Search for a web designer in Adelaide and you will find hundreds of options: freelancers, small studios, marketing agencies, software firms and offshore template shops, all promising a fast site that ranks. For a South Australian small business, not-for-profit or council, the hard part is not finding a supplier. It is telling which one will build a site that still works for you in three years, which you own, and which actually brings in enquiries. These are the questions worth asking before you sign, and the answers that should reassure you.
Start with what you need the website to do
Before you talk to anyone, write down the two or three actions that matter most: calls, quote requests, bookings, donations, online sales, applications or simply making sure people can find your opening hours. Note who visits the site, which pages they use most, and what is wrong with the current one. A one-page summary like this lets suppliers quote the same job, and it quickly shows which of them ask good questions back. Our guide to writing a project brief and comparing quotes includes a template.
Questions about ownership and accounts
- Who will own the domain name? Your business or organisation should be the registrant, with your own login. A domain registered in a supplier's name is the most common reason businesses get stuck.
- Whose hosting and Google accounts will the site use? Hosting, Google Search Console, Google Analytics and your Google Business Profile should sit in accounts your organisation controls, with the developer added as a user.
- Will we receive the source code or a full export? If you change suppliers, you should be able to take the site with you without paying to rebuild it.
- Are there licences or plugins in the supplier's name? Premium themes, plugins and page builders often carry annual licences. Ask who pays for them and what happens if they lapse.
Our domain, DNS and admin account ownership checklist covers this in detail.
Questions about how the site will be built
- Which platform do you recommend, and why for us? A good developer explains the trade-offs between WordPress, a headless CMS, a static site and a hosted platform such as Shopify for your situation, rather than using the same tool for every client. Our comparison of WordPress, custom and Next.js websites sets out the differences.
- Will it be built for phones first? Most local searches happen on a phone. Ask to see a recent site on your own phone, on mobile data, not on the supplier's office Wi-Fi.
- How will we update content? Ask for a demonstration of the editing screen. If only the developer can change a phone number, every small change becomes a support request.
- Who writes the words? Copy is the part most likely to delay a project. Find out whether the supplier writes or edits the content, or expects it from you.
Questions about search and Google
- What SEO is included in the build? Expect page titles and descriptions, one clear heading per page, clean URLs, structured data (schema), an XML sitemap, image optimisation and internal links between related pages.
- How will you protect our current rankings? If you already have a site, ask how old URLs will be mapped and redirected, and whether Search Console will be checked after launch. Our website migration checklist explains why this matters.
- Do you guarantee first-page rankings? The honest answer is no. Google does not sell organic positions and nobody controls them. Be wary of any supplier that promises a ranking or a number of leads.
- How do you handle local search? For Adelaide businesses, the website and Google Business Profile work together. Ask whether the supplier will check that your name, address, phone and categories match across both.
Questions about speed and accessibility
- How will you measure speed? Ask for a Google Lighthouse or PageSpeed Insights report on mobile for the finished site, and for Core Web Vitals field data once real visitors arrive. Our guide to website speed and Core Web Vitals explains the measures.
- Which accessibility standard will you build to? WCAG 2.2 Level AA is the current benchmark. The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 applies to websites, and SA Government sites have their own online accessibility policy. Ask how the supplier tests: automated scans alone catch only part of the problems, so keyboard and screen reader checks matter too. See our WCAG 2.2 guide.
Questions about the quote and the contract
- What exactly is in scope? Number and type of pages, forms, integrations, content writing, photography, training and rounds of design changes should all be listed.
- What happens after launch? Ask what support is included, how updates and backups are handled, and what a care plan covers. Our website care and maintenance guide sets out a sensible schedule.
- Are there ongoing costs? Domain renewal, hosting, licences, email and care plans add up. Ask for every recurring item in writing so you can compare quotes fairly. Our guide to what affects the cost of a website lists the usual factors.
- Who will do the work? Find out whether the person you meet builds the site or hands it to someone else, and where that work is done.
Warning signs
- Guaranteed rankings, traffic or leads.
- The domain or hosting will stay in the supplier's name.
- No written scope, or a quote that is a single line.
- Recent sites are slow or hard to use on a phone.
- No answer when you ask about accessibility, backups or what happens if you leave.
How EITSAA can help
EITSAA is an Adelaide-owned technology consultancy, established in 2018, at 718/147 Pirie Street in the Adelaide CBD. We design and build fast, WCAG 2.2 AA accessible websites for small businesses, not-for-profits and councils across South Australia, with your organisation owning the domain, hosting and every account. Every project is quoted to your scope. Request a website quote or call 0402 401 584, and see our website design and development service.
Not sure where your current site stands? Request a complimentary website check: a no-obligation review of mobile layout, speed, accessibility basics and Google setup for South Australian businesses, not-for-profits and councils. Already have a written quote for a new site? See our price beat and its conditions.