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How to choose who builds your website (and what to ask before hiring)

September 2026 · 7 min read

Hiring someone to build a website costs money and time, and it's hard to know beforehand whether the result will be any use. Before you decide, there are a few questions worth asking — and some answers that should make you think twice.

The questions worth asking

1. Will you diagnose my current situation before proposing anything, or do you quote without looking at it?
2. Will the website be built to work well on mobile, or only to look good on a desktop?
3. Who takes care of getting my Google listing complete, or is that separate?
4. What happens if I see no change in 3 months?
5. Who updates the website after delivery, and how much does that maintenance cost?

Red flags

• They promise first position on Google within days.
• They don't show you real examples of previous work.
• The price is far below average with no explanation (sometimes it means a recycled generic template with no customization).
• They ask nothing about your business before giving a fixed quote.

Template vs. custom build

A template isn't bad in itself: the problem shows up when it isn't customized and doesn't convey what makes your business different from the one next door. What matters isn't the method, but whether the final result reflects your real business.

An honest note about this article

I'm the one offering this service, so read this article with that context: I'm not pretending to be neutral. But I do hope these questions help you, whoever you end up hiring.