Choosing a web designer in Windham County: the 6 questions that matter most

Here is a hypothetical example. A Brattleboro contractor signs a contract with a web designer. The designer quoted $2,800 for a WordPress site with a four-week timeline. He asked for 50% upfront ($1,400). The contractor paid. Four weeks later the designer had missed two meetings and delivered no work. Then the emails stopped getting answers. The contractor found the designer's portfolio site offline and his phone disconnected. The $1,400 was gone. The contractor had no website, no recourse, and no idea how to vet a designer better next time.

This happens more than you would think. Windham County is full of web designers (freelancers, small agencies, solo developers working out of home offices), and the quality ranges from excellent to terrible. Some designers are skilled professionals who deliver fast, well-built sites on time and on budget. Some are hobbyists who take your money and disappear. Some are well-intentioned but overwhelmed (they take on too many projects, miss deadlines, and deliver mediocre work). From the outside, they all look the same. They all have portfolio sites, testimonials, and confident sales pitches.

The difference between a good designer and a bad one is not obvious until you are halfway through the project and things are going wrong. By then, you have already paid half (or all) of the fee and invested weeks or months. Switching designers means starting over. The time to vet a designer is before you sign anything, not after things go sideways.

This post walks through the six questions that separate good web designers from bad ones. These are not the questions designers expect you to ask ("What platform do you use?" "How long have you been in business?"). These are the questions that reveal whether a designer has the skills, the process, the reliability, and the integrity to deliver what they promise. Ask these questions before you sign a contract or pay a deposit. If a designer cannot answer them clearly and confidently, walk away.

Question 1: Can you show me three sites you built in the last 12 months, and can I test their speed right now?

This is the single most important question. A designer's portfolio tells you everything you need to know about the quality of work they deliver. But you need to know what to look for, and you need to test the sites yourself (do not just take the designer's word that the sites are "fast and optimized").

Here is what to ask for and how to evaluate it:

Ask for three recent sites (built in the last 12 months)

Designers often show portfolio sites they built five or ten years ago (or sites they worked on as part of a team at a previous job). You want to see recent work (last 12 months) that reflects their current skills and process. Recent sites also tend to still be online and maintained, so you can test them.

Ask: "Can you show me three sites you built in the last 12 months, preferably for businesses similar to mine?" If the designer cannot show you three recent sites, that is a red flag. Either they are new (not enough experience) or not busy (not enough clients). The other possibility is that their recent work is not good enough to show.

Test the speed yourself using Google PageSpeed Insights

Do not trust the designer when they say the sites are "fast and optimized." Test them yourself. Visit each portfolio site on your phone. Does it load quickly (under 3 seconds)? Does it look good on mobile? Then test the speed using Google PageSpeed Insights (pagespeed.web.dev). Enter the site's URL and run the test. Google will give the site a score (0 to 100) for mobile and desktop performance.

Here is what the scores mean:

90 to 100 (green): Excellent. The site is fast and well-optimized. This is what you want.

50 to 89 (orange): Mediocre. The site is slower than it should be. This is common for WordPress sites or site builder platforms (Wix, Squarespace). If all of the designer's portfolio sites score in this range, they are delivering mediocre work.

0 to 49 (red): Terrible. The site is very slow. This is unacceptable for a professional site. If the designer's portfolio sites score in this range, they do not know how to build fast sites. Walk away.

Most lean, well-built sites score 90+ on PageSpeed Insights. Most WordPress sites score 50 to 75. Most Wix or Squarespace sites score 30 to 60. If a designer claims to build "fast, optimized sites" but their portfolio sites score below 80, they are either lying or they do not understand what fast means.

Here is a hypothetical example. Say a Putney coffee shop interviewed a freelance designer. The designer's website looked professional (clean design, testimonials, confident copy). The designer showed the coffee shop owner a portfolio of six sites. The owner tested three of them using PageSpeed Insights. All three scored between 35 and 52 (red or orange). The sites took 6 to 9 seconds to load on mobile. The owner asked the designer why the sites were so slow. The designer said "speed is not as important as design, and WordPress is the industry standard." The owner walked away and hired a different designer whose portfolio sites scored 92, 88, and 94 (all under 2 seconds to load on mobile). The coffee shop's site launched four weeks later and scored 91 on PageSpeed Insights. It ranked in the top three Google results for "coffee shop Putney VT" within six weeks. Speed matters, and the portfolio proves whether a designer can deliver it.

