Questions to Ask a
Jacksonville Web Designer.
A strong portfolio is not enough. Use these questions to learn how a designer thinks about your customers, Jacksonville search behavior, ownership, deadlines, and the work that happens after the homepage is approved.
Covering strategy, local SEO, delivery, ownership, and support.
Ask who is accountable for the project and your final result.
A credible proposal explains the work, not a guaranteed Google position.
Questions about the business—not the colors
The first conversation should uncover how the website earns its keep. If every question is about colors, animations, and pages before anyone asks about customers or offers, the project is starting at the wrong end.
- 1. What action should the site make easiest: calling, requesting a quote, booking, ordering, or visiting?
- 2. How will you decide which services need their own pages?
- 3. Who writes the copy, and what source material do you need from us?
- 4. How will the homepage serve both a new visitor and someone comparing us with another Jacksonville company?
A useful answer names your customer, offer, decision path, and evidence. A weak answer jumps straight to a template or asks you to choose a package before the scope is understood.
Questions about Jacksonville and local SEO
Adding “Jacksonville” to a title is not a local strategy. The designer should be able to explain how the site, Google Business Profile, reviews, real address, and service areas support one another.
- 5. Which page should target our main Jacksonville search, and how will other pages support it?
- 6. How do you handle service-area pages without duplicating copy or implying fake offices?
- 7. Will our name, address, phone, hours, services, and Google Business Profile details stay consistent?
- 8. What local business, service, article, review, and breadcrumb structured data will be appropriate?
- 9. How will you measure calls, forms, bookings, and organic landing pages after launch?
Ask the designer to explain the difference between serving Jacksonville, being physically located in Jacksonville, and operating from a nearby community such as Fruit Cove. Accuracy matters more than forcing a city name into every paragraph.
Questions about ownership and scope
Get these answers in writing. A friendly conversation does not replace a page list, feature list, payment schedule, approval process, and clear definition of completion.
- 10. Is this a fixed project, subscription, or hourly agreement—and what is the total first-year cost?
- 11. Who owns the domain, design, written content, images, and website account after final payment?
- 12. What exactly counts as a revision, and how are out-of-scope requests priced?
- 13. What recurring costs continue after launch, and what happens if we stop paying for support?
| Proposal line | Clear version | Vague version |
|---|---|---|
| Pages | Named page list with estimated sections | Up to 10 pages |
| SEO | Titles, metadata, local signals, schema, sitemap, redirects, measurement | SEO included |
| Revisions | Number of rounds and what a round means | Reasonable revisions |
| Support | Exact period, response channel, and work included | Ongoing support available |
Questions about delivery and quality
- 14. What is the milestone schedule, and what do you need from us to hold it?
- 15. What is tested before launch on phones, forms, links, analytics, redirects, and search settings?
- Real mobile-device review
- Tap-to-call phone numbers
- Every form submitted and received
- Thank-you and error states
- Page titles and descriptions
- Canonical URLs and index settings
- Image sizing and alt text
- Sitemap and robots rules
- Old-to-new redirect map
- Analytics and Search Console
A simple way to score the answers
After each interview, score the designer from zero to two on the five areas below. Zero means no clear answer, one means a general answer, and two means a specific process with a deliverable. A polished portfolio should not erase weak answers.
| Area | 0 points | 1 point | 2 points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business strategy | Not discussed | General marketing talk | Pages and calls to action tied to your offers |
| Jacksonville SEO | Keyword stuffing | Basic title changes | Accurate local plan across site, profile, content, and measurement |
| Scope | Verbal promise | Partial proposal | Named pages, features, revisions, exclusions, and costs |
| Timeline | No milestones | Launch estimate only | Milestones, dependencies, approval windows, and QA |
| Ownership | Unclear | Some assets covered | Domain, content, accounts, recurring fees, and exit terms in writing |
Common questions.
How many Jacksonville web designers should I interview?
Two or three serious conversations are usually more useful than collecting ten package prices. Use the same scope and questions so the answers can be compared fairly.
Should I choose a designer who promises first-page rankings?
Choose someone who can explain the research, page strategy, technical work, local signals, content, measurement, and ongoing effort. A guaranteed ranking is not a substitute for a specific plan.
Do I need a local Jacksonville designer?
Local knowledge can help with service areas, customer language, photography, and Google Business Profile alignment. The more important test is whether the designer can show an accurate local process and communicate clearly.
What should I send before requesting proposals?
Send the same brief to everyone: business goal, services, real service area, current URL, desired pages, required functions, examples you like, deadline, and who will approve the work.
More Jacksonville guides.
Website Design Cost in Jacksonville
Compare the complete scope and first-year cost—not just the starting number.
How Long Does a Jacksonville Website Take?
See the weekly milestones behind a realistic 2–3 week build.
Jacksonville Redesign Checklist
Use 32 checks to protect traffic, tracking, forms, and local trust.