Hire a builder without getting burned
Most burned owners skipped the same three checks. They take ten minutes.
Q1 · How do I check a web builder is legit before I pay anything?
Three checks. First, ask for live sites — not mockups — and use one like a customer: tap the number, try the booking. Second, ask who owns the domain and where it's registered; if the answer is fuzzy, walk. Third, ask what happens when you leave. You're not being difficult — a pro answers all three without flinching, because they've been asked before. My work is on this site: two live sites you can click right now.
Q2 · Do I own my website and my domain when it's done?
With me, yes: the domain is registered in your name and the site content is yours — that's why the page says it goes live on your domain. In this industry, not always: plenty of owners discover at cancellation that "their" domain belongs to the agency, and the ransom is real money. Whoever builds yours, confirm in writing that the domain sits in an account you control. It's the single cheapest protection you can buy, because it's free.
Q3 · Can you fix my existing site instead of building a new one?
Sometimes, and I'll tell you which after looking — that look costs nothing. If your current site has decent bones, wiring in booking, follow-up texts, and the search basics can beat starting over. If it's a locked template on a builder you can't export from, patching it costs more than replacing it. What I won't do is rebuild for rebuilding's sake: you get my honest read and the price of each path before you decide.
WRITTEN BY DIEGO · VELIOS · COACHELLA VALLEY
The person who builds and runs these sites — not a content team.