Look at whether the sites are visually similar or unique

If all of the portfolio sites look identical (same layout, same fonts, same structure), the designer is using templates and just swapping out content and colors. There is nothing wrong with templates if the sites are fast and functional, but you should know that is what you are getting (and you should not pay premium prices for template work).

If the portfolio sites look varied (different layouts, different structures, customized to each business), the designer is building custom sites or heavily customizing templates. This is better, but it also takes longer and costs more.

Check whether the sites are still online and maintained

Visit the portfolio sites. Are they still live? Do they look current (recent copyright dates, current content, no broken images or links)? If the sites are offline or look abandoned (2019 copyright dates, broken images, outdated content), the designer either did not deliver lasting work or the clients left the designer and moved on. Either way, it is a red flag.

Here is a hypothetical example. Say a Brattleboro retail shop interviewed a designer who showed a portfolio of eight beautiful sites. The shop owner clicked through to visit the sites. Three were offline (domain expired or hosting lapsed). Two had copyright dates from 2018 and looked abandoned. One had broken images and a "site under construction" banner. Only two were live, current, and functional. The shop owner asked the designer what happened to the other sites. The designer said "clients did not renew hosting" or "clients moved to different designers." The shop owner realized the designer was not building sites that lasted or clients that stayed. She walked away.

Question 2: What happens if the site is not done on time, or if I am not happy with the result?

Most web designers promise deadlines ("your site will be live in four weeks") and most miss them. Timelines slip for many reasons (the designer is overbooked, the client is slow to provide content, revisions take longer than expected, technical issues come up). Some delays are reasonable. But if a designer misses the deadline by weeks or months with no communication and no accountability, that is a problem.

Before you sign a contract, ask what happens if the timeline slips or if you are not happy with the result. A good designer will have clear answers and will put them in the contract. A bad designer will dodge the question or say "that never happens."

Ask: "What happens if the site is not done by the deadline?"

A good answer includes accountability and a backup plan. Examples:

"If we miss the deadline, I will either refund part of the fee for the delay (X dollars per week) or prioritize your project and deliver within one additional week with no extra charge."

"The timeline assumes you provide content and feedback on schedule. If we miss the deadline due to delays on my end, I will finish the remaining work at no charge. If we miss the deadline due to delays on your end, we will adjust the timeline and I will let you know the new delivery date."

A bad answer is vague or deflects blame. Examples:

"We never miss deadlines." (Not believable. Every designer has missed a deadline.)

"The timeline depends on how quickly you provide content." (This is true, but it is not an answer to the question. What happens if the designer misses the timeline?)

"We'll just keep working until it is done." (No accountability, no consequence for delays.)

A good designer builds buffer time into the timeline (they quote four weeks but plan to deliver in three, so they have a one-week cushion). A good designer communicates proactively when delays happen (they email you before the deadline to explain the delay and give you a new timeline). A good designer puts consequences in the contract (refund clauses, revision limits, timeline guarantees).

Here is a hypothetical example. Say a Bellows Falls contractor hired a designer who promised a four-week timeline. The contract said nothing about what happens if the timeline slips. Six weeks later, the site was not done. The contractor emailed the designer. The designer said "I have been busy with other projects, but I will get to yours soon." Two more weeks passed. The contractor asked for a refund. The designer said "the contract does not allow refunds once work has started." The contractor had paid $2,000 upfront and had no site and no recourse. He eventually got the site 12 weeks late (triple the promised timeline). He learned to ask about timeline accountability before signing a contract.

Ask: "How many rounds of revisions are included, and what happens if I want changes after launch?"

Revisions are a common source of conflict between designers and clients. The client says "this is not what I asked for, please change it." The designer says "that will cost extra because you already approved the design." Both sides feel frustrated.

Before you sign a contract, clarify how many rounds of revisions are included in the price and what happens if you want changes after the site launches.

A good answer is specific. Examples:

"The price includes two rounds of revisions during the design phase (after I show you the initial mockups and after I show you the revised mockups). After the site launches, minor changes (text edits, photo swaps) are included for 30 days. Major changes (new pages, redesigns, new functionality) are billed at $100/hour."

"The price includes unlimited minor revisions (text, images, colors, layout tweaks) during the build phase. Major revisions (changing the structure or adding new pages) are billed separately. After launch, I offer a maintenance plan ($100/month) that includes ongoing updates, or you can request changes on an hourly basis ($120/hour)."

A bad answer is vague. Examples:

"We will work with you until you are happy." (This sounds good, but it is not specific. What if "until you are happy" takes 20 rounds of revisions? Is that included, or will the designer start charging extra?)

