The questions that matter
Ask these before you hire.
Use the answers to judge scope and fit—not a generic promise to rank first for every keyword.
01 / Discovery and local intentWho will find this website, and why?
Ask a prospective developer how they would separate public-facing content, staff workflows, forms, and legacy archives. Check whether phone calls, maps and service areas are obvious to local residents while statewide visitors can still understand the offer.
Ask the builder to show which customer questions deserve a dedicated page, which need a FAQ, and which belong in a booking or contact flow. The map should follow actual services and travel logistics, not only a list of search phrases.
02 / Structure and editingWhat must the website actually do?
A publisher or large service organization may need editorial templates, governance, staff permissions and a clear content lifecycle. A smaller service business may need emergency contact, service pages and an estimate flow; the architecture should follow the actual operation.
Confirm who maintains the information, how visitors interact with it, and what integrations are genuinely needed. Use a content model and design system that editors can keep current.
03 / Proof and launchHow will you judge the work?
Request a recent site that includes mobile menus, long-form pages and usable inquiry paths. Ask for how they handled redirects and technical ownership. Compare the new Anchorage Press public-facing rebuild as a real FMG publishing example.
Before launch, review mobile pages, form delivery, major URL redirects, accessibility and the ownership of your domain, source code, analytics and accounts. Request dated evidence for any claimed traffic or performance gain.
