Two clients reached out to me last month. Both had hired a web designer before. Both were burned.
The first paid 25,000 TL for a site they didn't actually own — the domain and hosting were registered under the designer's name. When they parted ways, they couldn't move the site. They had to start from scratch.
The second bought a "premium theme" WordPress site. It worked Monday. By Friday it wouldn't load. The designer had blocked them on WhatsApp.
These aren't outliers. They're the most common problems I see in Turkey's web design market. The only real protection is asking the right questions before you sign anything.
Below are 10 questions I've watched my own clients say "I wish I'd asked sooner" about — across 50+ projects.
01"Whose name will the domain and hosting be registered under?"
The answer should be "yours". Anything else isn't worth debating.
Some designers register everything in their own name. "I'll manage it, you don't have to worry." When you part ways, the site is held hostage.
Insist: domain and hosting under your name. Bilgi.tr, GoDaddy, Cloudflare — platform doesn't matter. Your name on the registration is what matters.
02"What's the post-launch revision policy?"
Some designers vanish after they finish. New phone, second mobile, suddenly unreachable.
A professional answer sounds like: "30 days of free revisions. After that, hourly or by package, here's the rate."
Don't accept vagueness. "Of course we'll help" isn't a commitment.
03"Which platform will you use, and why?"
WordPress, Wix, Webflow, custom code — each has different trade-offs.
WordPress is common but updates can break things. Wix is easy but customization is limited. Custom code performs best but maintenance works differently.
You're not looking for which they pick — you're looking for *why*. "It's right for your business because..." is the right opener.
If the answer is "WordPress because that's what I do" — keep looking.
04"Will mobile design come after the desktop is done?"
78% of Turkey's internet traffic is mobile. If mobile is an afterthought, that's a problem.
A good designer shows you the mobile design first, then desktop. Because most visitors will see it on a phone.
Test them: "Can you show me a mobile mockup right now?" If they don't have one ready, they're not ready.
05"What are you doing about page speed?"
A page that doesn't load in 3 seconds loses half its visitors. Google knows this and pushes slow sites down in search results.
Most designers say "of course it'll be fast" without giving a concrete target.
A good answer sounds like: "Targeting Lighthouse Performance 90+. Images in WebP, lazy loading on, critical CSS inlined."
Even if the details lose you, ask. The depth of the answer reveals the depth of the work.
06"Is the SEO foundation included?"
The minimum every site should have:
- Unique title and meta description per page
- Schema.org markup (LocalBusiness, Service, FAQ)
- XML sitemap
- robots.txt
- Google Search Console connection
- Page speed optimization
These aren't an "extra package". Without them, your site won't show up in Google.
If someone says "SEO is a separate add-on", at least the basics from this list should be standard. Otherwise you're buying a website that doesn't get found.
07"Can I talk to a few of your past clients?"
A portfolio shows the picture. A client conversation shows reality.
Anyone can write "5.0 stars" on their site. "Here are 3 of my clients' phone numbers, all happy to chat" is different.
Ask the client they connect you with:
- Did the project go past the estimated timeline?
- Were there extra charges beyond the agreed price?
- When you have a problem now, how quickly do you get a response?
Three questions. Three honest answers. You'll learn a lot.
08"Is the price fixed, or can it change during the project?"
This is the most common complaint I hear in Turkey. Agreement at 15,000 TL. Final invoice 28,000 TL.
The reasoning is always the same: "That feature wasn't in scope", "Remember you also asked for X", "Extra pages cost more".
A professional contract has a clear list:
- How many pages
- What functions
- How many revision rounds
- Delivery date
- Fixed price or clearly stated hourly rate
Verbal agreements don't hold up. Get it in writing.
09"What happens if the site goes down or gets attacked?"
Uncomfortable to ask. Here's the truth: websites crash sometimes. They get attacked sometimes. Servers fail.
A good designer has thought about this in advance. Are there automatic backups? If there's an attack, how fast do you get back online? Will you find out about a problem before your customers do?
"Don't worry, we'll handle it" isn't enough. Ask for the process.
10"How do I update the site once it's mine?"
The ideal answer: "We give you an admin panel. You can change copy, products, photos yourself. Training videos included."
The bad answer: "Just message me and I'll do it."
The second one keeps you dependent for every small update. Even a logo change becomes a billable task.
Insist on independence. Have control over your own site.
11What these 10 questions reveal
If a web designer answers these clearly and concretely, you can probably trust them.
If their eyes glaze over, if they say "we'll figure that out later", if they just look confused — find someone else.
A website is an asset that lives 10 years. Starting wrong gets expensive later.
If you're talking to a designer and they stumble on any of these, I'll give you a free second opinion. Message me on WhatsApp — we can review the contract together in about 10 minutes. Asking is free, and you don't have to commit to anything.