Every web designer's portfolio looks impressive — that's the point of a portfolio. The real signal of whether they're worth hiring lives in the questions that don't show up on a portfolio page at all.
Ask to See Live Sites, Not Just Screenshots
A portfolio screenshot can be a static image of a design that was never actually built, or a mockup that never launched. Ask for links to real, live client websites, and actually visit them. Check that they load quickly, look right on your phone, and that the contact form (if visible) appears to function. A designer who can't produce live links for past work is a real warning sign.
Ask What Happens After Launch
The build is only half the relationship. Ask specifically: how many revision rounds are included, what happens if you find an issue two weeks after launch, and whether ongoing support/maintenance is available and at what cost. Designers who haven't thought this through — or who go vague when asked — are telling you something about what the post-launch experience will be like.
Ask Who Owns What When It's Done
This is the question most first-time buyers skip and later regret. Confirm explicitly: do you own the domain (or does it stay registered under their account)? Do you get admin access to the finished site? If they're using a page builder or CMS, can another developer pick up the project later if needed, or is it locked to a proprietary system only they can edit? "Full ownership" should mean you could walk away and hire someone else to maintain it without starting over.
Ask for a Clear, Written Scope
"We'll build you a great website" is not a scope. A designer worth hiring can tell you specifically: how many pages, what features are included (contact form, gallery, blog setup), what's explicitly not included, and what the payment schedule looks like tied to specific milestones. Vague scopes are where budget overruns and timeline slippage both come from.
Check How They Communicate Before You've Paid Anything
How responsive someone is during the sales conversation is a genuinely reliable preview of how responsive they'll be once they have your deposit. Slow, vague replies before you've committed rarely improve afterward.
Red Flags Worth Taking Seriously
- Pressure to pay 100% upfront before any work is shown, with no staged payment tied to milestones.
- No willingness to put scope, timeline, or revision terms in writing.
- A portfolio of only mockups or "concept" work, with no verifiable live client sites.
- Vagueness about who owns the domain, hosting account, or final files.
- Reluctance to explain, in plain terms, what platform they're building on and why.
Green Flags Worth Valuing
- A clear, staged payment structure tied to specific deliverables (discovery → design approval → launch), not one lump sum upfront.
- A defined revision policy stated before you ask.
- Willingness to explain their process in plain language, without leaning on jargon to sound impressive.
- A written guarantee or clear policy for what happens if you're not satisfied at a review checkpoint.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I always choose the cheapest quote?
No — price alone tells you little. A very low quote with no clear scope or ownership terms often costs more in the long run through scope disputes or a site you can't maintain elsewhere. Compare scope and terms, not just the number.
How many designers should I get quotes from?
Two to three is usually enough to calibrate what's reasonable for your project, without turning the process itself into a time sink.
Is it normal to pay a deposit before work starts?
Yes — a reasonable deposit (commonly 20-30%) tied to project start is standard. What's worth questioning is being asked for the full amount upfront with nothing tied to milestones.
What questions should I ask in the first conversation?
What's included in the price, what's not, how many revisions, what the payment schedule looks like, who owns the final files and domain, and what happens if you're unhappy partway through.
Zyncod's scope, payment schedule, and ownership terms are stated upfront, before any deposit — see the full breakdown on the Growth Website Package page →