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To choose a web designer, decide what the site has to do first, then compare two or three designers on the same brief. Look at live sites they've built, a written scope with a fixed price, who owns the domain and files at the end, and what happens after launch. The portfolio tells you about taste. The answers to the questions below tell you whether the project will go well.
Start with what the site has to do
Most bad hires start with a vague brief. "We need a new website" gets you five quotes that can't be compared, because each designer filled in the gaps differently.
Before you contact anyone, write down three things.
- Who the site is for: the one or two types of customer you most want to reach.
- What you want them to do, whether that's call, book, request a quote, buy, or read enough to trust you.
- What you have already, such as a logo, photos, copy, an existing site, a domain, any tools the site needs to connect to.
That's enough for a first call. We keep a fuller list of what to have ready before you brief a web studio if you want to go further.
Freelancer, agency or studio?
"Web designer" can mean a single freelancer, a small studio or a large agency, and the right one depends on the size of the job.
A freelancer often costs less and you deal with one person. The risk is a single point of failure. If they get busy, ill or change careers, your site waits.
A small studio gives you a few specialists and usually still lets you talk to the people doing the work. Ortha is one of these: Fazla Rabbi leads every project, with designers and developers working from around the world. You can read more on our about page.
A larger agency suits bigger budgets and projects with many stakeholders. Ask who will do the work day to day, because the person who sells the project is often not the person who builds it. The questions below work for all three.
12 questions to ask a web designer before hiring
1. Can I see live sites you've built for businesses like mine?
Ask for links to live sites, then open them on your phone. Click around, fill in a form, and see how quickly pages load. If a designer only shows mockups, ask why. Our work page is there so you can do exactly this with us.
2. What will you need to understand before you quote?
A good designer asks about your customers and your goals before naming a price. One who quotes from a page count alone is guessing, and guesses tend to grow later.
3. Is the price fixed, and what does it cover?
You want a written scope: pages, features, who writes the copy and what happens if you ask for changes. With us, the scope and price are fixed in writing before work starts, and any change is quoted before anyone does it. Our pricing page lists starting prices for every service, so you can see where a project begins before you call.
4. Who owns the domain, code and content at the end?
This is the question owners regret not asking. Register the domain in your own name with your own email address. ICANN's registrant rights page sets out what registrars owe you, including clear instructions for renewing and transferring. If the designer registers it "for you" in their account, you're relying on them answering email for as long as you own the business.
5. Who writes the words and supplies the photos?
Copy is the part that most often delays a launch. If you're expected to write every page, know that before you sign. If the designer writes it, find out how many rounds of edits are included.
6. Which platform will you use, and why?
WordPress, a website builder or a custom-coded site can all be the right answer. The designer should explain the trade-off for you: who will edit the site, how often, and what it needs to do. A designer who uses the same platform for every client regardless of the job is choosing for their convenience.
7. Will I be able to edit the site myself?
Ask to see the editing screen, and ask whether there's a handover session. Some sites look great and are miserable to update.
8. How do you handle accessibility?
Your site should work for people using screen readers, keyboard navigation or captions. The ADA.gov web guidance lists common barriers, including poor color contrast, missing image descriptions, forms without labels and pages you can't use without a mouse. Ask how the designer checks for these.
9. What does the process look like, and when do I review?
You should know when you'll see page plans, designs and a working version. Our process page shows how ours runs, from brief and scope through design, build and launch. Whatever process a designer uses, you want a review point before each stage starts. A single reveal at the end leaves no room to change course.
10. What's the timeline, and what can delay it?
A realistic timeline starts from an approved quote and names what the designer needs from you, and when. "Two weeks" with no conditions usually means they haven't thought about content.
11. What happens after launch?
Ask who fixes things, who applies updates and what it costs. Some designers hand over the site and move on. Some offer monthly support. Either can be fine if you know which you're getting.
12. What happens if we stop working together?
Find out how handover works, whether there's a fee or notice period, and what you get: login details, files, a copy of the site. This matters most with monthly plans, where some providers keep the site if you stop paying. With our Build & Care plans you own the code, design files and content, and after the six-month minimum you can move the site wherever you like.
Red flags to watch for
Some answers should make you pause.
- Guaranteed rankings. Nobody controls where Google ranks a page. We say so on our about page, and any designer promising first place is either guessing or selling something else.
- The domain in their name. See question 4.
- No written scope. If the price isn't tied to a list of what's included, it isn't fixed.
- Unlimited revisions. It sounds generous and usually means nobody has defined the job.
- Slow replies before you've paid. Communication rarely improves after the deposit clears.
- A very low price with a long lock-in. Read the minimum term and the exit terms together.
How to compare quotes side by side
Put the quotes in a simple table with a row for each of these, and fill in what each designer offered.
- Pages and layouts included
- Who writes copy
- Platform
- Features named
- Price, and what you pay to start
- Running costs after launch
- Ownership of domain, code and content
- Timeline
- Support after launch
Gaps in the table are questions to send back. The cheapest quote often has the most gaps, and the most expensive one sometimes includes work you don't need yet. You can usually start smaller and add pages, a blog or a booking calendar once the site is live and you can see how people use it.
FAQ
What should I look for when hiring a web designer?
Look for live sites similar to what you need, a written scope with a fixed price, clear answers on who owns the domain and files, and a plan for after launch. How quickly and clearly they reply before you've paid is a good guide to how the project will go.
Should I hire a freelancer or an agency to build my website?
A freelancer suits a small, well-defined site and a tight budget, with the risk of depending on one person. A small studio or agency gives you more specialists. For both, ask who will do the work day to day.
Who should own my website domain?
You should. Register the domain in your own name with your own email address, and keep the login. A designer can have access to manage it, but the account should be yours.
How many web designers should I get quotes from?
Two or three is usually enough. Give each the same brief so the quotes can be compared, then ask about anything one includes that another doesn't. You can request a fixed quote from us or book a free 30-minute call to talk it through.