"Revisions are included." (How many? What counts as a revision?)

"Changes after launch are extra." (How much extra? Hourly rate? Per change? Bundled packages?)

Get the revision policy in writing in the contract. Know exactly how many revisions you get and what counts as a minor vs. major change. Also know what changes cost after launch. This prevents surprises and disputes later.

Here is a hypothetical example. Say a Wilmington restaurant hired a designer for $3,200. The contract said "two rounds of revisions included." The designer delivered the first draft. The restaurant owner asked for changes (different fonts, different menu layout, different photo placements). The designer made the changes and said "that was round one." The owner reviewed the second draft and asked for more changes (adjust colors, rewrite the homepage intro, add a section about the chef). The designer said "that was round two, any further changes will be $150/hour." The owner felt trapped (the site was not what she wanted, but she had used up her revisions). She paid an extra $600 for a third round of changes. The site launched, but the owner was frustrated. She wished she had negotiated unlimited minor revisions in the contract upfront.

Ask: "What happens if I am not happy with the final result? Can I get a refund?"

Most web design contracts are non-refundable once work starts. This protects the designer (they have already invested time and they cannot sell the work to someone else). But it leaves the client at risk (if the designer delivers terrible work, the client has no recourse).

Before you sign, ask whether refunds are possible and under what conditions. A good designer will offer a satisfaction guarantee or a clear refund policy. A bad designer will say "all sales are final, no refunds."

A reasonable refund policy might be:

"If you are not satisfied with the design after the first draft, you can cancel the project and I will refund 50% of the deposit (you pay for the discovery and initial design work, but you get half of your deposit back). If you cancel after the second draft, no refund is available (because the site is mostly complete)."

"If I fail to deliver the site within eight weeks (double the promised timeline), you can cancel for a full refund."

"I guarantee you will be happy with the site. If you are not satisfied after launch, I will continue revisions at no charge until you are satisfied (up to a reasonable limit of 10 total revisions)."

A bad refund policy is:

"No refunds under any circumstances."

"Refunds are at my discretion." (This means no refunds unless the designer feels like giving one.)

Most designers will not offer full refunds for completed work, and that is reasonable. But a good designer will offer some protection (partial refunds, satisfaction guarantees, extra revisions) if things go wrong. If a designer offers zero protection and zero flexibility, they are not confident in their work or they do not care about client satisfaction.

Here is a hypothetical example. Say a Brattleboro nonprofit hired a designer for $1,800 (50% upfront, 50% on completion). The contract said "no refunds." The designer delivered a site that was slow, looked outdated, and did not match the nonprofit's branding. The nonprofit asked for revisions. The designer made minor changes but said "this is what you get for $1,800." The nonprofit was stuck (they had paid $900 upfront and owed another $900 on completion). They paid the remaining $900 to get the files and then hired a different designer to rebuild the site ($2,500). Total cost: $4,300 for a site that should have cost $1,800 to $2,500. The nonprofit learned to negotiate a satisfaction guarantee or partial refund clause before signing a contract.

Question 3: Who will host the site, and what happens if something breaks?

Hosting is one of the most overlooked parts of hiring a web designer, and it is one of the most common sources of problems. Many designers build a site and hand it over. After that, hosting, updates and security are your problem. If the site goes down, gets hacked, or breaks, you are on your own (or you pay the designer again to fix it). Before you hire a designer, clarify who handles hosting and what happens if something goes wrong.

Ask: "Is hosting included in the price, or do I need to arrange hosting separately?"

Some designers include hosting in their price (usually as part of a monthly subscription or an annual maintenance plan). Some designers expect you to arrange hosting yourself (you pay a hosting company like SiteGround, Bluehost, or GoDaddy directly). Some designers arrange hosting for you but charge you a markup (you pay the designer $30/month for hosting that costs them $10/month from the hosting company).

A good answer is clear and upfront. Examples:

"Hosting is included in the monthly subscription ($250/month covers the site build, hosting, updates, and support)."

"Hosting is not included. I recommend [hosting company]. You will need to sign up and pay them directly ($15 to $30/month). I can help you set it up if needed."

"I will arrange hosting for you. The cost is $25/month, which covers hosting, SSL certificate, and backups. I handle all of the technical setup and maintenance."

A bad answer is vague or deceptive. Examples:

"We will figure out hosting later." (This is a red flag. Hosting should be discussed upfront, not as an afterthought.)

