Choosing a web designer
Most bad website projects go wrong before they start, in the first conversation. These are the questions we would ask if we were hiring a designer ourselves.
1. Whose name will the domain be in?
Yours. Always. Ask to see the registrar account in your name before you pay a final instalment. A surprising number of Ghaziabad businesses discover, years later, that their domain belongs to a developer who no longer answers the phone.
2. Can I see sites you built that are live right now?
Not screenshots, live sites. Open them on your phone, on mobile data. Do they load quickly? Can you find the phone number in two seconds? Are they still maintained, or do they show 2021 in the footer?
3. Who writes the text?
Many quotes assume you will write all the text. Most business owners never get round to it and the project stalls for months. Ask whether writing is included, in which languages, and how many pages.
4. What exactly is in the price?
Get a written list: number of pages, design rounds, content writing, images, SEO setup, Google Business Profile, hosting, domain, SSL, email, and how long free changes last after launch. Two quotes that look the same price can cover very different work.
5. What will it cost every year after?
Domain renewal, hosting, paid plugins or themes, email accounts, maintenance. Ask for the yearly total in rupees. A cheap build on an expensive platform can cost more over three years than a better build on a cheap one.
6. How fast will it load on a phone?
Ask what Google PageSpeed scores their recent sites get on mobile, and check one yourself at pagespeed.web.dev. Anything consistently in the red will cost you visitors.
7. If I already have a site, what happens to my rankings?
A redesign that changes page addresses without redirects can wipe out years of Google rankings overnight. A good designer will talk about URL mapping and 301 redirects without being asked.
8. Will I be able to change things myself?
If you need to update prices weekly, you need an editor. If you change things twice a year, it may be cheaper to message your designer. Know which you are.
9. Who will I actually talk to?
The person who sells the project is not always the person who builds it. Ask who will design your site and whether you can speak to them directly.
A note on price
In Ghaziabad you will find websites offered from ₹3,000 to several lakh. Below about ₹10,000 you are usually buying a template with your name on it and little else. That can be fine for a start. Just know what you are buying.
Need help with your website?
PHCare Tech designs websites for Ghaziabad businesses from ₹15,000. See our website design service or message us on WhatsApp.