Hiring a web developer is a significant decision — not just because of the upfront cost, but because you'll be living with the result for three to five years. Most problems that emerge post-launch could have been identified before signing a contract, by asking the right questions.
This checklist is organised into five areas. Use it before committing to any developer or agency.
Portfolio and Experience (Questions 1–4)
- Can you show me three recent projects similar to what I need? Not just screenshots — the live URLs so you can test them on mobile and check loading speed.
- What is the Lighthouse Performance score of your most recent projects? Run pagespeed.web.dev on any site they show you. A score below 70 in Performance is a warning sign.
- Have you worked with businesses in my industry before? Relevant experience means fewer misunderstandings about requirements and faster delivery.
- Can I speak to two or three previous clients? A brief phone call with a past client is worth more than any written testimonial.
Technical Approach (Questions 5–10)
- What technology will you use to build the site, and why? WordPress, custom HTML/PHP, React — each has trade-offs. The answer should be justified by your specific needs, not by what the developer is most comfortable with.
- Will the site be mobile-first or mobile-adapted? There's a difference. Mobile-first means designed for small screens first, then scaled up. Mobile-adapted means designed for desktop and then made to work on mobile. Google's mobile-first indexing favours the former.
- What hosting do you recommend, and why? Shared hosting, managed WordPress hosting, VPS — the choice affects performance and maintenance. Be cautious of developers who want to host the site on their own server without transferring ownership.
- How will images be handled? Correct answer: WebP format, compressed, with lazy loading. JPEG/PNG images not optimised for web are a common cause of poor Performance scores.
- Will the site have an SSL certificate? Yes should be the only acceptable answer. HTTPS is required for trust, SEO, and Chrome's security indicators.
- What is your process for browser and device testing before launch? The site should be tested on Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and on iOS and Android devices before delivery.
SEO and Analytics (Questions 11–14)
- Is SEO configuration included, or is it an add-on? Basic technical SEO — meta titles, meta descriptions, sitemap.xml, canonical URLs, alt text on images — should be standard, not extra.
- Will you set up Google Search Console and submit the sitemap? This is a straightforward task that many developers skip. It matters for how quickly Google indexes the new site.
- Will Google Analytics 4 be installed and configured? Including conversion tracking (form submissions, WhatsApp clicks), not just the basic page-view tracking.
- What Schema.org structured data will be implemented? At minimum: Organisation, LocalBusiness (if applicable), WebPage. More is better for rich results in Google.
Content Management and Post-Launch (Questions 15–18)
- After launch, can I update the text and images myself? If the answer is no, or "yes, but with training," make sure the training is included and you understand what changes you can and cannot make independently.
- What is included in the post-launch support period, and for how long? A minimum of 30 days of bug fixes should be standard. Understand clearly what constitutes a bug (something broken) versus a change request (new feature or modification).
- What happens if I need a new page or feature six months after launch? Understand the ongoing relationship and rate structure before signing.
- Will you document the site's technical setup for me? Hosting login, domain registrar, WordPress admin credentials, theme, plugins, API keys — all in one document that you own.
Ownership and Contracts (Questions 19–20)
- Who owns the code after delivery? You should own everything — code, design files, domain, hosting account. Some developers retain ownership of code as leverage for ongoing contracts. This is uncommon but worth confirming explicitly.
- What does the contract say about delays, revisions, and scope changes? How many revision rounds are included? What is the process if the project runs over the agreed timeline? What constitutes a scope change that triggers additional costs?
The web development services at PC Data Insights address all 20 points above in the standard project contract and delivery documentation. Get in touch via the form or WhatsApp to receive a transparent proposal for your project, or see completed project examples in the portfolio.