How to Know If Your Web Developer Is Wasting Your Money

You're paying someone to handle your website, your ads, your online presence. You trust they're tracking what works, optimizing for results, and making decisions based on data.

But are they?

Most business owners assume their web developer, marketing agency, or "digital person" is on top of this stuff. They see reports with charts and metrics, hear reassuring updates about traffic and engagement, and figure everything must be working.

Then they ask a simple question like "What's our conversion rate?" and get a vague answer. Or worse, watch their web person scramble to look it up.

Here's the truth: many web developers and marketing agencies don't track business results. They track activity—hours worked, pages built, posts published, ads run. But activity isn't results. And if they can't tell you whether their work is actually driving your business forward, you're paying for expensive guesswork.

This post gives you the questions to find out whether your web person knows what they're doing—or whether they're wasting your money.

The Three Types of Web People

Before we get to the questions, understand there are three types of people handling your web presence:

Type 1: Competent but Not Communicating

They're tracking everything—conversions, sources, funnel performance, A/B test results. The data exists. But they're not proactively sharing it with you. Maybe they think you don't care about the details. Maybe they're bad at communication. Either way, you're in the dark about your own business.

This is fixable. Once you ask the right questions and they realize you care about results, they'll start reporting on what matters.

Type 2: Incompetent but Confident

They genuinely don't know how to set up proper conversion tracking. They can build a website, run ads, post on social media—but they have no idea if any of it drives business results. They're not hiding data; the data doesn't exist.

They'll give you reports about traffic, impressions, and clicks because that's what they know how to measure. They'll sound confident because they genuinely believe that's what success looks like.

This is worse than Type 1, but still fixable if they're willing to learn.

Type 3: Intentionally Hiding Results

They know how to track. They know the results. And they know the results are bad. So they deflect, focus on vanity metrics, and avoid showing you the data that would reveal their work isn't performing.

They'll talk about brand awareness, engagement, and long-term strategy—anything to avoid showing you ROI. Because showing you ROI would expose that you're not getting any.

This isn't fixable. You need a new person.

The questions below will help you identify which type you have.

The Questions That Reveal the Truth

Don't ask these via email. Schedule a 30-minute call and ask for screen-sharing. You want to see them navigate to the data in real-time. Competent people know their numbers and can pull them up immediately. Everyone else will scramble, deflect, or make excuses.

Basic Tracking Questions (Table Stakes)

These are fundamental. Any web person worth their fee should be able to answer these immediately.

1. "What's our conversion rate?"

Not "pretty good" or "around industry average." You want a specific number. And not just overall—broken down by traffic source, landing page, or campaign.

Good answer: "Your overall conversion rate is 3.2%. Google Ads converts at 4.1%, Facebook at 2.3%, and organic search at 5.7%."
Bad answer: "Let me pull that up" (after 10 seconds of silence) / "Around 3% I think" / "Better than last month"
Red flag: "We don't really track that" / "Conversion rate is subjective—what matters is engagement" / "I'd have to dig into the analytics"

If they can't tell you your conversion rate by source immediately, they're not looking at the data. And if they're not looking at the data, they're not optimizing for results.

2. "Show me our Google Analytics dashboard right now."

This isn't theoretical. You want them to screen-share and pull up GA4. Watch how they navigate. Do they know where everything is? Can they find conversion data quickly? Or are they clicking around trying to remember where things are?

Good answer: Screen-shares, pulls up GA4, navigates confidently to conversions, traffic sources, and key metrics
Bad answer: "I don't have access on this device" / "I'll send you a report later" / "The admin has the login"
Red flag: "You have access to the client portal, that shows everything you need" (without giving you actual GA access)

If they don't have immediate access to your analytics or can't navigate them confidently, they're not monitoring your performance. They're guessing.

3. "What's our cost per acquisition by channel?"

You should know exactly what each customer costs you from each marketing channel. If you're spending $5,000/month on Google Ads and $2,000/month on Facebook Ads, which one has better economics?

Good answer: "Google Ads CPA is $180, Facebook is $340, organic search is $90, and referrals are $45."
Bad answer: "Around $100 overall I think" / "It varies a lot" / "Let me check the ad dashboards"
Red flag: "We focus on brand awareness and engagement, not direct attribution" (translation: we're not tracking it)

CPA by channel is fundamental. If they don't know this number, they have no idea which of your marketing investments are working.

4. "Where do our actual customers come from?"

Not traffic. Not clicks. Customers. People who bought, signed up, or became clients. Where did they originally find you?

