In this article
Never pay a website builder before you have these twelve answers in writing.
The short answer: Before you hire anyone to build your rental website, ask twelve things: the total price, the delivery date and what happens if it is late, how and when you pay, who owns the domain and content, who looks after the site afterwards, how it connects to your booking tool, how guests pay, how security is handled, whether it is easy for everyone to use, how people will find it, examples of past work, and what happens if you are unhappy. Walk away from anyone who guarantees a #1 Google ranking.
Choosing who builds your rental website is a big decision. A good builder saves you months of work and earns you bookings. A bad one takes your money, finishes late, or leaves you with a site you cannot change.
These twelve questions help you tell the difference. Ask them in writing, and keep the answers.
The twelve questions
- 1. What is the total price? Ask for the setup fee, any monthly fee, hosting, the domain name and any extras, all in one place. Card fees are separate: with Stripe, a normal US card costs 2.9% plus 30 cents (Stripe).
- 2. When will it be ready, and what happens if it is late? Get a date or a number of days in writing, and the penalty for missing it.
- 3. How and when do I pay? Be careful if you must pay everything first. Paying in stages keeps the builder working to your timeline.
- 4. Who owns the domain name and the content? The person or company named as the registrant is responsible for the domain. ICANN says registrants "assume sole responsibility for the registration and use of your domain name" and must keep contact details accurate (ICANN). Make sure your name and email are on it, and that you hold the logins.
- 5. Who manages the site after it is built? The FTC advises making it clear from the start who will manage the site afterwards, and whether you can make changes yourself or must go through the provider (FTC). Ask if you can log in with multi-factor authentication.
- 6. How does it connect to my booking tool, and how fast do dates update? A site that shows the wrong dates costs you double bookings. Read why double bookings happen.
- 7. How do guests pay, and where does the money go? It should go to your own payment account, on a trusted payment page. See chargebacks on vacation rentals for what to show before guests pay.
- 8. Who fixes it when something breaks or a security bug appears? The FTC suggests asking whether software is kept up to date and whether encryption (TLS) is included. Read is WordPress safe for a vacation rental website? for why this matters.
- 9. Is it easy for everyone to use? The US Department of Justice says the ADA's rules apply to what businesses open to the public offer online, and points to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines as a helpful guide (ADA.gov). Ask about text descriptions for photos, readable colours, labelled forms and keyboard use.
- 10. How will people find it? No one can guarantee a #1 Google ranking, and Google says to find someone else if a builder promises it (Google).
- 11. Can you show me examples of your work? Google suggests asking for examples and success stories. Visit the sites. Do they load fast and work on a phone?
- 12. What happens if I am not happy? Get the refund terms in writing before you pay.
What red flags mean you should walk away?
- A promise of a #1 ranking on Google, or a "special relationship" with Google. Google lists both as warning signs.
- A cold email out of the blue offering to fix your site. Google advises being wary of these.
- Secrecy. Google says to be careful if a company "won't clearly explain what they intend to do."
- No examples of past work.
- Asking for the full price upfront, with no dates in writing.
- Keeping the logins to your domain or your site.
One more from Google: "you are responsible for the actions of any companies you hire." Deceptive tricks used on your site can get it removed from Google, so ask to be told about every change.
How we answer them
Here is what we say to the questions we can answer from our own pages today:
- Price: a one-time setup of $999, $1,499 or $2,499, depending on the plan, with an optional monthly plan. See the pricing page.
- Timing: ready in 7 working days, or it is free. The clock starts when you have sent us what we asked for.
- Payment: you pay half to start, and the other half only when you go live.
- Hosting: 1 year is included, and it stays free while you keep a monthly plan.
- Booking tool: the site is synced with the tool you use. See the tools we work with.
- Payments: guests pay on Stripe's payment page.
- No PHP, no WordPress, no plugins to patch, and we keep the site updated. No website is 100% safe, but there is far less to attack.
- Refunds: if you change your mind before we start building, we refund your first installment in full. Read the full refund policy.
- Examples: see our work.
- Ownership: you own your domain, your content and your guest list, and if you leave, we hand them over. It is in our terms.
- No hidden fees: the setup price, the optional monthly plan, the domain name and card fees are the whole list.
Our goal is to be the most honest website company in this industry, so ask us all twelve. Pay your first installment, or talk to us first.
Not sure what you need? Read do you need a channel manager, or just a website? or how much a direct booking website costs.
Not sure what is possible for you? Ask us
On a call, we will:
- Audit your current website for speed, the accessibility basics and how easy it is to find on Google, and tell you what is realistic.
- Answer all twelve questions about our work in writing.
- Explain exactly what changes and support are included in each plan, so there are no surprises.
- Be straight about rankings: we cannot promise you a place on Google, and nobody honestly can. We can tell you what is holding your site back.
We will tell you honestly what is realistic. We do not promise results, because nobody honest can.
Common questions
- What should I ask before hiring someone to build my vacation rental website?
- Ask about the total price, the delivery date and the penalty if it is late, how and when you pay, who owns the domain and content, who looks after the site afterwards, how it connects to your booking tool, how guests pay, security, accessibility, how people will find it, examples of past work and the refund terms.
- Who should own my website's domain name?
- You should. The registrant is responsible for the domain, so make sure your own name and email are on the registration and that you hold the logins. ICANN says registrants take sole responsibility for the registration and use of a domain name.
- Can a web designer guarantee my site will rank number one on Google?
- No. Google says no one can guarantee a #1 ranking, and advises finding someone else if a builder promises it. Be wary of anyone who claims a special relationship with Google.
- How should I pay a website builder?
- In stages, tied to progress, with dates in writing. Be careful if you must pay everything upfront. At Launch VRO, you pay half to start and the other half only when you go live.
Sources and helpful links
- Google: do you need an SEO? — warning signs and questions to ask
- FTC: hiring a web host — who manages the site, updates and encryption
- ADA.gov: web accessibility guidance — what businesses open to the public should do online
- ICANN: registrants' rights and responsibilities — what owning a domain means
- Stripe pricing — card fees on direct bookings
