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12 questions to ask before you pay for a website

Before you pay anyone to build a website, get clear written answers to twelve questions: who owns the domain, the files and the words; the total price over three years, not just the build; how long it takes; how many revisions you get; what a later change costs; and what happens if you leave. A good provider answers all of them in one email. Vague answers are your answer.

Updated · Facts checked

Questions 1 to 4: who owns what

Ownership questions come first, because they are the ones that are hardest to fix after the money has been paid.

  1. Will the domain be registered in my name, in my account? The right answer is yes. If the provider registers it for you, ask for the login on day one.
  2. Do I own the finished site: the design, the words and the photos? Ask for it in the contract. Stock photos are licensed, not owned; ask what the license allows.
  3. Can I get a copy of the files? Some builder platforms can't export a working site at all. That's fine if you know it in advance.
  4. Who controls my Google Business Profile and analytics? You should be the owner of both, with the provider added as a manager, never the other way round.

Questions 5 to 8: what it really costs

The build price is only part of the bill, so ask for the total over three years and for the price of the small jobs you will need later.

  1. What's the total over three years? Build, hosting, domain, plugins, email and maintenance. Our website cost guide shows how different the answer is between builders, freelancers and agencies.
  2. How many rounds of revisions are included, and what counts as one?
  3. What does a change cost after launch? A new price list, a new photo, a new page. Hourly, per change or included?
  4. Is there a contract term or cancellation fee? Monthly "website plans" sometimes run for 12 to 36 months, and the site may go offline if you stop paying.

Questions 9 to 10: how the work happens

Two questions tell you whether the provider will build what your business needs or a template with your logo on it.

  1. How long will it take, and what do you need from me? Most delays come from waiting for the owner's photos, prices and service list. Our guide on how long a website takes breaks that down.
  2. Can I see it before I pay in full? A preview, a staging link or a design mock-up. With us, the whole site is previewed free before you pay.

Questions 11 to 12: quality and honesty

The last two questions check whether the site will work for every visitor and whether the provider is honest about search engines.

  1. How do you make the site accessible? The U.S. Department of Justice says businesses open to the public must make their websites accessible to people with disabilities and points to WCAG as helpful guidance [1]. Ask what they check: color contrast, image descriptions, keyboard use, form labels. Our accessibility guide explains the basics.
  2. What do you say will happen in Google? The honest answer is a fast, clear, well-structured site, and no claim about where it will appear. Google's own advice is that nobody can secure the top spot for you [2], so treat anyone who says otherwise as a red flag.

Red flags in the answers

Some answers should make you slow down or walk away, however good the portfolio looks.

  • The domain will be "in our account for convenience" with no handover date.
  • A monthly fee with no clear statement of what happens to the site if you cancel.
  • Claims of a first-page position, a set number of calls, or "AI-proof" search results.
  • Reviews or testimonials written for you, or offers to post reviews on your profile. Both break the rules Google and the FTC enforce.
  • No written scope: "we'll figure it out as we go".

Already have a site? The free Website Check shows the basics any provider should have covered, in about ten seconds.

Questions about hiring for a website

Follow-ups owners ask once they have the list.

Should I sign a contract for a small website?

Yes, even a one-page agreement. It should name who owns the domain and files, the price, what's included, the timeline and what a later change costs.

Is it a bad sign if a designer uses a template?

No. Templates are a sensible starting point. What matters is that the words, photos and structure are written for your business.

How do you answer these twelve questions?

Domain and files are yours, the price is one time from $99 with optional hosting at $49 a year (opening soon), you see a free preview before paying, and we don't claim to control where you appear in Google. Our pricing page lists revisions per package.

Keep reading

Related pages for the same kind of business, plus the guides and free tools that go with this one.

Sources

Every outside fact on this page comes from the sources below, read on the date shown. Prices and plans change; check the source before you decide.

  1. U.S. Department of Justice, "Guidance on Web Accessibility and the ADA" (March 18, 2022; read October 26, 2026). Businesses open to the public must make websites accessible; businesses have flexibility in how they comply; WCAG gives helpful guidance.
  2. Google Search Central, "Do you need an SEO?" (read October 26, 2026). Google advises caution with anyone who claims they can put a site at the top of its results.

See your site before you pay for it

Tell us about your business. The crew builds a free, watermarked preview, and you pay the one-time price only if you want it.

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