What Should I Know Before Hiring Someone to Update My Website?

A few things can make this relationship work well or go sideways. Here is what to nail down before any work starts.

Know what platform your site is on. WordPress, Next.js, Webflow, Squarespace, Wix. The platform determines who is qualified to work on it and what the maintenance requirements actually are. A WordPress specialist may not know Next.js. Always verify the provider has specific experience with your stack.

Know where your domain and hosting live. Who registered your domain? What is the hosting provider? Do you have login access to both? Before handing your site to anyone, you should have these credentials documented and in your own accounts.

Establish scope in writing before any work starts. Update my site can mean anything. Get a list of specific tasks with frequencies, plus a process for handling content update requests.

Define response time expectations. How quickly will they respond to an urgent issue? What is the process for requesting a content update? Is there a ticketing system or is it casual communication?

Understand what maintenance does not include. Most maintenance plans cover keeping existing things working, not building new features or redesigning sections. If you want new functionality added, that is typically a separate project fee.

Ask about access during and after. Can you log in to your own site? What happens to your access if you stop the service?

Ask about reporting. What does the monthly summary look like?

At Freedman Systems, all of this is documented before onboarding. Clear scope, clear access, clear reporting.

Start at freedmansystems.com.