Good answer: "42% from organic search, 28% from Google Ads, 18% from referrals, 12% from Facebook. Here's the breakdown in GA4..."
Bad answer: "Mostly from the website" / "A mix of things" / "Hard to say exactly"
Red flag: "Traffic is up 50% month-over-month, so the marketing is working" (traffic ≠ customers)

If they're talking about traffic instead of customers, they're optimizing for the wrong metric.

Attribution & Tracking Setup Questions

These questions reveal whether they've actually set up proper tracking infrastructure.

5. "How are you tracking conversions?"

This should be a detailed answer about GA4 events, pixel tracking, UTM parameters, and CRM integration. If they can't explain the technical setup, they probably haven't set it up properly.

Good answer: "We have GA4 events for form submissions, phone clicks, and purchases. Facebook and Google pixels are installed for ad tracking. All campaigns use UTM parameters, and conversions sync to your CRM so we can track to closed deals."
Bad answer: "Through the contact form" / "Google Analytics handles it automatically" / "We can see when people convert"
Red flag: "We can see page views going up, which means people are engaging" (page views are not conversions)

Conversion tracking requires setup—events, pixels, parameters, integrations. If they can't explain the technical details, it's probably not configured correctly.

6. "Can you show me which keywords or ads drive actual sales?"

Not clicks. Not impressions. Sales. Can they connect the dots from ad → click → conversion → customer?

Good answer: Shows you conversion data by keyword or ad creative in Google Ads, with actual revenue attributed
Bad answer: "We optimize for clicks and impressions" / "I'd have to pull a custom report"
Red flag: "Rankings are up for our target keywords, that's what matters" (rankings without conversions are vanity metrics)

If they're reporting on clicks, impressions, or rankings without tying them to actual business results, they're giving you vanity metrics to avoid accountability.

7. "What happens when someone fills out our contact form?"

Walk me through the entire flow. Form submission → where does it go → how is it tracked → how do you know if it converted to a customer?

Good answer: "Form submits → tagged as conversion in GA4 → email goes to you and your CRM → flagged as 'web lead' → we track close rate in CRM and attribute revenue back to the source"
Bad answer: "It goes to your email" / "It's stored in the website database" / "We get a notification"
Red flag: "I'm not sure what happens after they submit, that's on your end" (they should know and be tracking it)

If they don't understand or track the full customer journey from click to customer, they can't optimize it.

Optimization & Results Questions

These reveal whether they're actively improving performance or just maintaining the status quo.

8. "What have you tested in the last month and what were the results?"

Optimization requires testing. If they're not running experiments, they're not optimizing. And if they're running experiments but can't tell you the results, they're not learning.

Good answer: "We tested three CTA button variations. 'Get Started' converted at 4.2%, 'Learn More' at 3.1%, 'Book a Call' at 5.8%. We implemented 'Book a Call' site-wide and conversions increased 18%."
Bad answer: "We're constantly optimizing" (vague, no specifics) / "We follow best practices" / "No major tests right now"
Red flag: "The design is proven to work, we don't need to test" (no testing = no data = no improvement)

"Best practices" without testing is guessing. Real optimization requires experiments with measurable results.

9. "Which page is our worst converter and what are we doing about it?"

They should know your weak points and have a plan to fix them. If everything is "fine," they're not digging into the data.

Good answer: "Your services page has a 62% bounce rate and 1.1% conversion rate—worst on the site. We're testing a clearer value proposition and more prominent CTAs this week."
Bad answer: "All our pages are optimized" / "I'd have to look at the data" / "Nothing stands out as problematic"
Red flag: "We need more traffic first, then we can worry about conversion rate" (avoiding the question)

Every site has weak points. If they can't identify yours, they're not analyzing the data.

10. "What's our LTV to CAC ratio?"

Customer Lifetime Value divided by Customer Acquisition Cost. This ratio tells you if your business model is profitable. They should know this or at least understand why it matters.

Good answer: "Your LTV is around $2,400 and average CAC is $320, so you're at about 7.5:1—very healthy. We can afford to spend more on acquisition if needed."
Bad answer: "What's that?" / "We don't track LTV for web clients" / "I'm not sure how to calculate that"
Red flag: "That's more of a SaaS thing, doesn't apply to your business" (it applies to every business)

LTV:CAC is fundamental business economics. If they don't understand it, they're not thinking about your business health.

