Choosing a web designer in Jersey: 12 questions to ask

Most problems with websites don't start with the design. They start a year or two later. The designer stops replying, the domain lapses in their name, or nobody has the password to the hosting. Or the site breaks after an update and there's no backup.

You can avoid nearly all of this by asking the right questions before you sign. Here are twelve, with what a good answer looks like.

Ownership

1. Whose name will the domain be registered in?

It should be yours, or your company's. The domain is your address on the internet and in the emails you send. If the designer registers it in their own name, you may struggle to move it later.

For a .je address, the registry is run by Island Networks. Ask for the registrant to be your business, and for the login or transfer code to be handed to you.

2. Who owns the design, the texts and the code when it's finished?

Get it in writing. A good answer: you own the content and the finished site, and you can take them to another designer. Some designers keep rights to their own frameworks or licensed themes. That's fine, as long as you can still move and keep using your site.

3. Will I get all the logins?

At launch you should have, or be able to get:

• the domain account
• the hosting account, or at least a full backup and the files
• the website admin
• your Google Business Profile, with you as the owner (a manager role isn't enough)
• any analytics, booking or payment accounts linked to the site

Payment accounts in particular should be opened in your business's name, not the designer's.

Hosting and care

4. Who hosts the site, and where?

Ask which company hosts it and in which country the servers are. This matters for speed and for data protection. Under Jersey law, sending personal data to some countries needs extra safeguards. The Jersey Office of the Information Commissioner keeps a list of places with adequacy findings, including the UK, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Transfers to EEA countries aren't treated as restricted transfers.

5. What happens after launch?

Websites need looking after. Software needs updates, security holes get patched and backups need checking. Ask:

• Is there a care plan, and what exactly does it include?
• How quickly do you respond if the site goes down?
• How often are backups taken, where are they kept, and have you tested restoring one?
• How are small text changes handled, and how fast?
• What notice do I need to give to stop the plan?

6. What happens if I want to leave?

A good designer will say: you get your files, your content, your logins and help moving. Be wary of anyone vague about this.

Data protection

7. Who handles the data my website collects?

Contact forms, bookings and shops collect personal data. Under the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018, your business is the controller of that data. If the designer hosts the site or can see enquiries, they're usually a processor working for you.

The JOIC says there must always be a written contract between a controller and a processor. Ask whether the designer provides one. Ask, too, whether anyone outside Jersey, the UK or the EEA will have access to your data, and how that transfer is covered.

You'll also need to be registered with the JOIC if you aren't already. Your designer can't do that for you, but a good one will remind you.

8. Will the site need a cookie banner, and why?

Ask which tracking and third-party tools the site will use, such as analytics, maps, chat or social media embeds. Each one may set cookies or share data. Fewer tools often means a simpler privacy notice and a faster site.

Quality

9. Will it be accessible?

Ask which standard the site is built to. WCAG 2.2 AA is the current benchmark. Ask how they test it: keyboard only, screen reader, zoom, colour contrast. "We use an accessibility plugin" isn't the same as building it properly.

10. Can I see sites you've built, and speak to a client?

Look at live sites, not screenshots. Open them on your phone. Try the contact form. You can check a site's speed for free with Google's PageSpeed Insights. Ask for a client you can call, ideally a Jersey business like yours.

Price and process

11. What's included, and what costs extra?

A fixed quote should list the pages, features, languages, rounds of changes and launch date. Ask what costs extra and how extras are agreed. Ask for the yearly running costs too: domain, hosting, care, licences and email. Our guide to what a website costs in Jersey explains what drives the price.

If you'll sell online, ask which card provider they'll use. Some of the best-known ones don't accept Jersey businesses.

12. Who will do the work, and who do I talk to?

Some studios have the whole team in one office. Others work with designers and developers elsewhere. Either can work well. What matters is that you know who's doing the job and who your contact is. Ask which hours they work, and how to reach them when something goes wrong.

Red flags

• Guarantees of "page one on Google" or a set number of sales. No designer controls Google's results.
• No written quote, or a quote with no launch date.
• The domain or payment account set up in the designer's name.
• No answer on backups, or on what happens if you leave.
• Pressure to sign quickly.

A good sign

The best designers ask you as many questions as you ask them. What do your customers ask on the phone? Which jobs do you want more of? What does a good month look like? If they're curious about your business, they're more likely to build something that works for it.

How we can help

Ask us all twelve questions on the call, and we'll answer them in writing before you commit. The domain goes in your name, and you get the files and logins at launch. See how we work and our questions and answers, or book a free 20-minute call.