Hiring a website developer for a small business should be simple, and it usually is not, because most owners are buying something they have never bought before from someone whose work they cannot judge. I build websites for small businesses, so read this knowing that. It is also the checklist I would hand my own family before they signed with anyone, including me.
What a small business website is actually for
Before design, before quotes, answer one question: when someone lands on this site, what should happen next? For most small businesses it is one of a handful of things: they call, they book, they request a quote, they buy, or they trust you enough to walk in. Every decision downstream, structure, content, what to spend, follows from that answer. A site that looks beautiful and produces none of those is a brochure nobody asked for.
Template or custom?
| Template-based | Custom | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | CAD 2,000 to 6,000 | CAD 5,000 to 20,000 |
| Time | 2 to 4 weeks | 4 to 8 weeks with content ready |
| Right for | Being findable and credible; a straightforward business | A site with a job: bookings, quotes, integrations, a brand a template would flatten |
| Weakness | Looks like others; hard to extend | Costs more; depends on a good developer |
There is no shame in a template. There is a real cost in a custom site for a business that only needed to look credible. Equally, there is a cost in forcing bookings, quoting logic or a real brand through a template that fights you. Match the tool to the job, and see the cost guide for the detail behind those ranges.
Questions to ask a website developer
- "Can I click on three sites you built for businesses like mine?" Live, not screenshots. Then check them on your phone.
- "Who writes the content?" If the answer is "you", ask how they will help. If it is "we have a writer", ask to see their work.
- "What is included and what is not?" Get it in writing. Design, pages, forms, integrations, SEO setup, analytics, training, support after launch.
- "Whose name are the domain and hosting in?" Yours. If they hesitate, walk.
- "How fast will it load, and how do you know?" A good developer measures. Speed is a ranking factor and a conversion factor.
- "What happens after launch?" Updates, security, small changes. A number and a process.
- "What would you leave out?" The best developers talk you out of things.
Almost every late website project I have seen was late because of content, not code. The developer is waiting for the "About" text, the service descriptions, the photos. Ask any developer you are considering how they handle that. The good ones have a process: a content plan on day one, a template for each page, and a deadline for you too. The others will blame you at week eight.
What must be in the contract
- Scope: pages, features, integrations, what is excluded.
- Price and payment schedule: deposit, milestones, final payment on launch.
- Timeline with the dependencies on you spelled out.
- Content: who provides what, by when, and what happens if it is late.
- Ownership: you own the site, the code and the content on final payment.
- Accounts: domain, hosting, analytics, email, all registered to you, with credentials handed over.
- Support: what is included after launch, for how long, and the rate after that.
If it is not written down, assume it is not included. That is not cynicism; it is how professionals on both sides avoid arguments.
Will it show up on Google?
A developer can build a site that is technically ready to rank: fast, mobile-first, properly structured, with correct titles, descriptions, structured data and a sitemap. That is real work and worth paying for. Whether it actually ranks depends on your content, your Google Business Profile, reviews, local citations and time. Be suspicious of anyone who guarantees a position. Be interested in anyone who asks what your customers search for.
The parts owners forget
- Photos. Real photos of your business, team and work outperform stock every time. Budget for a photographer or a good phone and a bright day.
- The form. Where does it go, who answers, how fast? A form nobody checks is a leak.
- Spam. Every public form gets it. Ask how the developer protects against it.
- Analytics. You cannot improve what you do not measure. Privacy-friendly analytics need no cookie banner.
- Your Google Business Profile. For local businesses it drives more calls than the website does. Set it up alongside.
Related
I build websites for small businesses in Toronto and beyond, from the first conversation about what the site is for to the handover of every password. If yours is out of date, not converting, or does not exist yet, tell me about your business. The first conversation is free, and if a template is the right answer I will say so.
Questions people ask
Do I need a custom website or is a template enough?
A template is enough when your business is straightforward and you mainly need to look credible and be found. Custom makes sense when the site has to do something: take bookings, quote prices, integrate with your systems, or represent a brand that a template would flatten. Many businesses start with one and grow into the other.
How long does it take to build a small business website?
Four to eight weeks is typical for a custom site when the content is ready. Content is almost always the bottleneck, so ask your developer to help you plan it rather than wait for it.
What should be in a website development contract?
Scope, price, payment schedule, timeline, who provides content, who owns the finished site and code, what happens to hosting and domain, and what support is included after launch. If it is not written down, assume it is not included.
Will my new website show up on Google?
It can be built so that it is technically ready to rank: fast, mobile-friendly, properly structured, with correct metadata. Actually ranking depends on content, local listings and time. Be suspicious of anyone who guarantees a position.
Should my developer also handle hosting?
Either is fine, as long as the accounts are in your name and you hold the credentials. Developer-managed hosting is convenient; developer-owned hosting is a trap if the relationship ends.