Before You Start
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[ ] Do you have a clear brief? (What does the site need to do? Who is it for?)
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[ ] What's your budget range? (Be honest — it saves everyone time)
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[ ] What's the deadline? (Realistic or aspirational?)
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[ ] Do you have brand assets? (Logo, colors, content, images)
Vetting the Developer
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[ ] Do they have a portfolio of live, working sites? (Not Figma mockups)
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[ ] Can they explain their tech choices in plain English?
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[ ] Do they have a process? (Discovery → Design → Build → Launch)
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[ ] What happens after launch? (Maintenance, hosting, support?)
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[ ] Who owns the code and domain? (You should — always)
Red Flags
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❌ 'I'll use a template and change the colors' (that's not custom)
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❌ No contract or scope of work
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❌ Can't explain why they chose certain technologies
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❌ No post-launch support plan
What a Good Process Looks Like
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Discovery call → brief → quote
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Information architecture (sitemap, wireframes)
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Design mockups (review + revise)
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Development (staging site you can preview)
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QA + testing (cross-browser, mobile, performance)
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Launch + handoff (domain, hosting, credentials)
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Post-launch support