How to choose a web designer (and the questions to ask)

Most people choose a web designer the way they’d choose a plumber they’ve never used: a recommendation, a search, a few quotes, then a guess. Often it works out. When it doesn’t, the cost isn’t only the money. It’s months with a site that doesn’t bring in work, and the hassle of starting again.

You don’t need to know anything technical to choose well. You need to know what you want the site to do, and what to look for in the people offering to build it.

Start with what the site is for

Before you ask anyone for a quote, write down in a sentence or two what the site needs to do for your business. For example (these are examples, not real businesses):

• “Get more people booking a table for Sunday lunch.”
• “Make it easy for people in Halesworth to call us about a boiler service.”
• “Show off our holiday cottage and take bookings without paying a big commission.”

That sentence does two things. It lets you compare quotes properly, because everyone is pricing the same job. And it’s a good test: a designer worth hiring will ask you about it before they give you a price. If someone quotes without asking what the site is for, they’re pricing pages, not results.

Look at their work, on your phone

Every designer has a portfolio. Look past the pictures on their own site and open the real websites they’ve built, on your phone, because that’s how most of your customers will see yours.

• Do the sites load quickly? A slow site loses people before they’ve seen anything.
• Can you tell what each business does, and where, in a few seconds?
• Is the phone number easy to find and tap?
• Do they look like the business, or like the designer? If every site in the portfolio looks the same, yours probably will too.

Local work is worth extra attention. Many designers put a small credit at the bottom of the sites they build. If you see one on a local business you like, that’s a recommendation you’ve found yourself.

Check what other people say

Read their Google reviews, and read what the reviews actually say rather than counting stars. Reviews that mention a real project, how problems were handled, or what happened after the site went live tell you far more than “Great service!”.

Then ask to speak to one or two people they’ve built sites for. A designer with happy clients should be able to put you in touch. Google gives the same advice for anyone hiring help with search: check references with past clients.

Know who you’ll actually deal with

Ask who you’ll be talking to from start to finish, and who you’ll call if something goes wrong a year from now. With a larger company, the person who sells you the site may not be the person who builds it. With a one-person business, ask what happens when they’re on holiday or ill.

Neither is wrong. You just want to know before you sign.

What it should cost

Prices vary a lot, mostly depending on how much is done for you. Bark, a site where people get quotes from web designers, publishes a price guide based on the professionals who use it. It puts a small business site from a freelancer at £1,000 to £3,000, and from an agency at £2,000 to £7,000. Ours are fixed prices: the Simple site is £625 + VAT (£750 including VAT) and the Business site is £1,500 + VAT (£1,800 including VAT).

Whatever the figure, check what’s included. The biggest difference between two quotes is usually whether someone works out what your site should say and writes it, or hands you empty pages to fill in. Add up the whole first year too, including hosting and changes. Our guide to what a website costs goes through it in more detail.

Warning signs

Some things should make you pause:

• A promise of first place on Google. Google’s own guidance is blunt: “No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google.” It goes on to say that if someone promises it, you should find someone else.
• An email or call out of the blue offering to fix your site or your ranking. Google warns about these too.
• No straight answer about ownership. Your domain name should be registered in your name. And if someone else makes your design or photos, they own the copyright unless you agree otherwise in writing. A designer who is vague about either is telling you something.
• A vague quote. “Website: £1,200” with nothing else. You should know how many pages, who writes the words, and what happens after it goes live.
• Pressure to decide quickly, such as a discount that runs out this week.

Questions to ask before you choose

Take these to every designer you’re considering, and compare the answers:

1. What do you need to know about my business before you can quote?
2. Who writes the words on the site? If it’s you, how much help will you get?
3. Can I see three sites you’ve built, and speak to one of those clients?
4. Who will I deal with, from start to finish and after it goes live?
5. Is the price fixed, and what would make it go up?
6. What does it cost each month after it’s live, and what does that include?
7. Can I make simple changes myself, like opening hours or prices?
8. Whose name will the domain be registered in, and what do I get if I leave?

A good designer will be glad you asked. Clear, plain answers are a good sign in themselves.

Where to start

If you already have a website, run the free website health check first. It shows what’s holding the current site back, which makes it easier to brief whoever you choose. If you’d like an expert view before you spend money, a website review gives you one, with clear next steps. And if you’re starting from scratch, our prices page sets out exactly what you get for each price.