Website Design in Gatineau: Scope and Hiring Guide

Define the job before comparing designers

Start with the action you want a customer to complete: call your shop, request an estimate, book an appointment or buy a product. Write down the information that customer needs before acting. Ask designers to explain their proposed page structure using those tasks, and request examples of comparable work you can inspect on a phone.

List who will supply text, photographs, product information and translations. For each language version, identify the pages, menus, forms and confirmation messages you expect the designer to deliver. Ask who will review the French wording and who will correct discrepancies after you approve the design.

For language planning, use the supplied OQLF release within its historical scope. It describes enforcement over a French website version that lacked accessibility equal to the English version, and explains equal accessibility and quality for separate commercial publication versions. Ask the designer how they will test language parity, and confirm the requirements applicable to your business before approving final content. [1]

Ask for a quote you can compare

Request a written price for the agreed deliverables rather than a price attached to a vague promise of a complete website. Have each bidder identify page layouts, content entry, translation work, integrations, revision rounds and training. Ask for a separate allowance or change price for work you have not defined.

Separate the initial build from hosting, domain renewal, software subscriptions, maintenance and future edits. Ask which accounts you will hold, which subscriptions the designer will manage and what happens if you move to another provider. Put access to the domain, website administration, backups and supplied assets in the agreement.

Agree on milestones tied to reviewable work: page structure, approved design, populated site and launch testing. Assign a person in your business to approve content and consolidate feedback. Ask the designer to identify dependencies before committing to a launch date, including product data, translation approval and access to the existing site.

Scope forms and analytics around actual data use

Before approving a contact form, document why you need each field and where submissions will go. The CAI says an enterprise must collect only necessary personal information and that consent does not replace the necessity analysis. Your collection obligations still apply when you entrust collection to a service provider. [2]

The CAI requires a privacy policy when a business collects personal information through technology. It also describes collection notices covering purposes, collection methods and relevant rights, with additional disclosures where applicable. Ask the designer to implement notices based on your actual practices, and assign responsibility for approving their wording. [2]

Ask for an inventory of analytics, advertising and embedded tools before launch. Where a technology collects personal information through identification, location or profiling functions, the CAI says you must inform people about those functions and how to activate them; you cannot activate them by default. Review the proposed configuration rather than treating a cookie banner as the whole privacy scope. [2]

Treat checkout and handover as deliverables

If you sell to consumers online, ask the designer to demonstrate the purchase journey before you accept the site. The OPC guidance describes required business contact information, detailed descriptions, costs, delivery information and applicable cancellation or return policies before purchase. It also requires consumers to have an opportunity to accept, correct or refuse the proposed transaction. [3]

For covered online consumer contracts, the OPC describes sending a contract copy that the customer can retain and print within a maximum of 15 days. Include the confirmation message, contract contents and delivery process in your acceptance review. The guidance notes that some contracts fall outside its scope and recommends legal advice for validating site or contract content. [3]

Before launch, test a form submission, a language switch and any purchase flow yourself. Ask the designer to show you how to edit business hours, change a service description and recover access. Record the handover date, the person responsible for updates and the process for reporting defects after launch.

Québec online consumer contract administration deadlines

Choose the scope your business needs

Your hiring checklist

1. Write down the customer actions and pages you need.
2. Assign responsibility for French text, translations and content approval.
3. List forms, integrations and the personal information each will handle.
4. Request separate build, subscription and maintenance charges.
5. Agree on domain ownership, administrator access and exit arrangements.
6. Define launch tests for phones, language switching, forms and checkout.
7. Schedule an editing demonstration and account handover before final acceptance.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much should I budget for the website?

Obtain written quotes against the same brief. Ask bidders to separate design, content, translations, integrations and migration from recurring charges. Compare the total scope and your ongoing responsibilities before choosing a price.

Can I leave privacy work to the designer?

Assign implementation tasks to the designer, but review your collection purposes and actual data flows yourself. The CAI says collection obligations apply even when a third party collects information for you. Name the person who approves notices, tools and settings. [2]

Should I include English as well as French?

Choose additional language coverage around the customers you intend to serve, and price the translation and upkeep. The historical OQLF release explains equal accessibility and quality for separate commercial publication versions. Confirm applicable language requirements before approving the final scope. [1]

Does adding payments complete an online store?

Include the surrounding consumer purchase process. The OPC describes pre-purchase disclosures, an opportunity to correct or refuse the order and delivery of a retainable contract copy. Confirm whether your transactions fall within that guidance before approving checkout. [3]