Website Design in Saskatoon: Plan and Hire

Write a brief around the customer's task

Describe what a customer should accomplish during a visit to your website. For a service enquiry, list the information you need: requested work, location, preferred date and contact details. For a shop, decide whether customers should browse products, submit an order request or complete a purchase. Walk through an example with each bidder before approving features.

List the pages and name the person responsible for each page's text, photographs and approval. Request separate prices for writing, photography and entering content. Give the designer your content delivery dates and ask for a schedule tied to those responsibilities. Identify who can approve changes so you can resolve questions during production.

Check home-business operations before adding booking

Saskatoon's home-based business standards allow no more than eight client or business-related visits per day, 40 per week and three clients at one time on any one site. Treat these as site-wide limits when businesses share a location. The City includes deliveries of merchandise, goods and equipment in the visit count. Reserve room for those deliveries and other business visits before setting appointment availability. [1]

The City prohibits on-site product sales for home-based businesses except sales incidental to a personal service trade. Confirm your proposed pickup arrangement with the Business Licence Program before paying for a collect-from-home feature. Keep that feature out of the approved launch scope until you receive clarification, and request a separate price for adding it later. [1]

Choose the ordering features you can manage

For an enquiry site, agree on where messages go and who responds. For booking, specify availability, confirmations and cancellations. For online sales, define products, stock updates, payment handling, fulfilment and customer support. Request a demonstration that follows a customer from the first page through the confirmation message.

Statistics Canada's historical national release reported that 25% of businesses received e-commerce orders in 2019, 33% in 2021 and 32% in 2023. These results cover businesses with five or more employees across most economic sectors. They describe national participation, rather than demand from your customers or adoption among Saskatoon's microbusinesses. Speak with your customers about ordering preferences before commissioning checkout. [4]

Make accessibility part of acceptance

Saskatchewan's accessibility planning guide identifies poor contrast, websites that overlook screen-reader use and offering a single contact channel as barriers. Its online-engagement guidance recommends image descriptions, usable layouts at increased zoom and navigation without a mouse. Adapt those examples into written checks for your project. [2]

During acceptance, complete the main customer task using a keyboard and inspect the pages at increased zoom. Have the designer explain descriptions for meaningful images and demonstrate your contact options. Request essential information as readable text. The Government of Saskatchewan identifies readable type and contrast, avoiding graphical text and following W3C accessibility guidance among its own website practices. [2] [3]

The provincial guide assigns accessibility-plan duties to the government and designated public-sector bodies. Use its practical website guidance to define your project requirements, and obtain advice about obligations that apply to your organization. [2]

Compare the quote and secure the handover

Request itemized prices for design, content, migration, integrations and support. Have each bidder list hosting, domain and software charges, renewal terms, applicable taxes and exclusions. Compare the initial total alongside ongoing charges. Agree on how the designer will price extra pages or changes after you approve the scope.

Put account control in writing: who registers the domain, who holds administrator access and how you can transfer the site. Specify the files, permissions, editing instructions and backup information you expect. Before final acceptance, use your own account to change business hours, submit a test enquiry or order, and review the recovery procedure with the designer.

Canadian businesses receiving e-commerce orders

Choose the features to commission

Your hiring checklist

1. Name the main customer task and list the pages needed to complete it.
2. Assign responsibility for text, photographs, approvals and content delivery.
3. Confirm home-business appointment and pickup arrangements with the City before commissioning them.
4. Send each bidder the same brief and request itemized initial and ongoing charges.
5. Record account access, renewal terms, support and transfer arrangements.
6. Test keyboard use, increased zoom, readable text and contact forms.
7. Complete a test enquiry, booking or order through to confirmation.
8. Practise editing business information and review the backup procedure before acceptance.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much should I budget for website design?

Obtain itemized quotes for your written scope. Separate initial design and content work from hosting, software renewals, maintenance and later changes. Request a list of exclusions and agree on how the designer will price changes before signing.

Can I offer appointments or pickup from home?

Confirm your arrangement with the City's Business Licence Program. The home-business limits apply across one site: eight visits daily, 40 weekly and three clients at once, with business deliveries included in visits. The City restricts on-site product sales, with an exception for sales incidental to a personal service trade. [1]

Does my private business need an accessibility plan?

The Saskatchewan guide describes plan requirements for the government and designated public-sector bodies. Confirm which obligations apply to your organization. For the design contract, specify accessible customer tasks, contact options and acceptance testing. [2]

What should I receive at handover?

Agree on domain, hosting and administration access, editing instructions, renewal details, transfer arrangements and backup information. Have the designer demonstrate these using accounts you control. Practise changing your hours and contact details before accepting the work.