You should ask some questions before you hire a web designer, so you don't have regrets  later on.  But what are the right questions?

Here are the top 10 that I could think of. 

There are lots of platforms in use today. Which one are we using? 

We highly recommend WordPress as it is very scale-able. To give you an idea of big companies that use WordPress platform here are you few brands you might recognize. 

2. Who Pays for Hosting?

All websites need hosting. This means there's a server somewhere that is storing all the info that is on your website. There are many different hosting companies out there and I recommend you do your research before you decide. 

Generally speaking you get what you pay for when it comes to hosting. 

We use WPX Hosting and highly recommend it but only if your website is using WordPress. They specialize in WordPress so probably won't work too well for other platforms.

3. Who is Doing the Updates?

This is very important! Most people don't realize that websites need to be updated. 

If the theme and plugin updates aren't done on a fairly regular basis on a website it will become slow and eventually quit working altogether. 

It's just a matter of logging into the backend dashboard of your website and hitting a few buttons. 

We recommend doing them at least monthly! We do updates for all our client's websites weekly.

4. SEO or No?

There are web designers and there are SEO guys. And some do both. I'd just ask this question so you know what your guy does. 

And is it included in the website price or is it separate?

Depending what industry you are in may or may not need SEO work done. Ask your designer what he recommends if you're not sure.

5. Is there an SSL Certificate included?

There's a lot more security there if your website has one. Some companies include them and some you have to buy your SSL Certificate separately. 

The search engines nowadays really prefer websites that have an SSL Certificate installed. So for SEO purposes you should consider having one.

Prices range from Free (included with hosting) to as high $100.

6. Can I easily get Reviews?

Reviews and testimonials can really boost your results that you get from your website. 

The ideal setup would be a review page where your happy customers can go and they have a button that allow them to click and leave a review on all the different platforms. 

7. How Long Is it going to Take?

Need I say more? 

But seriously! Some designers are used to building a website in 3-4 days and others 3- 4 months. So it can vary greatly! 

Just make sure you are on the same page. 

Can I have unlimited changes made and will it cost me extra if I want a picture changed in 6 months?

This also can vary greatly from one web designer to the next. 

9. Can I see Examples?

This is actually one of the first things I'd do. 

If the designer has happy customers he will probably have a link to some of his projects he has completed right on his website. If he doesn't then I'd consider looking for another person to build my website.

10. Do you have a Referral Program?

Hope this helps and if there's any that I missed, feel free to leave a comment down below! 

Sharing is always appreciated!