Ten questions to ask before paying for a website redesign

A proposal should help you understand the work, not just impress you with a list of features. The questions below make it easier to compare providers on a like-for-like basis.

Ask about the problem and the deliverable

A redesign should have a clear reason. Find out which pages, templates and content are included, who supplies images and what happens to existing URLs. “SEO included” and “fully optimised” need concrete definitions.

Ask about the working relationship

Ownership, access, revisions, testing and ongoing care matter after the excitement of a new design fades. A sensible proposal makes these details visible before the deposit. If an answer is vague, ask for it to be written into the scope.

A practical checklist

• What problem are we solving?
• Which pages and templates are included?
• Who writes the content?
• Who provides and licenses images?
• What happens to existing URLs?
• Which integrations are included?
• How are revisions handled?
• What testing is performed?
• Who owns the accounts and code?
• What support follows launch?

What to do next

Start with one important page and one clearly defined problem. Keep a record of the original behaviour, make a controlled change and check the result. If you are not comfortable changing the site, the record gives a developer a useful starting point and makes the scope easier to agree.

A CHD website check can add public-page evidence to that conversation. The free result includes a score and up to three findings. The full $29 teardown includes the measured findings, practical guides, a private report and a PDF. Any repair work is reviewed and quoted before payment.