughtful answer will be based on your business, not a fixed package. Many first websites do very well with a simple structure. If you're unsure, here's a plain look at whether a first website needs one page or several.
- "What will a visitor be able to do on the site?" Call you with one tap, message you, find your location, see your work? The answer tells you whether they're thinking about your customers or just about how the site looks.
When you look at someone's examples, ask yourself one simple question: could a stranger understand what each of these businesses does within a few seconds? That's a better test than whether the design looks fancy.
Questions about how the project runs
A clear process makes the whole experience calmer. Ask the builder to walk you through it, step by step.
- "What are the steps from our first chat to the site going live?" Listen for a sequence that makes sense: understanding your business, planning the pages, writing, designing, building, reviewing, then launching.
- "When do I get to review things, and how many rounds of changes are included?" You want clear points where you can see the work and give feedback before it's final.
- "Who will I be talking to?" It helps to know whether you'll deal with one person throughout or be passed between people.
- "How do we agree on the price?" A good builder will agree a clear plan and price with you before work starts, so there are no surprises later. Ask what is included in that price, and what isn't.
You can see how we lay out our own steps on our how it works page. Whoever you hire, a builder who can explain their process simply is usually easier to work with.
Questions about what's included
Different builders include different things, and that's normal. What matters is that you both understand the same scope from the start.
Ask them to list, in plain words, what you'll get at the end. Will they set up the contact options you want? Will the site work well on phones? Will you be able to update simple things yourself, or will you need to ask them? Are there any parts of running a website they expect you to arrange separately?
None of these have a single right answer. A builder who answers clearly, and puts it in writing, is giving you something valuable: a shared understanding of the job. That one thing prevents a lot of frustration later on.
What good answers have in common
Once you've asked your questions, step back and look at how they were answered, not just what was said. Good answers usually share a few traits:
- They're in plain language. You should come away understanding more, not less. If an answer left you more confused, it's fine to ask again.
- They're about your business. The builder asks follow-up questions and gives answers that fit what you do, rather than reading from a script.
- They're specific about the process. You know what happens next, what you need to do, and when you'll see the work.
- They're honest about limits. A builder who says "that's not something we do" is often more trustworthy than one who says yes to everything.
A simple rule of thumb: after the first conversation, you should feel clearer about your own business, not just about the website.
A short checklist to take into your first conversation
If you only remember a few questions, make it these:
- What do you need from me to get started?
- Can I see sites you've built, on my phone?
- Who writes the words on the site?
- What are the steps, and when do I review the work?
- How do we agree on the price, and what's included?
- What will a visitor be able to do on my site?
Write the answers down as you go. If you're talking to more than one builder, comparing notes side by side makes the choice much easier.
The takeaway
Choosing someone to build your first website doesn't require you to become a web expert. It requires a handful of plain questions and attention to whether the answers are clear, specific, and about your business. The right builder will welcome your questions, because they make the project better for both of you.
If you're starting from scratch, our first website page explains how we write, design, build, and launch a site for businesses that don't have one yet. And if you'd like to ask us any of the questions above, we're happy to answer them.