How to choose a web developer (and what to ask first)

Your website is often the first impression a customer has of your business — so choosing who builds it matters. Whether you’re talking to a freelancer or an agency, a few pointed questions tell you almost everything you need to know.

Ask to see real, live work

Mockups are easy; shipped sites are not. Ask for links to live projects and open them on your phone. Are they fast? Do they look good on a small screen? Would you trust the business behind them? A portfolio of real, working sites is the single best signal.

Ask how they handle speed and SEO

A beautiful site that loads slowly or can’t be found on Google is a liability. A good developer treats performance and technical SEO as fundamentals, not upsells — and can explain, in plain language, how they build them in.

• Can I see live sites you’ve built?
• How do you make sites fast and SEO-ready?
• Who owns the code and content when we’re done?
• What happens after launch — updates, support, hosting?
• How and when will I get a fixed quote?

Clarity beats jargon

The best developers explain things simply, give you a clear timeline and a fixed quote, and tell you what they’re doing and why. If a conversation leaves you more confused than when you started, that’s your answer.

Have a project in mind? Send a few details and you’ll get straight answers — and a fixed quote — within 24 hours.