blog / planning / 12 min read
How to Hire a Web Designer Without Regretting It in Six Months
short answer
The short answer
02 · planning
Before you hire a web designer, answer three questions yourself
Most bad website projects are decided before anyone is hired. The owner says "we need a new website," the designer says "great," and nobody defines what "done" looks like. Six months later the site is beautiful, nobody calls, and both sides feel cheated. So write down your answers to these three questions first.
Your one-page brief, in three questions
What should a visitor do?
Call, book, buy, request a quote? Pick one primary action. Everything on the site should push toward it.
Who is that visitor?
A homeowner with a leaking roof at 11 p.m. needs a different site than a procurement manager comparing vendors. Describe the person, not the demographic.
What does success look like in a year?
More qualified leads, fewer "what do you charge?" calls, a site you can update yourself. Write the outcome, not the feature list.
Add a rough budget range and a deadline tied to something real (a launch, a trade show, a lease ending), and you have a brief. Few designers ever receive one, and projects go faster and cheaper when they do.
03 · planning
Freelancer, agency or DIY builder: who should you hire?
"Web designer" covers a lot of ground. Before you compare people, compare types, because each one fails in a predictable way.
- MOST FLEXIBLE
Independent freelancer — One person who designs and builds, often with a trusted network. You talk to the person doing the work. The risk: capacity. Ask what happens if they're sick for two weeks.
- BIGGER TEAMS
Agency — Strategist, designer, developer and project manager under one roof. Good for complex builds. The risk: you meet the senior team in the pitch and a junior team in production.
- FASTEST TO FIND
Marketplace hire — Quick to source, and platforms add their own service fees. The risk: choosing on star ratings and price, which say little about strategy.
- DIY
Website builder + you — Fine for a test or side project. The risk: your time, and a ceiling you hit later. I compare the options in WordPress vs Wix.
There's no universally right answer. A two-person accounting firm and a 40-product online store need different partners. What matters is knowing which risk you're accepting.
04 · planning
How to choose a web designer: read portfolios like a buyer, not a fan
Portfolios show you what a designer can make look good. They don't show you whether the site worked. So when you're working out how to choose a web designer, treat the portfolio as a filter, not the decision. Open three or four live sites from their portfolio and case studies and test them on your phone:
- 01
Load it on mobile data — Does it feel fast, or do you watch it assemble itself? Most visitors see the site this way.
- 02
Find the primary action in five seconds — If the call button hides behind a hamburger menu, so will your leads.
- 03
Read one service page — Specific copy, or could it describe any company anywhere? Good designers push clients for real content.
- 04
Search the business name — Do the page titles in Google look deliberate, or like "Home | Untitled"? That shows whether SEO was considered at all.
All mockups and no live sites? Ask why. Sometimes it's agency work under NDA. Sometimes the designs never shipped.
A portfolio proves taste. Questions prove thinking. You need both, but thinking is rarer.
05 · planning
The questions to ask a web designer before you sign
This is the section to print. Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down the answers. You're not looking for perfect answers; you're looking for honest, specific ones. Vague answers to specific questions are your first warning sign.
12 questions to ask a web designer
That last one is my favorite. A designer who says "nothing, we're great" hasn't run enough projects. One who says "if content arrives late, launch slips" is telling you how projects actually go.
A web designer only handles how the site looks; SEO is a separate job for later.
Many decisions that affect search (URL structure, page hierarchy, headings, speed, redirects from your old site) are made during the build. Fixing them later costs more. Whether ongoing SEO pays off is a separate question I answer in is SEO worth it, but the foundations belong in the build.
06 · planning
How much does it cost to hire a web designer?
It depends on scope far more than on the designer's title. I won't quote market averages, because honest numbers vary enormously by country, complexity and who does the work. What I can show you is what moves the price.
When you ask how much does it cost to hire a web designer, the real answer is a formula: unique page templates, plus custom functionality, plus content work, plus SEO and migration effort, plus ongoing support. A five-page brochure site from a theme and a 60-page bilingual site with custom booking are both "a website." They are not the same purchase.
My packages and what's included are on my pricing page; a typical small-business build starts at $2,500 and takes around 3–4 weeks. For the full breakdown, read how much does a website cost. If your deadline matters as much as your budget, how long does it take to build a website covers realistic timelines.
One cost never appears on the quote: a site that doesn't generate leads. A cheap site that sits there quietly is the most expensive one you'll buy.
