Local service guide
Plan website design in Akron, OH before hiring
Arrange website design in Akron by choosing the customer action you need, preparing a written brief, and asking designers to price the same work. Decide whether visitors should call, request an estimate, book, or buy. Before commissioning the site, consider the regional SBDC's no-cost advising and Main Library's business research resources to clarify your audience and spending priorities. Include accessibility testing, account control, and launch support in the contract. [1] [2]
Define the customer task and project scope
Write a brief naming your customers, your offer, and the action you want visitors to complete. For appointments, describe how a customer chooses a service and receives confirmation. For a shop, decide whether you want online purchasing or a catalog with contact details. Ask each candidate to demonstrate the proposed process before you approve the design.
List the pages and assign responsibility for copy, photography, product information, and policies. Identify material you can reuse and material someone must create. Name the booking, payment, email, or customer-management connections you want configured. Ask candidates to list exclusions and assumptions in their proposals.
Use local resources before paying for design
The Ohio SBDC at Summit Medina Business Alliance offers confidential business advising and no-cost training across Summit, Portage, and Medina counties. It encourages first-time founders to attend Business Basics before arranging an individual session. Consider that sequence if you need to settle your business offer or financial priorities before briefing a designer. [1]
The Small Business & Nonprofit Resource Center at Main Library offers librarian meetings, training on library resources, research, and local support referrals. Its SizeUp resource focuses on Akron and Summit County. Ask for help investigating your intended customers, then prepare a summary of the questions your website should answer. [2]
The library also lists AtoZ Databases, which includes business and resident information. The accompanying chart shows the library's advertised national coverage thresholds for those two coverage categories. Discuss which research resources suit your brief with the librarian, and ask how to interpret their results before using them to choose your audience or content. [2]
Compare project fees and continuing responsibilities
Request separate prices for design and build work, content creation, migration, integrations, and ongoing care. Ask for recurring charges for hosting, the domain, software, and maintenance, including who handles each renewal. Compare proposals against your written scope and ask candidates to explain any missing work.
Agree on payment milestones tied to work you can inspect: a page plan, an approved design, a working preview, and handover. Document revision allowances, change rates, and the effect of delayed content on the schedule. Obtain a project-specific quote and launch plan.
Specify accessibility testing before signing
The U.S. Department of Justice states that ADA requirements apply to the online goods and services of businesses open to the public. Its business guidance identifies barriers involving contrast, missing image descriptions, inaccessible forms, and mouse-only navigation. Ask candidates how they will address these features in your site. [3]
Request demonstrations of keyboard navigation, labeled forms, clear error messages, readable contrast, and browser zoom. Ask how the designer checks image descriptions and heading structure. The Department recommends combining manual checks with automated testing and cautions that a clean automated report does not mean everything is accessible. [3]
Put the testing scope, correction responsibilities, and acceptance process in writing. If a candidate promises compliance, ask them to identify the standard and supporting documentation. Agree on who receives accessibility reports after launch and how you will arrange corrections.
Plan launch, ownership, and handover
Request a handover list covering account access, editable content, design assets, renewal details, and update instructions. Ask to control the domain and essential business accounts. Clarify ownership of custom work and the continuing licenses you will need. Have the designer demonstrate a routine edit before handover.
For a replacement site, ask the designer to inventory existing pages and plan where old addresses will lead. Test inquiries, booking confirmations, and purchases in the preview. Assign someone to check incoming inquiries after launch. Document the support period, response expectations, and charges for later changes before approving the final payment.
Library-advertised national coverage thresholds for AtoZ Databases
Local details that affect your job
Prepare for regional SBDC advising
The SBDC's main office is at 526 S. Main St., Suite 601, Akron. It offers no-cost individual advising across Summit, Portage, and Medina counties and encourages first-time founders to attend Business Basics before an individual session. Bring your proposed customer group, business offer, and spending constraints. Use the discussion to settle decisions you would otherwise ask a designer to make. [1]
Arrange research around Main Library access
The Small Business & Nonprofit Resource Center sits on Main Library's first floor and offers meetings with a dedicated resource librarian. The library lists SizeUp research focused on Akron and Summit County and restricts IBISWorld use to Main Library. If you want industry reports for your brief, plan an on-site visit and ask the librarian which resources fit your business. [2]
Choose your next step before commissioning the site
| Your situation | Next step | Material for the designer |
|---|---|---|
| You need to settle your business offer | Consider no-cost individual advising through the regional SBDC | Customer group, offer, and spending priorities |
| You need local customer or industry research | Request a Main Library librarian meeting; arrange on-site access for IBISWorld | Research summary and customer questions |
| You want calls or estimate requests | Ask candidates to demonstrate the inquiry process | Form fields, recipient details, and confirmation wording |
| You want bookings or purchases | Request a demonstration of the complete customer task | Service or product details and test scenarios |
| You are replacing a site | Request an inventory and migration plan | Existing page addresses, account access, and content to retain |
Your hiring checklist
- Choose the main customer action and describe how you will test it.
- Prepare the page list and assign copy, image, and policy responsibilities.
- List the accounts and integrations the designer must configure.
- Request project fees, recurring charges, exclusions, and change rates.
- Agree on accessibility demonstrations and correction responsibilities.
- Confirm account control, ownership terms, and handover materials.
- Document preview approval, launch checks, and continuing support.
Frequently Asked Questions
How should I set a website budget?
Request written quotes against the same brief. Separate the build fee from content work, integrations, subscriptions, and maintenance. Ask candidates to explain optional work and exclusions, then choose a scope you can fund and maintain.
Can local resources help me prepare before hiring?
The regional SBDC offers no-cost advising and training. Main Library offers business research, resource training, and referrals. Use these services to prepare your business decisions and content brief. Confirm the help you need with the organization before arranging a visit. [1] [2]
Is an automated accessibility report enough?
The Department of Justice cautions that a clean automated report does not mean everything is accessible. Ask for manual checks alongside automated testing, including keyboard navigation and form use. Agree on who corrects identified issues. [3]
What should I receive at handover?
Specify account access, editable content, renewal details, ownership and license terms, and update instructions in the contract. Ask the designer to demonstrate an edit and explain the support arrangement before you approve handover.
Sources and scope
This guide combines the sources below with practical planning guidance. Figures apply to the stated geography and period; request a written quote for your property.