Start with your own brief
Most bad matches between a business and a developer start before the first call: the business has not decided what the site is for, so every developer quotes for something different. Before you contact anyone, write down on one page:
- The goal: what the site or app should get people to do (call, book, buy, sign up, log in).
- Who it is for: your main visitors and what they need from you.
- What it must do: the features that are essential at launch, and the ones that can wait.
- What you already have: an existing site, content, branding, systems it must connect to.
- Constraints: a launch date that really matters, a budget range, who on your side makes decisions.
Send the same brief to everyone you approach. It makes the proposals comparable, and how each developer responds to it tells you a lot. Our guide How much does a website cost? explains which parts of a brief move the price most; for software projects, see how to write a brief for a web app.
Freelancer, agency or platform?
- DIY website builders are a reasonable start for a simple brochure site you will maintain yourself. You trade flexibility and ownership for convenience: moving away later usually means rebuilding.
- Freelancers can be excellent and good value, especially for well-defined projects. Ask what happens when they are ill, on holiday or fully booked, and who else can work on the code.
- Agencies and studios bring several skills under one roof (design, development, hosting, support) and continuity beyond one person. They usually cost more per hour, and you should ask who will actually do the work.
There is no universally right answer. The right fit depends on how complex the project is and how much ongoing support you will need after launch.
12 questions to ask
- Can you show me work similar to my project, and can I talk to that client? Look for relevant experience, not just attractive screenshots.
- Who will work on my project day to day? Know whether it is the person you are talking to, a team, or a subcontractor.
- What platform do you recommend, and why? A good answer explains the trade-offs for your case. Be wary of anyone who uses one tool for everything.
- What exactly is included in the price? Design rounds, content entry, copywriting, images, forms, SEO basics, training, launch support.
- What is not included? This is often more revealing than the first question.
- How do you handle changes after we agree the scope? Change is normal; you want a clear, written way of pricing it.
- How will I see progress? A staging site you can click through beats screenshots and a final reveal.
- How do you protect search traffic if you are replacing my current site? Listen for redirects and a URL inventory. See redesigning without losing search traffic.
- How do you make sites fast and accessible? Ask how they test, not only whether they do.
- Who hosts the site, and who keeps it updated after launch? Someone has to; agree who and at what cost. See what website maintenance involves.
- Who owns the code, design and content when we finish? Get the answer in writing.
- If we part ways, what do I get, and how? Code, database, accounts and documentation should be handed over without drama.
Ownership and access: non-negotiables
Whoever you choose, a few things should always be in your name, not your developer's:
- Your domain name, registered to your business with your email as the contact. Losing control of a domain is one of the hardest problems to fix.
- Admin access to your website, with your own login, even if you never use it.
- Your analytics and Google Search Console accounts, owned by you with your developer added as a user.
- App store developer accounts, if you are building an app, so the listing and its reviews belong to you.
- Third-party services such as payment providers, email platforms and paid plugin licences, in your name where possible.
Red flags
- A quote before any questions. A developer who prices a project without understanding it will find the real price later.
- Guaranteed rankings. No one can guarantee a position on Google. Google's own guidance warns against anyone who promises it.
- The domain or hosting registered in their name with no plan to transfer it to you.
- No written scope or contract. Memory is not a specification.
- Pressure to decide quickly with discounts that expire this week.
- Vague answers about updates and security after launch.
- Large upfront payment for everything, rather than payments tied to stages you can see.
Comparing proposals fairly
Quotes for the same brief can differ widely, and the cheapest is often the one that left the most out. Put the proposals side by side and check:
- Is the scope the same? List the pages, features and integrations each one includes.
- Who writes and enters the content?
- How many design rounds, and what counts as a change?
- What happens after launch: hosting, updates, backups, support, and their cost per month or year.
- What the timeline depends on, especially what they need from you and when.
Then choose the developer whose questions were the best. The questions a developer asks before quoting are the best preview of how they will run your project.
Frequently asked questions
Should I just choose the cheapest quote?
Only if the scope is genuinely the same. Low quotes often leave out content entry, testing, redirects or post-launch care, which then appear as extra costs or problems later. Compare like with like before comparing prices.
Does a local web developer matter?
Not technically: good web work can be done remotely. Being in a similar time zone helps with calls and quick fixes, and a local developer may know your market. Weigh it alongside experience and fit rather than above them.
How long does it take to build a website?
It depends far more on scope and on how quickly content and feedback arrive than on the build itself. Ask each developer for a timeline with the steps that depend on you marked clearly.
What should be in the contract?
The scope, deliverables, payment stages, how changes are priced, who owns what at the end, what support is included after launch, and how either side can end the agreement. If anything you discussed is not written down, ask for it to be added.
Can I switch developers later?
Yes, if you own your domain, hosting access and code. That is why the ownership points above matter: they keep your options open.
See how we approach website development, web applications and mobile apps, or email info@creahive.com with your brief.