How to Choose the Right Web Designer

Choosing a web designer can feel overwhelming, especially when websites can cost anywhere from a few hundred pounds to several thousand.

If you’ve never worked with a web designer before, it’s difficult to know what separates a good designer from a great one, or how to avoid making an expensive mistake.

Having designed websites for small businesses since 2013, I’ve seen both sides. I’ve worked with clients who came to me after a disappointing experience elsewhere, clients who had spent months stuck trying to build their own website, and clients who delayed seeking help because they thought they needed everything figured out before they could get started.

In my experience, choosing the right web designer isn’t just about finding someone whose work looks nice. It’s about finding someone who understands your business, asks thoughtful questions, and has a process that helps you achieve your goals.

So if you’re wondering how to choose the right web designer, here are the things I would look for.

Start With More Than the Portfolio

Most people begin by looking at a web designer’s portfolio, which is understandable. After all, your website needs to look professional and reflect your brand.

However, a portfolio only tells part of the story.

A website isn’t simply a design project. It’s a business tool. Before any design work begins, a good web designer should be interested in understanding:

• What your business does
• Who your ideal clients are
• What you want your website to achieve
• How people currently find your business
• How you plan to market your services in the future

If a designer jumps straight into colours, fonts and layouts without understanding your business goals, that’s often a warning sign.

A beautiful website that doesn’t attract enquiries, build trust or support your business objectives isn’t doing its job.

Look for a Clear Process

One of the biggest red flags I see is designers who don’t have a clearly defined process.

Most business owners have no idea how much work goes into creating a successful website. That’s completely normal. It’s the designer’s responsibility to guide you through the process.

A good web design process should cover far more than the design itself.

For example:

• Clarifying business goals
• Understanding your ideal clients
• Reviewing competitors
• Planning the website structure
• Discussing content and copywriting
• Considering photography and imagery
• Planning calls to action
• Discussing hosting and maintenance
• Considering search engine optimisation
• Setting up technical elements such as contact forms and email delivery
• Considering scheduling software for service based businesses needing to book calls

Many clients come to me feeling overwhelmed because they think they need everything ready before they can hire a web designer.

The reality is that a good designer should help you work through many of these decisions.

You shouldn’t be expected to know everything before asking for help.

Beware of Choosing Based on Price Alone

Everyone has a budget, and price will always be a factor.

However, choosing the cheapest option can sometimes be an expensive mistake. Very low pricing may indicate that the designer lacks experience, doesn’t have a sustainable business model, or hasn’t fully considered the amount of work involved.

A website is often one of the first impressions someone has of your business. Whether we like it or not, people do judge a book by its cover. If a website doesn’t look professional, visitors may question the professionalism of the business behind it.

That doesn’t mean the most expensive designer is automatically the best. It simply means that price shouldn’t be the only factor in your decision.

Make Sure They Understand Marketing

One question I always encourage business owners to consider is:

“How will people find this website?”

A website sitting quietly online won’t magically generate visitors.

If your business relies almost entirely on referrals, your website may simply need to support credibility and provide information.

However, if you want people to find you through Google, social media, email marketing or advertising, those conversations should happen before the website is built.

Your designer doesn’t necessarily need to provide every marketing service themselves, but they should at least ask how you intend to generate traffic and ensure the website supports those goals.

Understand the Difference Between SEO-Friendly and SEO

This is an area that often causes confusion.

A website can absolutely be built in a way that is SEO-friendly. That means the technical foundations are in place to support future SEO activity.

However, full SEO usually involves additional work such as:

• Keyword research
• Competitor analysis
• Content planning
• On-page optimisation
• Local SEO
• Ongoing monitoring and improvements

I remember speaking with a prospective client who was keen to work with me. During our conversations, I explained that the website would be built using SEO best practices, but that full SEO research and implementation would be a separate service.

Their marketing advisor suggested that full SEO should already be included, so they chose another provider instead.

A month or two later, they came back and asked whether I would take over the project because they weren’t happy with how things had progressed.

The lesson isn’t that one approach was right and the other was wrong.

It’s that clarity matters.

A good designer should be transparent about exactly what is and isn’t included.

Look for Someone Who Asks Questions

One of the qualities I value most in a web designer is curiosity.

A good designer should ask questions.

Lots of them.

They should want to understand your business, your customers, your goals and your challenges.

If a designer seems more interested in showing you what they can do than learning about your business, that’s something to pay attention to.

The best projects are collaborative.

They involve discussion, ideas, feedback and sometimes healthy disagreement.

A Good Designer Should Be Willing to Challenge You

This might sound surprising.

Many people assume a good designer simply gives clients whatever they ask for.

I don’t believe that’s true.

Part of a designer’s job is to use their experience to guide clients towards better decisions.

Sometimes that means questioning an idea.

Sometimes it means suggesting a simpler approach.

Sometimes it means explaining why something may not work as well as expected.

A designer who never challenges anything may not be thinking strategically.

A designer who challenges respectfully and explains their reasoning is often adding significant value.

Why Experience Matters

One of my clients once described me as the perfect blend of creative and technical.

I’ve always liked that description because it reflects how I approach projects.

Before becoming a web designer, I worked as a data network engineer on large-scale technical projects, including leading the implementation of the London Metropolitan Area Network and working on the EMEA side of the JPMorgan Chase merger. It taught me how to manage complex projects, solve problems methodically, and see the bigger picture rather than focusing on just one part of a project.

Combined with my graphic design degree and years of web design experience, it means I don’t just focus on how a website looks.

I’m thinking about:

• The planning
• The customer journey
• The technical setup
• The content
• The user experience
• The long-term maintenance
• The business objectives

The website itself is only one piece of the puzzle.

Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Web Designer

If you’re considering investing in a professional website, these are the questions I’d recommend asking before signing a contract:

• Can you talk me through your process from start to finish?
• How will you help me with content and copywriting?
• How do you learn about my business and goals?
• What happens after the website launches?
• Will I own the website and have full administrator access?
• Will I be able to update content myself?
• How are future changes handled?
• Do you provide hosting and maintenance, or will I need to arrange that separately?

The answers will tell you far more than a portfolio alone.

Final Thoughts

The right web designer isn’t necessarily the cheapest, the most expensive, or even the one with the most impressive-looking portfolio.

The right web designer is someone who takes the time to understand your business, communicates clearly, has a proven process, and genuinely cares about helping you achieve your goals. The best website projects are collaborative and work best when they feel like a partnership rather than a transaction.

Of course, you’ll want a website that looks professional and reflects your brand. But in my experience, the best web design projects are built on much more than that.

A website is an investment, and choosing the right person to guide you through that process can make all the difference.

The right web designer won’t just build you a website. They’ll help you create a website that supports your business goals, looks beautiful and gives you confidence to share it with the world.

Looking for a Web Designer?

If you’re planning a new website and would like some guidance on the best approach, I’d be happy to help.

Get in touch to arrange a no-obligation chat about your business, your goals, and whether we’re the right fit to work together.