Hiring a web developer is one of the first big decisions a small business makes online, and it’s one of the easiest to get wrong. We talk to owners every month who paid for a website twice: once for the cheap version that failed, and again to have it done properly. The sad part is that almost every failure follows the same pattern.
This post walks through the seven mistakes we see most often, how to spot them before you sign anything, and what a good hiring process actually looks like.
Hiring a web developer goes wrong when you choose on price alone, skip a written contract, never check past work, or hand over no clear scope. You also need to own your domain and hosting, plan for maintenance, and make sure the site is built for phones first. Get these right and the project usually stays on budget.
What hiring a web developer actually involves
A website is not a one-off purchase like a printer. It’s more like hiring a builder for a shop fit-out. You are trusting someone with your brand, your customer enquiries, and often your sales. The developer you pick controls how fast your site loads, how it looks on a phone, whether Google can find it, and how easy it is to update later.
That is why the hiring step matters more than the design step. A decent developer with a clear process will save you money even if their quote is higher. A careless one will cost you money even if their quote is low. The seven mistakes below are where the money leaks out.
Mistake 1: Choosing the cheapest quote
This is the most common mistake and the most expensive one. When quotes range from a few hundred to a few thousand, the cheap one is tempting. But a very low quote usually means something is missing: no real design work, a copied template with your logo dropped in, no SEO setup, no testing on phones, or no support after launch.
We have rebuilt sites where the “finished” website had no contact form that worked, no Google Analytics, and pages that broke on mobile. The owner saved money on day one and lost customers for a year without knowing it.
Cheap is not always bad. A freelancer starting out may charge less and do fine work for a simple site. The warning sign is a quote that is far below everyone else with no clear explanation of what is included. Always ask for an itemised quote so you can compare like with like. If one quote lists design, development, SEO basics, and testing, and another just says “website – $300”, they are not the same product.
Mistake 2: Working without a contract
A friendly chat and a handshake feel fine until something goes wrong. Then you find out you never agreed on what “done” means, who owns the website, or what happens if the developer disappears.
A simple contract or written agreement should cover:
- What exactly will be built (pages, features, who provides text and photos)
- The total price and the payment schedule
- The timeline and what happens if it slips
- How many design revisions are included
- Who owns the site, the design, and the content when it is finished
- What support is included after launch, and for how long
You do not need a lawyer for a standard small business site, but you do need it in writing. Any professional developer will offer this without being asked. If someone refuses to put things in writing, walk away. That refusal tells you everything about how problems will be handled later.
Mistake 3: Not checking their past work
Every developer says they build “modern, professional websites”. The proof is in the work they have already shipped. Ask for three to five live websites they built, and actually visit them. Check them on your phone. Click around. See how fast they load.
Then ask questions. Was that site built for a business like yours? What was the hardest part? Can you speak to a past client? A good developer will not be offended. They expect these questions, and honest ones will tell you about a project that went badly and what they learned.
Be careful with portfolios full of screenshots but no live links. Screenshots can come from anywhere. And if you look at our own portfolio page, you will notice we are upfront that some items are demo projects built to show our design skills. That honesty is exactly what you should expect from anyone you hire.
Mistake 4: Ignoring maintenance after launch
A website needs looking after. WordPress and its plugins get security updates every month. Backups need to run. Forms need testing. If nobody does this, the site slowly becomes a target for hackers and a source of random breakages.
Many owners only think about this after their site gets hacked or goes down on a busy weekend. Cleaning up a hacked site costs far more than basic maintenance would have.
Before you hire, ask: who updates the site after launch, and what does that cost? Some developers offer a monthly care plan. Others hand over the site and train you to do it yourself. Either can work. What does not work is nobody being responsible. Put it in the contract from Mistake 2 and you will never have this problem.
Mistake 5: A vague scope that grows and grows
“We need a website, about five pages” is how expensive projects start. Halfway through, someone remembers they also need a booking system, a blog, a second language, and an online shop. Each addition sounds small. Together they double the work, and then come the arguments about who pays for the extra time.
Protect yourself by writing down the scope before work starts. List every page. List every feature. Note what is NOT included. If you want to add something later, get the extra cost in writing before the work is done, not after.
A clear scope also protects the developer, which is why good ones insist on it. When both sides know exactly what “finished” means, projects end on time. Our guide to what a small business website costs breaks down how scope changes price, and it is worth reading before you compare quotes.
Mistake 6: Not owning your domain and hosting
This mistake can trap you for years. Some developers register your domain name and hosting under their own account. Everything works fine until you want to move, redesign, or part ways. Then you discover you do not actually own your own web address, and getting it back ranges from awkward to impossible.
The rule is simple: the domain, hosting account, and website should all be registered in your name, with your email, paid from your account. A developer can set everything up for you, and should, but under your ownership. You give them access as a collaborator or admin; you do not hand over ownership.
Ask this question before you sign: “Will the domain and hosting be in my name?” If the answer is no, or it gets vague, that is a serious red flag. You can read more about why ownership and portability matter on the WordPress.org site, since the whole platform is built around you controlling your own site.
Mistake 7: Skipping mobile and speed checks
Most of your visitors will find you on a phone. In many industries it is 60 to 80 percent of traffic. Yet plenty of sites are still designed on a big screen, approved on a big screen, and never properly checked on a phone until after launch, when the menu overlaps the logo and the call button is impossible to tap.
Tell your developer from day one that mobile comes first. Ask to see the design on a real phone before it goes live. Tap every button. Fill in the form. Google also rewards fast, mobile-friendly sites in search results, and its web.dev guides explain the basics in plain language if you want to check what your developer tells you.
Our post on the signs your website is losing customers covers the damage a bad mobile experience does. Speed and mobile are not extras. For a small business, they are the website.
What good hiring looks like
Put the seven mistakes together and the picture of a good hire becomes clear. A developer worth hiring will:
- Ask questions about your business and customers before talking about colours
- Give an itemised quote tied to a written scope
- Show live work and explain the choices behind it
- Put everything in a contract, including who owns what
- Talk about maintenance and support before you ask
- Design for phones first and test on real devices
- Be honest about what they cannot do or what will cost extra
Notice that none of this is about being the most talented designer in the world. It is about process and honesty. Those two things predict a smooth project far better than a flashy sales pitch.
If you are comparing developers right now, take this list into your calls. The right one will welcome every question on it. And if you would like a second opinion on a quote you have received, we are happy to look at it with no obligation. See what we do or get in touch and tell us what you have been quoted. We will tell you honestly if it sounds fair.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much should I pay a web developer for a small business website?
Typical market ranges run from a few hundred dollars for a basic freelancer site to several thousand for an agency build with custom design. The scope decides the price, so compare itemised quotes rather than headline numbers.
Should I hire a freelancer or an agency?
A freelancer can be great for a small, simple site and a tight budget. An agency suits bigger projects where you need design, development, and support together. Either way, check live work and get a contract.
What should be in a web development contract?
The scope, total price, payment schedule, timeline, number of revisions, who owns the site and domain, and what support is included after launch. If any of those are missing, ask for them in writing.
Who should own my domain name and hosting?
You should, always. They should be registered in your name with your email. Your developer gets admin access to do the work, but ownership stays with your business.
How can I check a developer’s work before hiring?
Ask for live websites, not screenshots. Visit them on your phone, test the contact forms, and ask for a past client you can speak to. Honest developers expect these questions.
