Hiring someone to build your website is a lot like hiring a contractor for a remodel: most do fine work, but the bad ones follow predictable patterns — and the cost of picking wrong is months of headaches. Here's a straight checklist of red flags, plus the ownership question every owner should ask before paying a dime: who actually owns my website?
Red Flag #1: They Go Quiet After the Deposit
The most common complaint I hear from owners burned by a previous designer: paid half up front, then texts went unanswered for weeks. A professional gives you a timeline in writing and hits it — or tells you why they didn't. If communication is bad before they've been paid in full, it will not improve after.
Red Flag #2: No Contract, Just a Handshake
No written agreement means no agreed price, no agreed timeline, and no clarity on what happens if either side wants out. A real contract doesn't have to be twenty pages — one or two pages covering scope, price, timeline, and who owns what is enough. If a designer won't put it in writing, that's your answer.
Red Flag #3: The Domain Isn't in Your Name
Your domain — yourbusiness.com — is the most valuable piece of your online presence. It should be registered in your name, on your account, with you holding the login. Some designers register the client's domain under their own account "to make it easy." Then when the relationship ends, getting your own domain back becomes a negotiation. Never let this happen.
Red Flag #4: The "Website Rental" Lock-In
This is the big one. Some designers don't sell you a website — they rent you one. You pay every month, and the day you stop paying, your site comes down and you're left with nothing. No files, no domain control, start over from zero.
A monthly care plan is not the same thing as a rental. Here's the difference: with a legitimate care plan, you're paying for hosting, the security certificate, updates, fixes, and support. If you cancel, the site stays up — you just lose the updates and support, and you take your files and domain with you. With a rental, canceling means the site disappears. Always ask: "If I cancel, does my website stay live?" Get the answer in writing.
Ask any designer: "If I stop paying you tomorrow, what exactly do I still have?" An honest answer lists your domain (in your name), your site files, and a live site. A vague answer is a red flag wearing a smile.
Red Flag #5: No Mobile Testing
Most of your customers will visit your site on a phone. If a designer shows you the finished site only on their laptop and never checks it on a real phone, they skipped the most important test. Ask to see it on your own phone before you approve anything.
Red Flag #6: They Own Everything and You Own Nothing
Related to the rental problem: some designers keep the site files, the hosting account, the domain, and even the login to everything, handing you nothing but a bill. You should have, at minimum: the domain in your name, a copy of or access to your site files, and logins to anything registered on your behalf. It's your business asset. Treat it like one.
Who Owns Your Website? The Plain Answer
Here's how ownership should work, in plain terms:
- The domain: registered in your name, on your account. Always.
- The site files: yours. You paid for the site to be built; the files belong to you.
- The content: your text, your photos, your logo — yours, obviously.
- The designer's work: the designer owns their process and tools, but the finished site they built for you is your asset.
That's how I do it with every site I build in the Tri-Cities: your domain in your name, your files are yours, and the $99/month care plan (or $990/year) covers hosting, SSL, small updates, fixes, and support — never a rental. Cancel any time and the site stays live and stays yours; you just handle updates yourself from there. Phone is (509) 802-3087 if you want to talk through any of this before you hire anyone — even if it's not me.
Quick Vetting Checklist
- Written contract with scope, price, and timeline — yes or no?
- Domain registered in your name — yes or no?
- If you cancel, does the site stay live? — get it in writing
- Do you get your site files? — yes or no?
- Will they show you the site on a real phone before launch? — yes or no?
- Can you reach them by phone, not just a contact form? — test it
Five minutes with this checklist will filter out most of the bad experiences before they start. A good designer will answer every one of these without flinching.
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Hiring a Web Designer: FAQ
Who should own my domain name?
You. Your domain should be registered in your name, on your account, with you holding the login. Never let a designer register your domain under their own account.
What's a 'website rental' and why should I avoid it?
Some designers rent you a site: stop paying and the site comes down, leaving you with nothing. A legitimate care plan is different — cancel and your site stays live; you just lose updates and support.
If I cancel a care plan, does my website stay up?
With an honest setup, yes. Ask directly — 'If I stop paying you tomorrow, what exactly do I still have?' — and get the answer in writing before you sign.
Should a web designer give me a contract?
Yes. Even one or two pages covering scope, price, timeline, and ownership is enough. No written agreement means no agreed price and no clarity if either side wants out.
What should I check before a site goes live?
View it on your own phone, not just the designer's laptop. Most of your customers visit on mobile, so mobile testing is the most important check.
Get a price tied to your actual business.
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