Choosing a website designer for small business work is harder than it should be. Everyone has a portfolio of good-looking sites, everyone promises more leads, and the prices range from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands. Most owners only do this once every few years, so they have little to compare against.
This guide gives you that comparison. Here are the eight things we would check before hiring anyone, the red flags that should make you walk away and the questions to ask on the first call. We design and run websites for small businesses ourselves, so where we describe how we work, those are our own terms.
Why choosing the right designer matters
For most small businesses the website is the shop window, the brochure and the first conversation all at once. People look you up after a recommendation, compare you with two competitors on their phone and decide in seconds whether to call. A designer who understands that builds a site that wins those seconds. One who doesn't builds a site that looks nice in their portfolio.
The wrong choice also costs more than the fee. It costs the months spent on a project that drags, the enquiries lost to a site that doesn't convert and, often, a second project to fix the first.
The basics
1. They ask about your customers first
A good designer's first questions are about who buys from you, what those people worry about and why they choose you over someone else. Colours and fonts come later. If the first call is all about style, the site will be too.
Check: did they ask who your best customers are and what they search for?
2. Their portfolio includes businesses like yours
Look for sites built for businesses of a similar size and type: local service businesses, clinics, trades, consultants. A designer who mostly builds for large brands may not understand a small team's budget, time or need for enquiries this month.
Check: ask which sites in their portfolio are closest to your business, and what happened after launch.
The work itself
3. Someone is responsible for the words
Most small business sites fail on the words, not the design. If you are expected to write every page yourself, say so up front and budget the time. Better still, choose a designer who writes the copy or works with someone who does.
Check: who writes the copy, and will you see it before the design is finished?
4. It is designed for phones first
Many of your visitors will see the site on a phone, often while standing outside or comparing quotes. The phone layout should be designed on purpose, with your phone number, booking or contact button easy to reach.
Check: ask to see a past site on your own phone during the call.
Getting found
5. Search basics are included
Every page should go live with a clear title, description, headings and image text, and your business details should be consistent everywhere. That is basic hygiene, not an add-on. Be wary of guarantees: Google's guidance on hiring an SEO says "No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google."
Check: what search work is included on launch, and what isn't?
6. They understand local search
For local businesses, the Google Business Profile often brings in more calls than the website itself, and the two should support each other. Google's own tips on improving your local ranking say local results are "mainly based on relevance, distance, and popularity," and that there is no way to pay for a better local position.
Check: do they mention your Business Profile, reviews and location pages without being asked?
After launch
7. Changes are easy and affordable
Your prices, services, team and photos will change. Find out how changes are made after launch, how fast, and what they cost. Hourly billing with no cap is the most common source of surprise invoices.
Check: what does a typical change cost, and how quickly is it made?
8. You own what you pay for
You should own your domain and your content in every case. Whether you own the design and code depends on the arrangement, so get it in writing. Some designers keep sites in their own accounts, which makes leaving difficult.
Check: whose account is the site in, and what happens if you part ways?
Red flags
No written scope
If the proposal doesn't list the pages, the copy, the revisions and the launch support, expect the scope to shift once the work starts.
Promises of rankings or traffic
No honest designer can promise a position on Google. Promises of specific results are a reason to keep looking.
Long silence between messages
How a designer communicates before you sign is the best they will ever be. Slow replies now mean slower replies later.
Everything in their name
Domain, hosting and site all registered to the designer is a common way small businesses lose control of their own websites.
Questions to ask on the first call
Who do you think my customers are, from what you have seen of my business? Which of your sites is closest to mine, and how is it doing now? Who writes the copy? How will the site work on a phone? What search work is included? How are changes made after launch, and what do they cost? Who owns the domain, the content and the design? What exactly do I get, by when, for what price?
A different way to get a small business website
Hiring a designer for a one-off project is not the only option. Many small businesses would rather not manage a website at all. For them we run Hosted for You: we design and build the site, host it, secure it, connect the domain and make every change you send in your own WhatsApp group, live within 48 hours. Plans are $197, $497 or $1,497 a month billed yearly, with no setup fee, and after a full paid year you own the whole site. Our guide to done for you websites explains who that suits.
If you would rather own the site from day one and look after it yourself, a fixed-price project is the better fit. Our Launch projects start from $5,000 and our Rebuild projects, which include strategy and copywriting, from $9,500.
The short version
The right website designer for a small business asks about your customers before your colours, has built sites for businesses like yours, takes the words seriously, designs for phones, covers search basics, makes changes easy and leaves you owning what you paid for. Check those eight things, avoid the red flags and ask the questions above before you sign. Our post on how to hire a web designer covers more of what to expect from the process.
FAQ
How much does a website designer cost for a small business?
It ranges widely. Freelancers often charge a few thousand dollars for a build, then hourly for changes. Our fixed-price projects start from $5,000, and Hosted for You starts from $197 a month billed yearly with no setup fee.
Should a small business use a website builder or hire a designer?
A builder suits owners with time, a good eye and words they are happy with. A designer suits businesses whose website brings in most of their enquiries, or owners who would rather spend their time on paying work.
How long does it take to design a small business website?
It depends on the scope and how quickly content is ready. Our Hosted for You sites go live in days, and our Launch projects take four to eight weeks.
What should I prepare before hiring a designer?
A list of your services, what makes you different, who your best customers are, your logo and any photos of your work, team and premises. The clearer this is, the faster and cheaper the project.
Do I need SEO when I get a new website?
Every new site needs search basics: clear titles, descriptions, headings and consistent business details. Ongoing search work, such as new pages around what customers search for, is a separate choice.
Who should own my small business website?
You should always own your domain and content. Ownership of the design and code depends on the arrangement, so get it in writing before you sign.
