Questions to Ask Before You Hire Anyone to Build Your Firm’s Website

Most law firms hire a web designer based on a portfolio and a price. The portfolio shows that the designer can make an attractive site. It shows almost nothing about whether that site will bring in clients, rank in Google, or give AI tools an accurate picture of the firm.

The questions below are the ones we would ask if we were on the other side of the table. Some of them are uncomfortable. That is the point. A good provider will have clear answers, and the answers will tell you more than any portfolio.

“Who writes the content, and who checks it for accuracy?”

Content is the part of a law firm website that does the most work and gets the least attention in the sales process. Some providers expect the firm to write everything. Others handle it fully, and the quality of that work varies widely.

Ask who will write the practice area pages and bios, how they learn about your firm, and how legal accuracy is checked. Then ask to see examples of practice area pages they have written for other firms. If those pages read like they could belong to any firm, yours probably will too.

“What happens to our current rankings when the new site launches?”

This question separates designers from website builders who understand search. The right answer involves an inventory of the current site, a plan to keep or redirect every URL that matters, and monitoring after launch.

A vague answer, or an assurance that rankings “should come back,” is a warning sign. Ask specifically how redirects will be handled and who is responsible if traffic drops after launch.

“How will the site be understood by AI tools?”

This is a newer question, and many providers do not have a good answer yet. A thoughtful response will talk about clear, specific content that states what the firm does and where, detailed attorney bios, structured data that describes the firm and its people, and consistency between the website and the firm’s other profiles.

Be cautious of answers that promise guaranteed placement in AI results or rely on a single trick. Nobody controls what AI tools say. A provider can only make the firm’s information clear, accurate, and easy to use.

“Who owns the website when we are done?”

Some providers build sites on proprietary platforms the firm cannot take with them. Others retain ownership of the design or content. Some register the domain in their own name.

Ask directly who owns the domain, the content, the design, and the hosting account, and what happens if you leave. The answer should be in the contract, not just in the conversation.

“How fast will the site load on a phone?”

Most people looking for a lawyer are on a phone, and many are on a cellular connection. Ask how the provider tests mobile speed, what tools they use, and what they do when a design element slows the site down. Ask to test a few of their recent sites on your own phone before you sign.

“Do you work only with law firms?”

A provider who builds websites for restaurants, dentists, and law firms may be perfectly talented. They may also be unfamiliar with bar advertising rules, the way legal clients make decisions, and the difference between how a criminal defense client and an estate planning client search for help.

Legal experience shows up in small decisions: how results are described, how disclaimers are handled, how intake is structured, how practice areas are organized. Ask what share of the provider’s work is for law firms and how they handle advertising rules in your state.

“What happens after launch?”

A website that launches and then sits untouched slowly loses ground. Ask what ongoing support looks like, who updates content when an attorney joins or leaves, how security and software updates are handled, and whether the provider can support search and AI visibility work after the site is built.

A firm does not have to buy ongoing services from the same provider. But it should know whether that option exists and what the site will need over time.

“Can we talk to a firm you built a site for two years ago?”

Recent clients are still in the excitement of a new launch. A firm that has lived with the website for a couple of years can tell you whether it held up, whether the provider was responsive, and whether the site actually brought in work.

A Good Provider Will Welcome These Questions

None of these questions are traps. They are the questions that matter for a site that has to serve prospective clients, search engines, and AI tools all at once. A provider who answers them clearly and specifically is showing you how they will handle your project. A provider who deflects is showing you that too.

MileMark is a digital marketing agency for law firms that builds websites designed to get found in Google and AI search. We are happy to answer every question on this list, and our free website audit is a good place to start the conversation.