Guide · Web development
How to Order a Website Without Regrets
Most website problems are built in before the start: nobody agreed who owns the domain, nobody asked about speed, nobody thought about where the leads go. Here are 12 questions to ask a developer, and the answers that should worry you.
People order a website once every few years, so nobody has much experience with it. We see the same mistakes again and again: the domain registered in the contractor's name, a site that takes 6 seconds to open on a phone, a contact form that sends nowhere. A few questions at the start rule all of that out.
What to prepare before the conversation
- The goal of the site in one sentence. Get leads, sell, show a portfolio, explain a service. The structure follows from it.
- 3-5 websites you like, and what exactly you like about them: style, structure, copy.
- A list of pages, at least roughly: home, services, about, contact, blog.
- Materials: logo, photos, texts or at least bullet points. Missing materials are the most common cause of delays.
- Timeline and budget, at least a ballpark. It helps propose a realistic format instead of the most expensive one.
12 questions to ask a developer
- Who will own the domain, the hosting and the code? The right answer: you. The domain and hosting are registered to your account and the developer gets access. Otherwise a year later you may lose the site together with the contractor.
- What happens when the site is opened on a phone? Most visitors come from mobile. The site must be responsive from 320 pixels, not "we'll adjust it later".
- How fast will it be? Ask for a target in PageSpeed Insights and for previous work shown in it. We bring sites to 90-100; a slow site loses both visitors and Google rankings.
- What SEO comes out of the box? The minimum: unique page titles and descriptions, correct tags, a sitemap, speed, structured data. Promotion is separate work, but the technical base must be there from day one. More on the SEO and optimisation page.
- Where do the leads go? Email, Telegram, a CRM? Is there spam protection? A form that only emails an inbox nobody checks is the same as no form.
- How will I see that the site works? Analytics: how many people visit, where from, what they click, where they abandon the form. We put our own analytics on every site, with no Google Analytics and no third-party cookie banners; see the demo.
- Can I change texts and prices myself? If yes, you need an admin panel or a CMS. If changes happen once a year, asking the developer is cheaper. The point is to decide before the start.
- What will the site be built with? The technology should fit the task: a landing page needs no heavy framework, and a shop with inventory should not be built on a site builder. Our approach is described under Web development.
- What is included in the price and what is not? Design, copy, photos, content entry, hosting, domain, SSL, support. The usual surprise is content entry: the pages exist but nobody fills them.
- What are the stages and what will I see at each one? Brief, prototype, design, development, testing, launch. You should see the result on a staging domain before paying for a stage, not "everything at the end".
- What about security and backups? HTTPS, updates, backups, bot protection on the form. Ask who is responsible for that after launch.
- What happens after launch? A bug-fix warranty, support terms, the hourly rate for changes. Get it in writing.
The answer that should worry you to any of these questions: "don't worry, it will all be fine". A good developer answers specifically or says honestly that something is not included in the offer.
What a normal process looks like
| Stage | What you get | How long |
|---|---|---|
| Brief | a specification with the page structure and the list of features | 1 day |
| Prototype | structure and design of the key screens before any code | 2-5 days |
| Development | the site on a staging domain that you check as it progresses | from 1 week |
| Launch | device testing, SEO, analytics, deployment to your hosting | 1-2 days |
| Support | bug-fix warranty, improvements when needed | ongoing |
A landing page or a business-card site takes from 3 days, an online store or a web app from 2 weeks. All stages, formats and answers about payment are on the How we work page.
In short
Domain and hosting in your name, responsiveness and speed in the requirements, leads to Telegram, analytics from day one, support terms in writing. With these five points covered, the site will not become a problem a year later. Describe your task and we will send an estimate broken down by stage.
Do I need a specification if I am not technical?
No, describing the task in your own words is enough. We ask the clarifying questions and write the specification for you to approve.
A site builder or custom development?
A builder is fine when you need a simple page for a few months and are ready to make it yourself. For a business that cares about speed, SEO, integrations and owning the code, custom development is the better choice.
How much does a website cost?
It depends on the number of pages, the design, the integrations and the content. After a short brief we send an estimate broken down by stage with no hidden fees.
Can an old site be moved to a new one without losing Google rankings?
Yes, if the page addresses are kept or redirects from old to new are set up, and the titles, descriptions and texts are carried over. We do that as part of the launch.