"Hosting is included." (But the designer does not specify what happens after the first year, or they charge a huge markup on hosting costs.)

If hosting is not included, ask for a hosting recommendation and the estimated cost. Make sure you understand who will set up the hosting (you or the designer) and who will manage it ongoing (you or the designer). If you are not technical, paying extra for the designer to handle hosting is worth it.

Here is a hypothetical example. Say a Townshend yoga studio hired a designer for $1,500. Hosting was not included. The designer told the studio owner to sign up for hosting on SiteGround ($18/month). The owner had no idea how to set up hosting, so she paid the designer an extra $200 to handle it. A year later, the hosting bill went up to $25/month (SiteGround renewal rate increased). The owner did not notice. Two years later, she realized she had been paying $25/month ($300/year) for hosting when she could have had hosting included in her designer's price from the start. She wished she had asked about hosting upfront.

Ask: "What happens if the site goes down or gets hacked?"

Every website will have downtime at some point (server issues, DNS problems, hosting outages, hacks). The question is: who fixes it, how fast and at what cost?

Before you sign a contract, ask what happens if something goes wrong. A good designer will have a clear plan. A bad designer will say "that never happens" or "you will need to contact your hosting company."

A good answer includes support. Examples:

"If the site goes down, email or call me and I will investigate immediately (usually within 2 hours during business hours). If it is a hosting issue, I will work with the hosting company to resolve it. If it is a site issue, I will fix it at no charge (included in your monthly subscription)."

"If the site goes down, contact your hosting company first (they handle server issues). If it is a problem with the site itself (broken code, plugin conflict, etc.), contact me and I will fix it. My hourly rate is $120/hour. Most fixes take 1 to 3 hours."

"I offer a maintenance plan ($150/month) that includes hosting, updates, backups, security monitoring, and support. If anything goes wrong, I fix it at no extra charge."

A bad answer is:

"Contact your hosting company." (This leaves you on your own if the problem is with the site, not the hosting.)

"I can fix it, but I charge $200/hour." (This is expensive for emergency support, and you have no idea what the final bill will be.)

"That should not happen." (Everything breaks eventually. A designer who says it will not happen either has no experience or is not being honest.)

Most small businesses in Windham County are not technical and do not have time to troubleshoot website issues. If your site goes down and you lose a day of business, that costs you money (lost sales, lost bookings, lost credibility). Paying extra for a designer who handles support and fixes issues quickly is worth it. A price that includes hosting, security and backups removes most of the risk of surprise repair bills.

Here is a hypothetical example. Say a Newfane bed-and-breakfast hired a freelance designer for $2,200. The designer built a WordPress site and handed it over. Hosting was on SiteGround ($20/month, managed by the B&B owner). A year later, the site was hacked (a WordPress plugin vulnerability). The site displayed spam links and malware warnings. The owner contacted the designer. The designer said "I can clean it up and add security, but it will cost $500." The owner paid. Six months later, the site broke (a plugin update conflicted with the theme). The owner contacted the designer. The designer quoted $250 to fix it. The owner paid. Two years into ownership, the owner had paid $2,200 (initial build) + $480 (hosting, 24 months × $20) + $500 (hack cleanup) + $250 (plugin fix) = $3,430. A subscription site at $250/month for 24 months would have cost $6,000 total, but it would have included hosting, security, updates, and support with no surprise repair bills. The B&B owner regretted not asking about support and ongoing costs upfront.

Ask: "Do you provide backups, and how often are they done?"

Backups are critical. If your site gets hacked, breaks, or the hosting company loses data, a recent backup is the only way to restore the site without starting over. Before you hire a designer, ask whether backups are included and how often they are done.

A good answer is:

"Backups are automatic and run daily. I store backups offsite (separate from the hosting server) for 30 days. If anything happens to the site, I can restore it from a recent backup."

"Your hosting plan includes automatic backups (daily or weekly, depending on the plan). I will verify that backups are working when I set up hosting."

A bad answer is:

"You will need to handle backups yourself." (Most small business owners do not know how to set up or manage backups.)

"I will do a manual backup before major updates." (Manual backups are not reliable. Automatic backups are the only safe option.)

"Backups are not included." (This is a huge red flag. Every site should have backups.)

If backups are not included, ask the designer to set up automatic backups as part of the build (this usually costs $10 to $30/month extra, or it may be included in your hosting plan). Do not launch a site without backups.

Question 4: What is your process, and how will we communicate during the project?

