This is a topic I’m really familiar with. I like getting hired to work on photography websites (because that’s how I earn my living and because I know I can make a positive impact in their photography business).
And I love getting hard questions from clients about my work process, I never shy away from them. If I client asks the right questions I know they’re really committed and are approaching their website with the attention it deserves.
Alternatively, getting an email like this is an obvious red-flag:
I’ve mentioned this example in a previous article: 10 important mindset shifts you need to finally take your website & business to the next level.
So if you’ve decided to work with a web-designer on your photography website, here are some great questions you can ask him/her to really kickstart a great work relationship:
- Can I have a list of five references that I can contact?
- Do you do this full-time? How long have you been in business?
- Who does the work? If it’s not you, who are the employees, sub-contractors or outsourced people? How are they involved and how long have you worked with them?
- What is your process?
- What is the typical budget range for your projects?
- What is the typical timeframe for your projects?
- Can I have a short list of websites that you’ve built and what you were responsible for on them?
- What is your process for updates and requests after the site is launched?
- When are you available to start my project?
- What would you need from me to start?
This last question is obviously very important. During the discovery phase of a project, the web-designer should also ask you various questions to learn more about your needs for the site.
Whenever I talk to photographers about potentially building their site, I always send them to this “project kickstarter” questionnaire I’ve put together:
Scrolling through those questions will also give you a good idea of the type of info you need to prepare before hiring a web-designer. Knowing the answer to those questions also helps you clarify your own website & business goals.
Now that you know what to ask your web designer (and what they’ll ask you), also read up on what you should not ask them: 5 wrong things to ask you web-designer (when building your photography site).