The key to success for your business lies with your marketing tools. An up-to-date, mobile-friendly website can provide you with more leads than almost any other channel. Since your website is so important, you want to hire a good web designer.

#1 – Do you offer services apart from web design?

Look for a web developer that does more than build a pretty page. Knowledge of SEO and strategic marketing means that they can build a high-performing website that will generate leads and move people along your marketing funnel.

#2 – Do you have a portfolio?

One of the most important questions to ask before hiring a web designer is if they have a portfolio. Many will showcase their work on their website. This will give you an opportunity to assess their style.

#3 – What types of conversion strategies do you suggest?

Hiring a web designer is more than just the visuals on the page. A lot of thought goes into the user experience.  Ask if they recommend one type of conversion strategy over another: lead magnets, pop-ups, etc

#4 – How long will it take to complete my web design?

Even though delays can happen, a web designer should be able to give you a timeframe for your project. Check to see if it fits your needs and always allow extra time for unexpected issues or changes in the web design.

#5 – What do you need from me before launch?

Asking this before the project starts can prevent delays later on as you scramble to procure images, content, or passwords. From the beginning, they should be able to list almost everything they’ll need.

#6 – Who supplies the images for the website?

Find out if you will need to supply your photos or pay extra for stock imagery. Ask if any of the images from your old site can be reused in the new design.

#7 – Are your web designs mobile friendly?

Google’s new Mobile Index makes having a mobile-friendly design non-negotiable. Mobile design is more than a smaller version of your desktop site. It needs to be responsive to all screen sizes.

#8 – Do you follow SEO best practices when building the site?

Search engine optimization helps your site rank higher on Google. Many times bad coding causes SEO issues. It’s much easier if your web developer builds in SEO from the onset of the project.

#9– Which content management system do you use?

The content management system is what’s used to post new content to your website. It allows you to update your site’s content with articles and new landing pages

#10 – What is your design process?

Ask your web designer if they have documented their design process. If they have, then it’s a pretty sure bet that they have experience and won’t run into budget or time issues once the project starts.