How to choose a web design company in Ottawa: 7 questions to ask
Most web design quotes look alike until something goes wrong. These seven questions bring out the differences before you sign anything.
· 5 min read · Poki Labs
1. Who will actually build it?
Some companies sell the project and then pass it to a freelancer or an outside team. That is not always a problem, but you should know about it, because it decides who you can talk to when something needs changing.
Ask who designs the site, who writes the code, and who you call after launch. If those are three different companies, expect slower answers.
2. Is the price fixed, and what does it cover?
An hourly estimate and a fixed quote can show the same number and end up costing very different amounts. Ask for the scope in writing:
- How many pages or templates are included
- Who writes the text and supplies the photos
- How many rounds of design changes are included
- What counts as a change of scope, and how it is priced
3. Will I see the design before it is built?
You should approve what the site will look like before anyone writes production code. Changes are cheap at the design stage and expensive afterwards.
Ask whether you will get a working preview link during the build, so you can check progress on your own phone instead of waiting for a reveal at the end.
4. Can I update it myself?
If your hours, prices, staff or news change, you should not need to pay a developer each time. Ask to see the editing screen you would use, and ask which kinds of changes would still need the company's help.
5. Who owns the domain and the accounts?
Your domain name should be registered in your name, in an account you can sign in to. The same goes for your Google Business Profile and any analytics account.
If the working relationship ends, these should stay with you. Sorting this out at the start is far easier than recovering a domain from a company you no longer work with.
6. What happens after launch?
A website needs hosting, backups, security updates and someone to notice when it goes down. Ask who does each of those, what it costs per month, and how quickly someone responds when the site is offline.
7. Can I see sites you have built?
Open a few of their live sites on your phone, not just the screenshots in a portfolio. Check how quickly they load and whether you can find a phone number within a few seconds. If you can, ask one of those clients how the project went.
How we answer them
At Poki Labs the people who design your site also build and host it. Every project gets a fixed quote before work starts, you approve the design before it is built, and you get working previews along the way. Sites include an admin for editing your own content, and managed hosting starts at $10 a month in Canadian dollars, before tax.