How to choose a web designer

No matter what kind of business you run, a website is no longer a nice to have, it’s an essential part of any business. Having a great website is worth its weight in gold. It can bring in regular enquiries, build your email list and more. Honestly, it’s tough to create a great website if you’re not a professional, but if your budget won’t stretch to an expert build, don’t let it hold you back. A website is better than no website. But if you do want to outsource, how do you choose a web designer? What are the things to look for? Read on to find out.

Table of Contents

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes

Budget

This mind sound a bit obvious but your budget will dictate a lot when it comes to choosing a web designer. A smaller budget (<£1000) probably means that you’ll need to look for an agency that employs several designers. The site you get may not be 100% bespoke, but it will be a great starting point if you have nothing so far.

A bigger budget (£1000>) means that you’ll be able to work with a business who can provide you with a bespoke website and great level of service. This could still mean working with an agency or it could be a small business like my own.

Regardless of your budget, shop around. Get several quotes before you make a decision. And remember that this website won’t be the website you have forever. As your brand and business evolves so will your website.

Whilst not all web designers and agencies will have defined packages and costs on their sites, I would personally avoid those who don’t at least have a starting from price on their sites. And this is a rule I have for all service providers not just web designers.

Testimonials

This is a big one when talking about how to choose a web designer.

Check out the web designer’s testimonials from previous clients. These are the people who have worked with your potential designer, the ones who have first hand experience on what their service is like.

What are the recurring themes?
Do they provide a great service?
Did they deliver what they promised?

You might consider getting in touch with the people who provided testimonials if you have any specific questions. I personally would have no problem in answering a few questions about people I’ve worked with in the past.

Don’t just stick to the testimonials displayed on the designer’s website. That is where their best and shiniest reviews will be. Have a look at those on independent review sites like Google My Business and LinkedIn recommendations too, while I’ve not yet come across anyone who has faked reviews on their website that doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen.

If they don’t have any, or just a couple of testimonials it doesn’t necessarily mean that the designer isn’t very good, it could be that they’re very new. So consider testimonials along with the other points mentioned here.

Ask around

Most of my clients are referred to me by previous clients or other businesses I’ve worked with. If you’re worried about choosing the right web designer, tap into your own network to see who they recommend.

These are usually the most trustworthy testimonials, in my view. People don’t recommend service providers to their friends unless they’re sure the business they’re recommending is up to it. Otherwise it will reflect poorly upon themselves.

Have you been thinking about creating a website for your business?

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Portfolio

This is a biggie when choosing a web designer – what kind of work have they done before and do you even like it?

Have a look at the websites that the designer has created in the past. But remember that it is possible that the client has made some DIY changes to the site since the designer handed it over. I’m very passionate about providing my clients with the knowledge they need to look after their sites going forward. So while I’m always happy to provide links to sites I’ve built, but some of them will include caveats like ‘the client has changed the menu’ or ‘the client has heavily changed the about page’.

While browsing have a look at the different websites that have been designed.

Are there any designs that you really like?
Are there any that you don’t?
Do all of their designs look the same?

A good web designer should be able to tailor their designs to the wants and tastes of their clients. If all the designs look similar it might mean they’re a one trick pony.

Industry

If you’re in a heavily regulated industry such as law or financial services you might want to look for a web designer with experience in your industry. There are lots of web designers who specialise in working with clients from specific industries, so even if you think yours is super niche it’s still worth looking around to see who you can find.

If you know you want a feature on your site that is specific to websites in your industry such as the option to request a car valuation. This would also be a good reason to look for a designer with industry specific experience.

Personally I like to work with clients from lots of different industries, although most of them are service based businesses. I’ve worked with brand designers, copywriters, dog trainers, online schools and more.

So don’t feel like you’re tied to only working with ones who have industry experience when choosing a web designer. You might find that they bring a fresh perspective to a new to them industry.

Values

This one is relevant no matter who it is you’re looking to hire. I think it’s really important that whoever you choose to work with shares the same values you do.

For example, let’s say you’re a copywriter and you decide that you don’t want to work within the gambling industry. But then you work with a marketer who is heavily involved in promoting the gambling industry then there’s a mismatch of values.

Client might choose to work with you because of your anti-gambling stance, but if they later find out that you’ve been collaborating with someone who does work with the gambling industry, it won’t look good for you or your brand.

Speak to Them

Whether this was a how to choose a web designer article or how to choose any service provider article this would make an appearance.

I think you can learn a lot about anyone you’re interested in working with by having a conversation with them.

I personally prefer video calls so that I can see expressions and body language as well as tone of voice.

Think about the following:

How do they make you feel?
Do they seem interested in you?
Are they happy to answer all of your questions?
Are they trying to push you into a sale?

You might find that some people don’t offer discovery calls, in which case you may need to reach out via social media or email. The same questions apply to those situations too, although it may be more difficult to gauge than on a call.

Support

Support is an important consideration when thinking about how to choose a web designer.

Have a think about the kind of support you might need going forward. Do you need help with the day to day management of the site or do you feel confident that you or a VA have got it covered?

Different designers will offer varying degrees of support once the site has gone live. Some will give you some basic tips and send you on your way but others will offer more in depth support.

I like to offer a handover call with my standard packages showing my clients, or their VA the basics of looking after the site. I then offer either 14 or 30 days email support (depending on the package) once the site is live. Usually my clients don’t use the email support, but they like the peace of mind that I’m there in the early days if they need me.

Thinking about outsourcing your web design?

If you’ are a purpose driven, service based small business looking to outsource your website to an experienced designer, we could be a good fit.

I’m passionate about helping businesses who are on a mission to make a big impact in the world. If this is you then I’d love to help you build your very first, or to revamp your current site.

Book a call to see if I’m a good fit for your website.

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