How to choose a web designer in Palma: seven questions to ask before requesting a quote

Palma has dozens of web designers and studios, and quotes range from three hundred euros to several thousand. The seven questions that separate someone who will build you a good website from someone who will sell you a template.

If you're looking for a web designer in Palma you'll find dozens of options and quotes ranging from three hundred euros to several thousand for what, at first glance, looks like the same thing: a website. It isn't. The difference lies less in the price than in what's behind it, and you find that out by asking the right questions before you sign. These are the seven we recommend, the same ones we'd ask if we were on the other side of the table.

1. Can I see real websites you've built?

Not screenshots on a laptop with a pretty background: live websites, with their addresses, that you can open on your phone. Notice whether they differ from one another or are the same template in different colours, whether they load quickly and whether they look good on mobile. And if you can, ask one of those clients how the process went. A studio that does good work will give you names without hesitation; in our case, you can see our projects and ask us for a contact at any of them.

2. Who is actually going to do the work?

Some studios sell in Palma and outsource the design and development elsewhere, sometimes several intermediaries away. That isn't necessarily bad, but it's worth knowing, because when something goes wrong you'll want to speak to someone who can fix it. Ask who designs, who codes and who will look after you once the website is live.

3. In whose name are the domain, hosting and logins registered?

The right answer is "yours". The domain is your business's address on the internet and shouldn't depend on anyone else. Ask for the domain to be registered in your name and, at the end, for all the logins to be handed over: domain, hosting, content manager and analytics. If the provider objects, you have your answer.

4. What happens after launch?

A website isn't finished on the day it goes live. It needs security updates, backups, small changes and someone who responds when something stops working. Ask what maintenance includes, how much it costs per year and how quickly they deal with an issue. And if you'd rather avoid a large upfront investment, consider whether a subscription website or an owned one suits you better.

5. How will people find me on Google?

A beautiful website nobody finds is a brochure kept in a drawer. You don't need to hire an SEO campaign from day one, but the basics must be included: fast loading, a site Google can read properly, titles and descriptions written for what your customers search for, and your business details properly marked up. Ask exactly what they do in that respect and, if you already have a website, how they'll avoid losing your rankings when it changes.

6. Who writes the copy and who provides the photos?

It's the question that delays projects the most and the one least often asked. If the quote doesn't include copywriting or photography, it'll fall to you, and a website with stock photos and generic copy looks like all the others. Clarify who writes, whether there's a photo shoot and what happens if you don't have any material.

7. What exactly does the quote include, and what doesn't it?

Ask for it in writing and in detail: number of pages and which ones, languages, forms, online shop or bookings if you need them, delivery dates, number of revision rounds and the cost from the second year. A quote that fits in three lines usually hides surprises. Compare quotes that include the same things; otherwise you'll be comparing different products.

Why a local studio?

Working with someone based in Palma has advantages that don't appear on the quote: someone who comes to your business to sit down with you, who knows the island's market and your customers, and who understands why a website here nearly always needs to be in English and German. That's what we offer as a web design studio in Palma. If you already have a website and aren't sure whether it's worth rebuilding, start with our free audit: it will tell you what works and what doesn't before you spend anything. And if you want to see what a project includes, it is all on our web design and development in Mallorca page.