Miscommunication is the number one cause of web design project failures. The client expects one thing and the designer delivers something else. Both sides end up frustrated. A good designer will have a clear process and will communicate proactively at every step. A bad designer will ghost you for weeks, miss deadlines, and deliver work that does not match what you asked for.

Before you hire a designer, ask them to walk you through their process step by step and explain how they will communicate with you during the project.

Ask: "What is your process, from kickoff to launch?"

A good designer will walk you through a clear, step-by-step process. Example:

"Here is the process: (1) Kickoff meeting (we discuss your goals, your audience, your content, and your timeline). (2) I create a content outline and design brief (you review and approve). (3) I design the homepage mockup (you review and request revisions). (4) I finalize the design and build the full site. (5) You review the full site and request final revisions. (6) We launch the site and I train you on how to make basic updates (if needed). The whole process takes four weeks, with check-ins every Monday."

A bad designer will give a vague answer. Example:

"I will build your site and we will launch when it is ready." (No clear steps, no timeline, no check-ins.)

"We will collaborate throughout the project." (This sounds good but is not specific. How often will you communicate? What are the milestones? What do you review and approve?)

A good process includes specific milestones, specific deliverables at each milestone (mockups, drafts, final site), and specific opportunities for you to review and provide feedback. If the designer cannot explain the process clearly before the project starts, they do not have a process (and the project will be chaotic).

Here is a hypothetical example. Say a Londonderry contractor hired a designer who could not explain his process. The designer said "I will build your site and send you updates as I go." The contractor agreed. Four weeks later, the designer sent a link to a staging site (a draft version of the site visible only to the contractor). The contractor reviewed it and hated it (the design did not match what he asked for, the layout was confusing, the content was in the wrong order). The designer said "you did not tell me you wanted something different." The contractor said "I told you what I wanted in our kickoff meeting." Both sides were frustrated. The project took 10 weeks instead of 4, and the contractor was never fully happy with the result. He learned to ask for a clear process with milestones and approvals before starting.

Ask: "How often will we communicate, and what is the best way to reach you?"

Good communication keeps projects on track. A good designer will communicate proactively (they reach out to you before you have to chase them down). A bad designer will disappear for weeks and leave you wondering what is happening.

Before you hire a designer, ask how often you will communicate and what the best way to reach them is (email, phone, text, Slack, video calls).

A good answer is:

"We will have a kickoff meeting to start the project, then I will send you a progress update every Monday via email. If you need to reach me between updates, email is best (I respond within 24 hours on weekdays). If something is urgent, you can text me at (phone number)."

"I will check in with you at the end of each phase (after the design mockup, after the first draft, before launch). You can email me anytime with questions, and I will respond within one business day."

A bad answer is:

"I will reach out when I have updates." (This is vague. How often will that be? What if you have questions in the meantime?)

"Email me if you need anything." (But the designer does not specify response time, so you have no idea how long you will wait for answers.)

If the designer is hard to reach during the sales process (slow to respond to emails, misses calls, reschedules meetings), they will be hard to reach during the project. A designer who responds quickly and communicates clearly before you hire them will do the same after you hire them. A designer who is slow or flaky before you hire them will be worse after you pay them.

A West Dover shop owner interviewed two designers. The first designer took three days to answer the first inquiry email and rescheduled the intro meeting twice. Then he showed up 15 minutes late to the rescheduled meeting. The second designer responded to the inquiry within two hours and confirmed the meeting time the day before. She arrived on time with a clear agenda. The shop owner hired the second designer. The project went smoothly (clear communication, on-time delivery, no surprises). The shop owner later heard from another business owner who hired the first designer and had a terrible experience (missed deadlines, poor communication, subpar work).

Ask: "What do you need from me, and when do you need it?"

Many web design projects stall because the client does not provide content, photos, or feedback on time. The designer is waiting for the client while the client thinks the designer is working. Weeks go by with no progress. Before you start the project, ask the designer what they need from you and when they need it.

A good answer is specific:

"I will need the following from you: (1) Logo and branding files (if you have them). (2) Written content for each page (or bullet points if you want me to write it). (3) Photos (at least 10 to 15 high-quality photos of your business, your team, your work, or your products). (4) Your Google Business Profile URL (if you have one). I will need all of this by the end of week one (after our kickoff meeting). If you cannot provide it by then, let me know and we will adjust the timeline."

A bad answer is vague:

"I will let you know what I need as we go." (This creates confusion. You do not know what to prepare, and the designer will be waiting on you.)

