CARASPACE INSIGHTS / CHOOSING A DESIGNER
What five questions should you ask before hiring a website designer?
Before hiring a website designer, ask: what exactly will you deliver, who will own the website and accounts, what will it cost initially and later, how will it be tested, and what happens after launch? Get the answers in a written agreement. These five questions help you compare scope, retain control and avoid misunderstandings about support or ongoing charges.
1. What exactly will you deliver?
Ask for the pages, features, content responsibilities, revision allowance and launch process. Clarify whether the work uses a template, a custom design or a combination. Define any CMS editing requirements. Review comparable portfolio work and ask what the designer actually delivered on those projects. Attractive screenshots do not establish who built a site or whether its forms and mobile pages work.
2. Who owns the website and its accounts?
Confirm control of the domain registration, hosting, administrator accounts and final deliverables. Ask whether you can move providers and what export or migration options exist. Some platforms or licensed components have transfer restrictions, so the answer should reflect the actual technology. Keep business account access in the company’s control and use secure access sharing rather than sending passwords casually.
3. What will it cost now and later?
Request a breakdown of the build fee and any domain, hosting, plugin, email, maintenance or third-party subscription charges. Confirm renewal periods and whether quoted prices can change with provider pricing. Ask how additional pages or revisions are billed. A lower upfront fee may be paired with a continuing subscription; compare total costs over a period meaningful to your business.
4. How will the website be checked before launch?
Agree practical acceptance checks: key pages on phones and desktops, working forms, readable text, sensible navigation and correct contact information. Ask what basic search setup includes, such as titles, canonical URLs, crawlable links and a sitemap. Establish whether accessibility and performance checks are included. No amount of metadata compensates for a page that does not explain the service or let customers contact you.
5. What happens after launch?
Ask about handover, training, backups, update responsibilities and the duration of any defect-fixing period. Separate corrections to agreed work from new feature requests. Confirm how support is requested and who handles provider renewals. If maintenance is optional, understand which tasks your team would take over. A clear handover is part of making the website usable by the business, not just by its creator.
Your next step
Choose one action from this guide and apply it to your own business website. For a practical review of your current site, request a free website audit. If you are planning a new site, explore the relevant Caraspace service or send us your requirements. Website projects start from ₦200,000, with the final scope and price confirmed in a written quotation.
Frequently asked questions
Should I choose the cheapest website designer?
Compare equivalent deliverables, account ownership, support and recurring costs. The cheapest quote is not automatically the best or worst option.
Should a designer guarantee Google rankings?
No. A designer can specify search-related work and reporting, but cannot control search rankings or guarantee a particular position.
Further reading
For search-related guidance, see Google’s documentation on SEO fundamentals and helpful content. Our service pricing and scope statements describe Caraspace’s offer as of the publication date; third-party costs depend on the provider and agreement.