Most website problems trace back to a question nobody asked at the start. Here are the ones worth asking before you sign anything — and what a straight answer should sound like.
A fair answer is simple: you do, once the project is paid in full. If the answer is vague, or ownership stays with the designer, that's worth pushing on before you sign. Read the full ownership answer.
A fair quote lists pages, revision rounds, and features included, and says plainly what costs extra. A padded or vague quote hopes you don't ask.
Ask whether hosting is required or optional, and whether the finished site can move to another host if you ever want to. A designer who hosts your site should never be the only one who can move it.
Unlimited revisions almost always means an unclear scope. A specific number, with extra rounds priced separately, is a healthier sign for both sides.
Find out whether support ends at launch or continues, and whether that continued support is a real plan or an informal favor that may not hold up months later.
Ask for live, working sites, not just mockups. A designer with real launched work should be glad to point you to it.
A designer who's comfortable with these questions will answer them directly, in writing, before asking for payment. Hesitation, vagueness, or pressure to sign quickly are the actual red flags — more than any single answer.
Send a note about your project and ask any (or all) of these directly — straight answers, no pressure to sign.