Red Flags vs. Green Flags

As they answer (or don't answer) these questions, watch for patterns:

Red Flags:

Can't answer basic questions without "checking" or "pulling a report"
Focuses on vanity metrics (traffic, rankings, impressions, engagement)
Doesn't have access to your analytics or can't navigate them confidently
Gets defensive when asked about results ("You're not giving us enough budget" / "These things take time")
Uses phrases like "trust me, it's working" without data
Only reports good news—never mentions what's not working
Reports lack context, recommendations, or next steps

Green Flags:

Answers with specific numbers immediately
Proactively shares what's NOT working and plans to fix it
Gives you full access to all data and dashboards
Explains tracking setup in technical detail
Shows you both wins and losses with equal transparency
Recommends killing underperforming channels or campaigns
Talks about business outcomes (revenue, customers, ROI) not just marketing metrics (traffic, clicks)
Has opinions backed by data, not just "best practices"

How to Use These Questions

Here's your action plan:

1. Schedule a 30-minute call with your web person

Don't do this via email. They'll just look everything up and give you answers that sound good. You want to see them access the data in real-time.

2. Ask for screen-sharing

Watch them navigate. Can they pull up your analytics dashboard confidently? Do they know where conversion data lives? Or are they clicking around trying to remember?

3. Push for specifics

Don't accept vague answers. "Pretty good" isn't a conversion rate. "It varies" isn't a CPA. "We're optimizing" isn't a test result. Ask for numbers.

4. Note their response time

Competent people know their key metrics. They check them regularly. They can answer immediately. If they need to "look it up" for every question, they're not monitoring your performance.

5. Watch for deflection

If they say "that's not how we measure success" or "those metrics don't matter for your industry," that's a red flag. They're either incompetent or hiding poor results.

What the Answers Tell You

If they ace every question:

Great, you have a competent person. But here's the question: why aren't they sharing this data with you proactively?

You shouldn't have to ask these questions. They should be reporting on conversions, CPA, test results, and optimization plans every month without prompting. If the data exists but you're not seeing it, you have a communication problem.

Fix: Tell them exactly what you want to see in monthly reports. Use this list. Make it clear that business results matter more than activity reports.

If they struggle but seem honest:

They might be technically skilled (can build a site, run ads) but not business-minded. They don't understand that their job is to drive business results, not just complete tasks.

Fix: Educate them. Share this article. Explain what you need to see. Give them 30 days to get proper tracking in place. If they're willing to learn and improve, this is salvageable.

If they deflect, make excuses, or get defensive:

You're probably paying for work that isn't delivering results. They either don't know how to track performance, or they're intentionally hiding poor performance. Either way, they're not working in your best interest.

Fix: Start looking for someone else. Give them a final chance with a clear ultimatum: "Set up proper conversion tracking in the next two weeks, or we're moving to someone who can."

If they can't answer ANY of these questions:

Fire them immediately.

You're paying for someone to "handle your web stuff" who has no idea whether it's working. That's not a service provider—that's an expensive hobby. Every month you wait is money wasted.

The Uncomfortable Truth

Most web developers and marketing agencies don't track business results.

They track activity. Hours logged. Pages designed. Blog posts written. Ads launched. Social media posts published. Reports generated.

But activity isn't results. You can spend 40 hours on a website redesign that doesn't improve conversions. You can publish 20 blog posts that don't drive traffic. You can run ads that get thousands of impressions but zero sales.

And here's the thing: they're not necessarily scamming you.

Many web developers simply don't know how to set up proper conversion tracking. They learned to build websites, not to measure business outcomes. Others think "web design" and "business results" are separate responsibilities—they build the site, and it's your job to track whether it works.

Some are just lazy. Setting up proper analytics takes work. Learning GA4, configuring events, implementing pixels, creating dashboards—it's not hard, but it takes effort. It's easier to send traffic reports and call it a day.

But regardless of why, if they can't answer these questions, you're flying blind. You're making decisions about your marketing budget, your website strategy, your business growth—all without knowing what's actually working.

And that's expensive.

The Bottom Line

Your web developer or marketing agency should be able to answer every question on this list immediately, with specific numbers, on a screen-share.

If they can't, you have one of three problems:

They're competent but not communicating (fixable)
They're incompetent (maybe fixable if they're willing to learn)
They're hiding poor results (not fixable—you need someone new)

Most business owners never ask these questions. They trust that their web person knows what they're doing. They accept vague answers and activity reports because they don't know what to look for.

But you do now.

Ask these questions. Watch how they respond. And if they fail half of them, start looking for someone who actually tracks business results instead of just completing tasks.

If your current web person couldn't answer these questions—or if you want someone who proactively tracks conversions, optimizes for ROI, and actually knows whether your marketing works—let's talk.

I've spent years setting up proper conversion tracking for businesses and watching their marketing go from "we think it's working" to "we know exactly what's working and what's not."

The difference is data. And data requires someone who knows how to track it.

Stop paying for guesswork. Start demanding results.