How to Choose a Web Developer in San Diego: 12 Questions to Ask Before You Sign
By Alexey Chasin · Updated September 18, 2026 · 8 min read
Choose a web developer by checking three things you can verify yourself: their own site is fast and ranks, the sites they built are fast and rank, and their reviews are real. Then ask the twelve questions below. The answers that matter most are about ownership (you must own the domain, code and hosting), page speed (95+ on mobile PageSpeed), structure (a page per service and city) and a written launch date.
First, check what you can check yourself
- Run the developer's own website through Google PageSpeed Insights on mobile. If it scores under 90, they will not deliver 90 for you.
- Search for what they claim to do in your city. If a 'San Diego web developer' does not appear for that search, ask why.
- Open two sites they built. Test speed, look for service and city pages, and search for those businesses on Google.
- Read their Google reviews and look for named, specific businesses.
The twelve questions
1. Will I own the domain, the code and the hosting account?
The only acceptable answer is yes, in your name, from day one. Some agencies and lead-gen companies keep ownership so you cannot leave.
2. What platform will you build on, and why?
Custom code, WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, Shopify. Each has a case. What you are listening for is a reason tied to your business, not to what they always use.
3. What will the site score on mobile PageSpeed?
A good answer is a number: 95 or above for a custom site, 70 to 85 for a well-built WordPress site. 'It will be fast' is not an answer.
4. Will there be a page for each of my services and each city I serve?
This is the structure that ranks locally. A single 'services' page is the most common reason a site never appears on Google.
5. Who writes the content, and what does that cost?
Content is the biggest hidden variable. Get it in writing: you write it, or they interview you and write it, at a stated price.
6. Will you set up schema markup and the Google Business Profile?
Both should be included in any site meant to rank locally. If they do not know what schema is, keep looking.
7. What is the launch date?
A written scope should include a date and what they need from you by when. A quote without a date is a project without an end.
8. Can I see the design before you build it?
Yes should be the answer, on desktop and phone, with your approval before code is written.
9. What happens to my current site's rankings?
If you have a site, the developer should inventory the URLs that rank and redirect any that change. Ask how.
10. What happens after launch, and what does it cost?
Hosting, updates, fixes, reports. Get the monthly number and what it includes, and confirm you can leave any time.
11. Who will I actually talk to?
With a freelancer or small studio, the developer. With an agency, often an account manager. Neither is wrong; know which you are buying.
12. Can you show me a site you built that ranks for a local search?
The best proof is a client site that appears on page one for a service-plus-city search. Ask for one and check it.
Red flags
- They will not put ownership in writing.
- Their own site is slow or does not rank.
- The quote has no page list, no launch date and no content plan.
- They promise page-one rankings by a date.
- The price is monthly with no end and no ownership.
How we answer these: you own everything; custom code; 95+ on mobile; a page per service and city; we write the content if you want; schema and Business Profile included; a written launch date; design approval first; a redirect map; care plans month to month; you talk to the developer; and Demo Diego and CHIC Flowers are the proof.