Hiring a web developer is one of those decisions where you don't know what you should have asked until it's too late to ask it. The site's live, the invoice is paid, and only then do you discover that you don't actually own the hosting, that "content" was never in scope, or that a simple text change now costs £90 and a five-day wait.
None of this is because web developers are villains. Most aren't. It's because the awkward questions - who owns what, what happens if it goes wrong, what the real all-in cost is - are exactly the ones that don't come up naturally in a friendly first call. So here's the list we'd want a client to walk in with, whether they're talking to us or to someone else.
Before you ask anything: know what you're actually buying
A "website" can mean a five-page brochure site or a full web application with logins, dashboards and integrations. The questions that matter change enormously depending on which end of that spectrum you're on, so it's worth being honest with yourself first. If you're not sure whether you need a simple site or something more custom, our guide to custom vs template websites is a good place to start, and what bespoke web development actually means covers the heavier end.
Once you know roughly what you're after, these are the questions that separate a developer who'll still be a good decision in three years from one who'll be a regret by Christmas.
Ownership: the question most people forget to ask
This is the single most important thing to nail down, and it's the one clients most often skip. If any of the following live in your developer's name rather than yours, you don't fully own your website - you're renting it.
- "Will the domain be registered in my name?" Your domain is your identity. It should be in an account you control, not bundled inside your developer's reseller account where you can't access it if the relationship sours.
- "Do I own the code and the hosting account?" A trustworthy developer hands over full access on request. If this question makes them shift in their seat, that's your answer.
- "If I want to move to another developer, what do I take with me?" The honest answer is "everything - the code, the content, the database, the lot." Anything less and you're building on land you don't own.
Pricing: get the whole number, not the headline
The quoted price is rarely the price you pay. What matters is what's included, what isn't, and what the ongoing costs look like once the shiny launch is over.
| Ask this | Because you want to avoid |
|---|---|
| "What's the fixed price for this defined scope?" | An open-ended day rate that quietly outgrows the budget |
| "What's specifically not included?" | Discovering content, images or revisions were "extra" all along |
| "What does hosting and maintenance cost per year?" | A cheap build followed by an expensive, locked-in monthly bill |
| "How much is a typical change after launch?" | Being charged a call-out fee to update a phone number |
| "How many rounds of revisions are included?" | "Unlimited" that turns out to mean two, or two that turn out to cost extra |
If you can't get a straight number - even a range with the reasoning behind it - before you commit, you won't magically get one afterwards. We wrote more about how honest pricing should feel in our guide to choosing a development company without getting fleeced.
Process and timeline: how the work actually happens
You're not just buying a finished website; you're buying a few weeks or months of working with someone. Ask how that's going to feel.
- "Who will I actually be talking to?" If your point of contact is an account manager and the real developer is three subcontractors away, every question becomes a game of telephone.
- "What do you need from me, and when?" Most late projects are late because content and feedback didn't arrive on time. A good developer tells you upfront what they'll need and when, so the delay isn't a surprise pinned on you.
- "What's a realistic timeline, and what could push it out?" "A few weeks" is a hope. A developer who names the risks - content, integrations, sign-off delays - is one who's done this before.
- "Can I see the site while it's being built?" Being shown work in progress is normal and healthy. Being kept in the dark until a big reveal is a good way to find out too late that it's not what you wanted.
The stuff that decides whether the site actually works
A website that looks lovely but loads slowly, breaks on a phone, or can't be found on Google is a liability dressed as an asset. These questions surface whether the fundamentals are in the price or bolted on later.
- "Is it built to be fast and to work on mobile?" Most of your visitors are on a phone. Performance and responsive design shouldn't be a premium add-on - they should be assumed. It's central to how we approach web design.
- "How will search engines and AI find it?" Ask whether the build follows SEO basics - clean structure, fast load times, proper headings and metadata. You don't need them to promise page one; you need them not to actively sabotage your visibility.
- "Is it accessible?" Beyond being the right thing to do, accessibility is increasingly a legal expectation. A developer who's never considered it is a developer who cuts corners you can't see.
- "Can I update content myself?" If every text change means emailing your developer, factor that friction - and cost - into the decision. Sometimes a simple editable setup is worth more than a flashier build you can't touch.
After launch: the part nobody talks about in the sales pitch
A website isn't a painting you hang and forget. It needs hosting, security updates, backups and the occasional fix. The best time to find out how that's handled is before you sign, not the first time something breaks.
- "Who's responsible for backups and security updates?" Software behind websites needs patching. If nobody owns that job, it doesn't happen - until it does, at the worst possible moment.
- "What's your support response time?" If your checkout breaks on a Friday, "we'll look at it next week" is not an answer you want to hear for the first time on that Friday.
- "Are you going to be around in three years?" Two minutes on the Companies House register tells you how long a UK developer has existed and whether the accounts look healthy - free, and more honest than a testimonials page.
The proof questions: check the work, not the words
Anyone can say they're experienced. Ask for things that can be verified.
- "Can I see live sites you've built, not just mockups?" Real, working websites you can click around tell you far more than a portfolio of pretty screenshots. Our case studies link out to sites that are still running years after launch.
- "Can I speak to a client from a year or two ago?" Anyone can produce a happy client mid-project. A client who's still happy 18 months later is the signal that matters.
- "What would you advise me not to build?" A developer who says "everything you've described sounds great" is selling. One who talks you out of the expensive feature you don't need is worth keeping.
A one-page checklist to take into the conversation
- Will I own the domain, code, hosting and content outright?
- What's the fixed price for this scope, and what's explicitly not included?
- What are the ongoing hosting, maintenance and change costs?
- Who will I actually talk to, and what do you need from me and when?
- Is it fast, mobile-friendly, accessible and built with SEO basics in place?
- Who handles backups, security and support after launch - and how fast?
- Can I see live sites and speak to an older client?
Our honest take
The best web developer for you isn't necessarily the cheapest or the flashiest - it's the one who answers these questions plainly and doesn't flinch at the awkward ones. If someone gets cagey about ownership, vague about cost, or evasive about what happens after launch, you've learned everything you need to know before spending a penny.
That's the whole way we try to work. Straight answers on ownership, a fixed price we can stand behind, and a clear picture of life after launch. If you're weighing up a web project - or just want a second opinion on a quote that's landed in your inbox - get in touch. We'll give you an honest answer, even if it's "you don't need us for this one." You can also read more about how we work if you'd rather do your homework first.