"Just send me whatever you have." (Not specific enough. What content do they need? What format? When?)

If the designer needs content or photos from you, ask whether they can help create it (some designers write content or source stock photos for an additional fee). If you do not have professional photos, ask whether real photos from your phone will work (they usually do, and they are better than stock photos). If you are not sure what content to provide, ask the designer to create an outline or a content template for you to fill in.

Question 5: Can you show me that your sites rank in Google, or do I need to hire someone else for SEO?

Many web designers build beautiful sites that never rank in Google. The site looks great, but nobody finds it because it is not optimized for search. Before you hire a designer, ask whether they build sites for SEO or treat SEO as a separate job. If it is separate, ask whether they bring in an SEO specialist or you hire one yourself.

Ask: "Do the sites you build rank in Google, or is SEO something I need to hire someone else for?"

A good designer will say yes, SEO is included (or at least the basics are included). They will explain what they do to make sites rank well. Example:

"Yes, every site I build is optimized for local search. I include clean code (fast loading speed), mobile-friendly design, proper title tags and meta descriptions, schema markup, and a link to your Google Business Profile. I also make sure your content includes your location and service keywords naturally. You do not need to hire a separate SEO person unless you want advanced SEO (ongoing content, link building, etc.)."

A bad designer will say SEO is separate. Example:

"I build the site, and you can hire an SEO specialist later to optimize it." (This means the designer is not building for SEO, and you will pay twice, once for the site and again for SEO.)

"SEO is not my area. I focus on design." (This is a red flag. A designer who ignores SEO is delivering a site that will not generate leads.)

SEO does not have to be complicated. The basics (fast speed, mobile-friendly, clear content, schema markup, Google Business Profile integration) should be included in every site build. If a designer does not do this by default, they are not building professional business sites. (See the local SEO guide for more on what matters.)

A good way to verify that a designer builds for SEO is to ask them to show you portfolio sites that rank well. Pick a portfolio site and Google the business name plus the town (e.g., "bakery Brattleboro VT"). Does the site show up in the top three results? If yes, the designer is doing something right. If no, the designer is not building for search.

Here is a hypothetical example. Say a Brattleboro restaurant hired a designer who built a gorgeous custom-designed site (beautiful photography, elegant typography, unique layout). The site launched. The restaurant owner Googled "restaurant Brattleboro VT." Her site was not in the top 10 results. She Googled her restaurant name. Her site was third (below Yelp and TripAdvisor). She asked the designer why the site did not rank. The designer said "SEO takes time, and you should hire an SEO specialist." The restaurant owner hired an SEO consultant who reviewed the site and found major issues (no title tags, no meta descriptions, slow loading speed, no schema markup, no internal links). The consultant quoted $2,500 to fix the SEO issues. The restaurant owner paid. The site started ranking well three months later. Total cost: $7,000 (designer) + $2,500 (SEO fixes) = $9,500. A designer who builds for SEO from the start would have delivered a site that ranked well at launch for $3,000 to $5,000 total. The restaurant owner regretted not asking about SEO upfront.

Ask: "Will the site load in under 3 seconds on mobile?"

Speed is the most important technical SEO factor. Google prioritizes fast sites. Visitors leave slow sites. If your site loads in 6 seconds, you lose half of your visitors before the page finishes loading. Before you hire a designer, ask whether the site will load in under 3 seconds on mobile, and ask them to prove it by showing you PageSpeed Insights scores for their portfolio sites.

A good answer is:

"Yes, every site I build loads in under 3 seconds on mobile. I use custom code (no heavy WordPress themes or plugins) and I optimize images and scripts. Here are PageSpeed Insights scores for three recent sites I built: [shows scores of 88, 92, 95]."

A bad answer is:

"Speed depends on your hosting." (Speed depends on the code, not just the hosting. A designer who blames hosting is deflecting.)

"I do not test speed." (This is a red flag. Speed is too important to ignore.)

"Speed is not that important." (Speed is critical for SEO and user experience. A designer who says it is not important does not understand modern web development.)

If a designer cannot guarantee fast loading speed, walk away. Fast sites are not optional in 2026. They are the baseline for professional business websites.

Question 6: Can I talk to three past clients before I decide?

The best way to vet a designer is to talk to their past clients. Portfolio sites and testimonials tell you what the designer wants you to see. Past clients tell you what working with the designer is actually like. Before you hire a designer, ask for three references (past clients you can call or email). A good designer will provide references happily. A bad designer will dodge the question.

