The short answer
Ask each designer to show the exact page plan, the customer request path on a phone, and how they test inquiry delivery. Then compare account ownership, the actual search work included, revision limits, and all recurring costs in writing. A visual mockup alone does not answer those questions.
Compare the same deliverable before comparing the price
One quote might cover five informational pages. Another might include photography, appointment software, copywriting, or monthly search work. Put both scopes on the same sheet before deciding which is better value. Ask for the exact page list and mark every item as included, excluded, or still unanswered.
Seven questions to send with your request for a proposal
- Which pages will you build, and what customer question does each answer? For an HVAC company, repair and replacement deserve different explanations. For a plumber, a drain-cleaning request and a renovation inquiry may need different qualification. Ask for the reasoning behind the structure.
- Can you show the request path on a phone? Follow the path from the opening screen to a completed form. Look for readable text, visible labels, usable buttons, and a clear explanation of what happens next. A desktop screenshot is not enough.
- How will you prove a request reaches me? Require a test with a recognizable marker, the saved submission, and the matching inbox receipt. Ask how errors appear to the visitor and who checks delivery after future changes.
- Which accounts will I own? Confirm who registers the domain, owns hosting, and controls your analytics and search tools. Ask what you receive at handoff and how access works if you change providers.
- What does your search setup actually include? Request named deliverables: service content, titles, internal links, sitemap, relevant structured data, and crawl checks. Separate these build foundations from ongoing content, local profile work, or a monthly SEO campaign.
- How are changes and delays handled? Agree on revision rounds, how feedback is collected, the inputs you must supply, and what happens when the page list grows. Record target timing and its dependencies instead of accepting an unsupported delivery promise.
- What will I pay after launch? List the domain, hosting, email, paid plugins, maintenance, and optional services separately. Ask what happens if you decline or cancel optional care. Compare the first year and an ordinary renewal year.
A practical comparison you can make today
Suppose you want a five-page plumbing website. Proposal A lists five pages and “SEO included.” Proposal B names the five pages, the title and sitemap work, the form destination, one feedback round, and excluded hosting charges. Even if A is cheaper, you still need those missing answers before comparing the two fairly.
Use a three-column note for each question: the designer’s written answer, the evidence they can show, and anything unresolved. A blank answer becomes a follow-up question. It does not automatically mean the provider is a poor fit.
Evaluate design with a real customer task
Give a reviewer one scenario: “You need an estimate for this service in this neighborhood.” Ask them to find coverage, understand the service, and reach the contact step. Observe where they hesitate. This gives the designer a specific improvement to make and keeps the review connected to the website’s job.
Visual craft still matters. Look for consistent spacing, readable contrast, real project photography, and motion that supports the page. Ask to see the layout at phone width and with reduced motion. The site should remain usable without waiting for an animation.
How to judge SEO and AI-search promises
Google’s guidance says the same search fundamentals apply to its AI features. There is no special schema that guarantees an AI citation. Ask a provider what content they will improve and how they will measure qualified inquiries, rather than treating a ranking promise as evidence.
Agree on a baseline: search clicks, useful landing pages, received inquiries, and whether those inquiries fit your services and coverage. A button click is not a lead, and a lead is not a booked job. Keep those stages separate.
Where Fieldline fits
Fieldline handles focused service business websites. The pilot is $1,500 for the first two approved clients, with up to five pages, foundational search setup, tested inquiry delivery, and one consolidated written revision round. Domain, paid hosting, email, and third-party licenses are separate. Ongoing SEO campaigns, complex booking systems, and custom portals need a different scope.
You work directly with Dylan by email. Review the complete pricing and exclusions, or request a first-website plan. An honest fit decision comes before payment.
Written by Dylan Saatdjian, who runs Fieldline Web Co. and does the work these guides describe. No affiliate links, no sponsored placements. Prices and ranges reflect publicly listed figures at the time of writing; always confirm current pricing with any provider directly.