Describe the job before choosing a design
Start with your business, the audience you want to reach and the action a visitor should take. A service business might need clear service pages and an enquiry path; a shop with live payments has a different scope. Write a page list and separate essential features from later additions. This gives you a useful brief for a custom website rather than a collection of screenshots.
Compare proposals by scope, not just price
Ask what each website quote includes: page planning, design, development, content entry, integrations, review rounds and launch checks. A template license is not a fee for a completed custom website. Confirm tax treatment and external costs in the proposal, without assuming that domain registration, hosting, stock media or a third-party service is free. A clear scope makes different proposals easier to compare.
Agree who supplies the content
List the logo, company description, service details, contact information and images you can supply. Assign any missing copy or photography before work starts, and confirm permission to use those assets. Agree when content and feedback are due. These dependencies affect the schedule as much as the number of pages does.
Separate page design from service integration
A contact form, booking screen, member area or checkout design does not by itself connect an email service, booking system, account database or payment provider. Name the required services and identify who configures them. Agree which actions will be tested in production and which costs or accounts belong to you. Do not send passwords or private keys in an initial project enquiry.
Define ownership, handover and ongoing work
Ask whose account holds the domain and hosting, what source files or access will be handed over, and how content can be updated. Discuss licenses, backups and maintenance as explicit parts of the proposal. Confirm who handles future changes and how that work is priced, rather than assuming a one-time website project includes unlimited support.
Make launch checks concrete
Review the real website on a phone and desktop. Follow its contact path, check links and images, and test the agreed forms or integrations. Review page titles, search-engine access and the sitemap. These foundations help a search engine understand the site, but they do not guarantee a first-place ranking. Keep the agreed scope and handover checklist so you can verify what was delivered.