Ask: "Can you give me the contact info for three clients you worked with in the last year? I would like to ask them about their experience."

A good designer will say yes immediately and provide names, phone numbers or email addresses, and context (what kind of site they built for each client, when the project was completed). Example:

"Sure, here are three recent clients: [Client 1, bakery in Brattleboro, site completed in October 2024, phone number]. [Client 2, contractor in Bellows Falls, site completed in December 2024, email address]. [Client 3, retail shop in Putney, site completed in January 2025, phone number]. Feel free to reach out and ask them about their experience."

A bad designer will hesitate, make excuses, or refuse. Examples:

"I do not give out client contact info because of privacy." (This is a weak excuse. Most clients are happy to serve as references, and the designer can ask permission first.)

"Here are some testimonials instead." (Testimonials are curated. You want to talk to real clients and ask your own questions.)

"Most of my clients are busy and prefer not to be contacted." (If clients do not want to talk about their experience, that is a red flag.)

If the designer provides references, call or email at least two of them. Ask these questions:

Was the project completed on time and on budget? (If no, why not? Whose fault was it?)

How was communication during the project? (Did the designer respond quickly? Were updates proactive or did you have to chase them down?)

Were you happy with the final result? (If no, why not? Did the designer fix issues or leave you stuck?)

Have you had any issues with the site since launch? (Downtime, hacks, bugs? If yes, did the designer fix them quickly?)

Would you hire this designer again? (This is the most important question. If the answer is no or hesitant, dig deeper.)

Past clients will tell you the truth. They will warn you about red flags (missed deadlines, poor communication, subpar work, surprise costs). They will also tell you what the designer does well (great communication, fast turnaround, beautiful work, ongoing support).

Here is a hypothetical example. Say a Wilmington shop owner was deciding between two designers. The first designer provided three references. The shop owner called all three. Two were enthusiastic ("great experience, highly recommend"). One was lukewarm ("the site is fine, but the designer was hard to reach and the project took twice as long as promised"). The shop owner asked follow-up questions and decided the delays were mostly the client's fault (slow to provide content). The second designer refused to provide references ("I do not give out client info"). The shop owner hired the first designer (despite the lukewarm reference). The project went smoothly and the shop owner was happy with the result. She later heard from another business owner who hired the second designer (the one who refused references) and had a terrible experience (missed deadlines, poor work, no support). The shop owner was glad she asked for references.

Why most web designers fail one or more of these questions (and how to spot the red flags)

Most web designers (especially freelancers and small agencies) cannot answer all six of these questions confidently. Here are the most common red flags and what they mean:

Portfolio sites are slow (PageSpeed Insights scores below 70): The designer does not know how to build fast sites or does not care about speed. Walk away.

Portfolio sites are offline or abandoned: The designer does not build lasting sites or does not retain clients. Walk away.

Vague or no refund policy: The designer is not confident in their work or does not care about client satisfaction. Negotiate a satisfaction guarantee or walk away.

No clear process or communication plan: The project will be chaotic and deadlines will slip. Miscommunication will cause frustration. Walk away or demand a detailed project plan in writing.

SEO is "separate" or "not included": The designer is not building professional business sites. You will pay twice (once for the site, again for SEO fixes). Walk away or hire a designer who builds for SEO by default.

Refuses to provide references: The designer has unhappy clients or no recent clients. Walk away.

If a designer fails two or more of these questions, do not hire them. If a designer passes all six questions, they are likely competent, reliable, and professional. Hire them.

A Brattleboro gym owner interviewed four designers. Three failed multiple questions (slow portfolio sites, no refund policy, vague process). One passed all six questions (fast portfolio sites, clear refund policy, detailed process, SEO included, references provided). The gym owner hired the designer who passed all six questions. The project went smoothly (on time, on budget, no surprises). The site launched and ranked in the top three Google results for "gym Brattleboro VT" within four weeks. The gym owner sent three referrals to the designer over the next year. The six questions worked.

What to do if you already hired a designer and things are going wrong

If you already hired a designer and the project is stalled, the designer is not communicating, or the work is not what you expected, here is what to do:

Step one: Document everything

Save all emails, text messages, contracts, invoices, and drafts. You may need this documentation for a refund request, a dispute or hiring someone else to finish the work.

Step two: Send a clear, written request for a status update or fix

Email the designer with a clear, specific request. Example: "The site was supposed to be done by February 15. It is now March 1 and I have not heard from you. Please send me a status update by March 3 or I will request a refund per our contract." Keep the tone professional but firm. Give the designer a deadline to respond.

