Questions to ask a WordPress Designer to avoid mistakes and bad investments

As a small business owner in today’s environment, having a powerful website is an absolute must. It is how you connect with your customers, attract new ones, and grow your business. Sometimes though as business owners we need to focus on what we do best. If you are a florist, designing a website may be tricky. If you own a music store, designing an e-commerce website might be difficult. That is where working with a WordPress Design Company that understands your business, and how to position it online is important. The problem is though, how do you choose that company? How do you know you are working with the right company? At MarketKeep, the digital marketing agency for small businesses and start-ups, we have compiled a list of 10 questions to ask a WordPress Designer to avoid major mistakes and bad investments. 

10 Questions to ask a  WordPress Designer

1. Can you provide me with a few websites that you have designed in the past? 

You will be surprised by how many business owners fail to ask this question. Take the time to look at the websites they have designed. Do you like the style? Do you think they did a good job explaining the business? It also gives you a better sense if they use templets or create custom designed websites.

2. How much will you charge for creating my small business website? 

How do they charge for their website designs? Do they charge by the hour or do they charge a set fee? Finding out how the company invoices helps you figure out how you want to be charged. It also makes sure that you are both on the same page before jumping into a contract. 

3. Who will I be in contact with about my website?

Clear communication is important to any website design going smoothly. Know who you will be in contact with. Understand the best way to communicate with them, and figure out if you can work together. Figure out how they handle website edits or revisions. 

4. Will I be able to edit my website, and do I own the content? 

Some website design companies do not let their clients touch the website. This can prove problematic if you want to make an edit at night, or need to update something on your website that is time sensitive. 

5. How long will the website design take? 

This helps to set a defined timeline for the creation of your website. It also gives you a good indication of if the website design has been thought out. Make sure it is a timeline you are comfortable with. 

6. Do you provide any additional services? 

This helps you identify if you want to work with a one-stop shop, or if you need to bring on an SEO Company as well. Find out what services the website design company offers and if you need all of them or just some of them. 

7. How will you ensure that my website is found online? 

SEO is an important factor in any and every website design. SEO goes beyond just adding keywords to the website. Make sure that the company you are working with understands SEO best practices and gives you a rough estimate as to how long it will take to rank your company’s website. 

8. What input do I have in the website design process? 

Before starting the website design process, make sure you know how many edits you can send back to them before they charge for changes. 

9. What do you need from me to get started?

A good website requires more than just the design itself. Every small business website needs content, contact information, photos, and other sources of media. Make sure you have all of this available for whoever you choose to design a website with.

10. How will we track the success of the website? 

When finalizing your contract with a website design company, make sure to ask how you will track the success of the website. Is it by total traffic to the website? The number of leads you receive on a daily or weekly basis? You want to work with a WordPress Design Company that is there to help you grow long-term. 

Additional Questions to ask a  WordPress Designer

• Do you specialize in a particular industry?
• What types of conversion strategies do you suggest?
• How many landing pages will be on my website?
• Are your website designs mobile-friendly?
• Will I be able to review and approve the work as the project progresses? 
• Which content management system do you use?
• What is your design process?
• What kind of testing is done on the website prior to launching the site?
• Will there be downtime during the transition from the old website to the new one?

About MarketKeep

As a Maryland WordPress Design Company, MarketKeep partners with small businesses and start-ups to plan, place, and optimize their marketing strategies. We build websites that tell your story and convert traffic into customers. To learn more about our website design services please contact MarketKeep.