To choose a web designer, look past the price and check four things: whether the work is bespoke or a template, whether you will own the finished site, what the ongoing costs are, and whether you can see real sites they have built. A good designer gives you a fixed price, a clear scope and straight answers. The warning signs are vague quotes, no portfolio, and anything that leaves you unable to leave.
Start with What You Actually Need
Before you compare designers, be honest about the job. A simple brochure site, a site that takes bookings, and an online shop are very different pieces of work with very different prices. Knowing roughly where you sit stops you overpaying for things you do not need, and stops you being surprised when a bigger job costs more. Our guide to how much a website costs in the UK is a good place to calibrate.
The Questions Worth Asking
You do not need to be technical to ask good questions. These four tell you most of what matters:
- Is this bespoke, or a template? A design built for your business will outlast and outperform a template with your logo dropped in. Ask to see the difference in their own work.
- Will I own the finished site? You should be able to take your site and host it wherever you like. If the answer is no, you are renting, not buying.
- What are the ongoing costs, and who handles them? Hosting, updates, security and backups all cost money and time. A quote that ignores them is incomplete.
- Can I see sites you have built and, ideally, speak to a client? Real work and real references are the strongest signal you will get.
Freelancer or Agency?
For most small businesses, a good freelancer or small studio offers better value than a large agency, because you are not paying for an office and layers of project management. You usually deal with the person doing the work, which keeps things direct. An agency earns its keep on big, complex projects with many stakeholders. Neither is “better” in the abstract; it depends on the size of the job.
Red Flags in a Quote
- A price with no scope. “A website for £X” means nothing without knowing how many pages, what features, and what is excluded.
- No portfolio. If they cannot show you real sites they have built, be cautious.
- No mention of ongoing costs. A site that is cheap to build and expensive or impossible to maintain is not a bargain.
- You cannot leave. If the site is locked to their platform or their hosting with no way out, you do not really own it.
- Everything is an upsell. Basic things like a contact form or mobile-friendliness should be included, not extras.
What a Good Designer Does Differently
A good designer asks about your business before they talk about your website, gives you a fixed price and a clear scope in writing, explains the ongoing costs honestly, and builds something you own and can edit yourself. They should be able to point to credentials or vetting, and to real work. It is worth knowing whether the person building your site has been independently assessed; our own development is held to the standard of a Codeable Certified Expert, for example, which is a vetted mark of competence rather than a self-declared one.
Questions People Ask
What should I ask a web designer before hiring them?
Ask whether the site is bespoke or a template, whether you will own it and can host it anywhere, what the ongoing costs are and who handles them, and to see real sites they have built. Those four answers tell you more than the headline price. A good designer will give you a fixed price and a clear scope in writing.
Should I use a freelancer or an agency for my small business website?
For most small businesses, a good freelancer or small studio gives better value, because you are not paying for an agency’s overheads and you deal directly with the person doing the work. An agency makes more sense for large, complex projects with many stakeholders. Judge it by the size of your job, not by which label sounds more impressive.
What are the warning signs of a bad web designer?
A price with no clear scope, no portfolio of real sites, no mention of ongoing costs, a site you cannot move away from, and basic features treated as paid extras. Any of these is a reason to ask more questions before committing.
How do I know if a web designer is any good?
Look at real sites they have built, ask to speak to a past client, and check for independent credentials rather than self-declared ones. Clear written quotes, honest talk about ongoing costs, and a focus on your business rather than just the design are all good signs.
Want a Straight Quote to Compare?
Send us a short brief and you will have a written proposal with a fixed price and a clear scope within two working days. Use it to compare, with no obligation to go ahead.