07 · planning
Red flags when you hire a professional web designer
You can do everything right and still meet someone who's great on a call and gone after the deposit. When you hire a professional web designer, these are the signals to walk away from, or at least slow down for.
Walk away (or slow down) if you see these
- They guarantee "#1 on Google" — Nobody can promise rankings. Google doesn't sell them.
- They keep your domain or hosting in their name — If you part ways, your business is hostage. Accounts should be yours, with them as a user.
- No contract, or a one-line contract — Scope, revisions, ownership, timeline and payment terms belong in writing.
- 100% payment up front — Milestone payments protect both sides. Full prepayment protects one.
- They never ask about your customers — If the first call is all colors and fonts, so is the site.
- "We'll handle SEO later" on a redesign — Replacing a site without redirect mapping can wipe out rankings you spent years earning.
- They can't explain their process — A good designer can describe each phase and what you'll review. Mine is written out on my process page.
08 · planning
How to hire a web designer on evidence: score the proposals
By now you have two or three proposals, each formatted and priced differently. Score them on the same criteria.
Web designer proposal scorecard
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The scorecard won't decide for you. It will stop you choosing the person with the nicest PDF.
09 · planning
How to hire a web designer: the contract checklist
You've chosen. Now protect the decision. The contract doesn't need legalese (plain English is better), but it does need to cover the basics.
A weak contract says…
"Website design, 5 pages, two revisions, launch in six weeks." Nothing about ownership, late content, SEO work or support after launch.
A strong contract says…
Pages and templates listed by name. What counts as a revision. Content deadlines on both sides. Domain, hosting, design files and code owned by you on final payment. SEO deliverables listed. A post-launch bug-fix window, and a clean exit if things go wrong.
Also agree one point of contact each and weekly updates. Three weeks of silence before a "big reveal" is how projects drift.
10 · planning
What working with me looks like
A quick word on how I do it. I design and develop your website, then do the SEO, so it actually generates leads: Design → Develop → Rank → Convert. I build custom WordPress themes and plugins, WooCommerce stores and bilingual sites, and I set up Google Search Console and reporting so you can see what happens after launch.
Read more about me. Or see what's included in website design and development. Want a second opinion on your current site before hiring anyone, me included? Start with a free website and SEO audit: a clear list of what's working and what isn't.
How to hire a web designer if I know nothing about websites?
You don't need technical knowledge, just clarity about your business. Write down what a visitor should do, who that visitor is, and what success looks like in a year. Then ask every candidate the same questions and compare answers. A good designer explains technical choices in plain English; if they can't, that tells you how the project will feel.
How do I choose a web designer: freelancer or agency?
Choose based on complexity and how much direct contact you want. A freelancer gives you access to the person doing the work and is often more flexible; an agency brings a bigger team for complex builds. Either way, ask who will actually do the work, see live examples of similar projects, and confirm what happens if your main contact is unavailable.
How much does it cost to hire a web designer?
It depends mostly on scope: how many unique page types you need, features like booking or e-commerce, who writes the content, SEO and migration work, and ongoing support. Quotes vary widely by country and experience, so compare what's included rather than the total. My packages are on my pricing page, and my cost guide explains the main drivers.
What are the most important questions to ask a web designer?
Ask who will do the work, who owns the domain, hosting and files, what SEO is included, how they protect rankings when replacing a site, how many revisions are included, what happens after launch, and what would make the project fail. Answers to the last two usually tell you more than any portfolio.
Should I hire a web designer who also does SEO?
If you want the site to bring in leads, it helps. Structure, speed, headings and redirects are decided during the build, so a designer who understands SEO gets them right from day one and you don't pay a second specialist to undo decisions. Be wary of anyone promising specific rankings; nobody can guarantee them.
Is it worth it to hire a professional web designer instead of using a website builder?
A builder works for a test project or a simple site you'll maintain yourself. A professional is worth it when the website has a job, like generating inquiries or selling products, and your time is better spent running the business. The real comparison isn't the up-front price; it's what the site earns over the next few years.
free audit
Hiring a web designer? Start with an honest second opinion.
Now you know how to hire a web designer without the six-month regret. If you'd like someone to look at your current site, your brief or a proposal you've received, I'll give you a straight answer, even if it's "you don't need me yet." Reach me through my contact page, or start with a no-obligation audit.
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