If you are about to hire a Darwin web designer, the quotes will look similar on the surface. The difference between a great fit and an expensive mistake comes down to asking the right questions before you sign anything. Here are the 12 questions every Darwin business should ask.

1. Do I own the website fully when you finish?

The answer should be a clear yes. You should own the domain, the hosting account, the WordPress login and the database. If the designer says they retain ownership or that the site is “leased”, that is a red flag. Walk away.

2. Can I move the website to a different host later?

The answer should be yes for any WordPress build. If the designer says hosting is locked or migration costs extra, the site is not really portable. WordPress sites should be movable in an hour with the right tools.

3. What is included in the fixed price quote?

Ask for the line items: number of pages, design rounds, content responsibility (you write or they write), forms included, integrations included, SEO setup, Google Analytics, Google Search Console, Google Business Profile, training, post-launch support window. Two quotes that look the same in price may be very different in scope. Compare like-for-like.

4. What is the deposit and payment schedule?

Standard Darwin web design payment is 50% deposit, 50% on launch. Anything more aggressive (full upfront, large milestone payments) is a risk. The deposit protects the designer’s time. The final payment protects your leverage to get the project finished properly.

5. How many revisions are included?

Most Darwin web designers include 1 to 3 rounds of revisions in the fixed price. After that, changes are billed at an hourly rate. Get the included revisions in writing and the hourly rate for extras.

6. How long will the project take from deposit to launch?

Typical timelines: $880 single page in 1 to 2 weeks, $2200 complete site in 3 to 4 weeks, $3300 advanced in 6 to 8 weeks. If the timeline is longer than that without a specific reason, the designer is probably overbooked. If much shorter, the design will likely be rushed.

7. Who writes the content?

This is the single biggest cause of Darwin web design projects running late. Be honest: do you have time to write your own content, or do you need the designer to write it? Most designers offer copywriting at $300 to $1500 extra. Decide upfront so the project does not stall waiting for content.

8. What happens after launch if something breaks?

Standard Darwin web design includes a 14 to 30 day post-launch support window for bug fixes. After that, you either pay hourly for fixes or sign up for an ongoing maintenance plan. WordPress maintenance plans start at $19 monthly. See WordPress maintenance plans.

9. Can you show me 3 Darwin websites you have built recently?

A working Darwin web designer should have at least 3 live recent projects to show, ideally in your industry. Look at: load speed on mobile, design polish, content quality, contact form functionality. If the designer cannot show recent local work, they may not be active in the Darwin market.

10. What is your approach to local SEO for Darwin?

The answer should include: page titles with the city plus service combination, LocalBusiness schema with proper address and service area, separate landing pages for important suburbs like Palmerston or Casuarina, Google Business Profile setup. If the designer talks generic SEO theory without local specifics, they probably will not deliver local rankings.

11. What do you charge for ongoing changes after launch?

Get the post-launch hourly rate in writing. Typical Darwin web designer hourly rates are $80 to $150. Some include a small change allowance every month in a maintenance plan, others bill ad hoc. Know upfront so the $50 logo swap does not become a $500 surprise.

12. What happens if you stop working or move on?

Single specialists, agencies, freelancers all eventually move on. The designer should be able to explain how the WordPress site is set up so any other competent WordPress developer can take it over. Standard WordPress sites with no custom code are easy to hand off. Heavily customised builds with proprietary plugins are not.

Bonus: what to do with the answers

If a Darwin web designer answers all 12 questions clearly and the answers match the fixed price quote you receive, you have a fair candidate. If the designer hedges, gets defensive or skips questions, that is a real signal about how the project will run.

If you want a direct, no-pressure quote that addresses all 12 questions in writing, email [email protected] with a short description of what you need. You will get a fixed price quote within 48 hours.

For more on services, see Web Design Darwin for full pricing, SEO Darwin for ongoing rankings, or Google Ads Management Darwin for paid traffic. For suburb specific work, see the dedicated pages for Palmerston, Casuarina, Nightcliff, Humpty Doo or Howard Springs.