You are not hiring a painting crew. You are hiring someone who will shape how strangers decide if they trust you. Ask blunt questions. If the answers are fuzzy, walk.
Who owns the thing after launch?
You should own your domain, have admin access to hosting, and know where DNS lives. If everything is locked in their account and they ghost you, you start over.
What happens month two?
Sites break, plugins update, Google changes rules. Ask if they disappear after invoice one or if there is a real monthly care plan. Read web designer contract terms in Montana before you sign.
Do they understand local leads?
If they only talk in vague branding language and never mention Google Business, reviews, or call tracking, they are selling art, not a phone that rings. Compare our Butte, Whitefish, and Livingston pages to see how we tie cities to offers.
Pricing should be boring and clear
Open ended hourly forever is a trap for small businesses. You want a scoped launch fee and a known monthly number, or a clear milestone table. See our packages for how we do it.
Also read why most small business websites fail and Montana city pages if you want examples before you call anyone.