Step three: Request a refund or partial refund if the designer fails to deliver

If the designer does not respond or does not deliver, request a refund (if the contract allows it). If the contract does not allow refunds, you can still ask (the worst the designer can say is no). If the designer refuses and you paid by credit card, you can file a chargeback dispute (contact your credit card company and explain that the designer failed to deliver the service you paid for). Chargebacks are not guaranteed to succeed, but they are worth trying if you have documentation.

Step four: Hire someone else to finish or rebuild the site

If the original designer cannot or will not finish the work, cut your losses and hire someone else. Bring all of the documentation (drafts, content, contracts) to the new designer. Some of the work may be salvageable (content, photos, branding), even if the original site is not usable. A good designer can often finish or rebuild a site in less time than the original designer took because the content and planning are already done.

Here is a hypothetical example. Say a Putney contractor hired a designer for $2,500 (50% upfront, 50% on completion). The designer delivered a first draft three weeks late. The contractor requested revisions. The designer went silent (no response to emails or calls for two weeks). The contractor sent a formal email requesting a refund of the $1,250 deposit. The designer responded and said "I am working on it, I will have revisions done next week." Another two weeks passed with no work delivered. The contractor hired a different designer to rebuild the site from scratch ($3,000). The contractor filed a chargeback dispute with his credit card company for the $1,250 deposit (arguing the original designer failed to deliver). The credit card company ruled in the contractor's favor and refunded the $1,250. Total cost: $3,000 (new designer) instead of $2,500 (original designer) + $1,250 (lost deposit) = $3,750. The contractor learned to vet designers more carefully upfront.

Why asking these six questions upfront saves you time, money, and frustration

Most Windham County businesses hire a web designer based on price (cheapest quote wins) or vibes (the designer seems nice and talks a good game). Then the project goes wrong (missed deadlines, poor communication, bad work), and the business owner is stuck (already paid a deposit, already invested weeks, switching designers means starting over).

Asking these six questions upfront catches the red flags before you sign anything. A bad designer will fail multiple questions and you can walk away before you lose time or money. A good designer will pass all six questions and you can hire them with confidence.

These six questions are not about being difficult or skeptical. They are about protecting yourself and making sure you hire someone who can deliver what they promise. Web design projects fail because of mismatched expectations, poor communication, and lack of accountability. These questions surface those issues before the project starts.

A fast, well-built, SEO-optimized website is one of the best investments a Windham County business can make. It generates leads, builds credibility, and works 24/7 without requiring your time. But a slow, poorly-built, or unfinished website is a waste of money and a source of frustration. The difference between the two is not the platform (WordPress vs. custom code) or the price ($1,500 vs. $5,000). The difference is the designer you hire.

Ask the six questions. Test the portfolio. Talk to past clients. Walk away from designers who cannot answer the questions clearly and confidently. Hire the designer who passes all six. Your website (and your business) will be better for it.

The bottom line: vet credentials, timelines, hosting, and support before you sign anything

Choosing a web designer is not about finding the cheapest option or the fanciest portfolio. It is about finding a designer who can deliver a fast, functional, SEO-optimized site on time, on budget, with clear communication and ongoing support. The six questions in this post (portfolio and speed, timeline and revisions, hosting and support, process and communication, SEO, and references) separate good designers from bad ones.

Ask these questions before you sign a contract or pay a deposit. If a designer cannot answer them clearly, walk away. If a designer passes all six, hire them. The 30 to 60 minutes you spend vetting designers upfront will save you hundreds or thousands of dollars and weeks or months of frustration later.

For what it is worth, here is how our own answers look. Brattleboro Local sells one thing: a six-page website for a local business at $499 a year, with no setup fee and no monthly bill. We write the pages (home, about, services, the areas you cover, common questions, and contact) from what you tell us on a form, and the site runs on your own domain with hosting, a security certificate and backups kept current all year. Compare that with the six answers above: we build your site 24 to 48 hours from payment and email you the link once it is live, with no approval step in between. Ask for any change after launch and we make it. Your login lets you edit the text, prices, photos and phone number on your own whenever you like. It does not include a blog, ongoing SEO work or custom features, so if you need those, use the six questions above to vet a designer who offers them.

Ask the six questions of whoever you hire and get the answers in writing. Then hire the designer who can deliver what they promise. If our simple site fits what you need, you can start your site here or call (888) 348-1992.