7 Things to Look for When Hiring a Web Designer
Hiring a web designer is a bigger decision than it feels like at the time, mostly because it's hard to judge who's actually good until after you've paid them.
Most business owners pick based on price or a nice-looking portfolio, then find out too late that the process was disorganized, the timeline kept slipping, or the finished site didn't reflect their business at all.
What it costs you to get this wrong
A bad hire doesn't just waste the money, it wastes months. You end up with a site that doesn't convert, a designer who's stopped responding, and the same problem you started with, except now you're more skeptical of hiring anyone to fix it.
Table of contents
Look for a portfolio that actually shows work like yours
Read reviews you can actually verify
Ask for pricing that's clear and specific
Get a realistic, honest timeline
Make sure deliverables are defined in writing
Look for a free discovery call before any commitment
Choose someone who understands your business, not just your industry
FAQ
Before we get into what to look for
If you'd rather see what's possible for your own site first, we do a small number of free homepage redesigns each month. More on that further down.
1. Look for a portfolio that actually shows work like yours
A portfolio full of polished screenshots tells you less than it seems to. What actually matters is whether any of that work resembles what you need.
This matters because a designer who's great at flashy visual sites might be the wrong fit for a service business that needs clear, simple, high-converting pages. Style and substance aren't the same skill.
Ask for two or three examples close in scope to your own project, and click through to the actual live sites, not just screenshots. A live site tells you how it performs, not just how it looks in a mockup.
2. Read reviews you can actually verify
Testimonials on a designer's own website are worth something, but they're also the ones that make the cut. The full picture usually lives somewhere you have to go looking for.
This matters because a curated set of quotes on someone's homepage tells you what they want you to know, not necessarily what working with them is actually like week to week.
Search the designer or agency's name alongside "review" separately, and check Google reviews, LinkedIn recommendations, reviews on freelance platforms like Upwork, 99 Designs, Behance or Dribbble, where people had less reason to be selective about what they wrote.
3. Ask for pricing that's clear and specific
Vague pricing, a "starting at" number with no scope attached, is one of the most common sources of disputes later in a project.
This matters because unclear pricing is usually a symptom of unclear scope, and unclear scope is exactly what leads to surprise invoices or arguments over what was actually included.
Before agreeing to anything, get a written quote tied to a specific scope: number of pages, number of revision rounds, and what happens if you want changes after launch.
4. Get a realistic, honest timeline
A designer who promises an unusually fast timeline with no caveats attached is worth a second look, not necessarily a red flag, but a question mark.
This matters because most website timelines depend heavily on how quickly you can review and approve work, not just on the designer's own schedule. A timeline that ignores this entirely is setting expectations that won't hold up.
Ask what the quoted timeline assumes: how fast do they need feedback from you, and what happens to the schedule if your content isn't ready on day one.
5. Make sure deliverables are defined in writing
"Deliverables" just means exactly what you get at the end: how many pages, whether you own the source files, whether there's a training session, and whether any support period is included after launch.
This matters because vague deliverables are where disputes happen after the invoice is paid. If it wasn't written down, both sides tend to remember it differently.
Get a written list of deliverables before you sign anything, even if it's just a short email confirming what's included. It protects you and the designer equally.
6. Look for a free discovery call before any commitment
A good sign before you've paid anyone anything is whether they want to understand your business first, not just quote you a price off a form you filled in.
This matters because a quote given without a real conversation is usually a generic number attached to a generic package, not something built around what your business actually needs.
Expect at least one no-obligation call or a real back and forth conversation before a firm quote arrives. If a designer skips straight to a price with no questions asked, that's worth noticing.
Source: Best practices for vetting freelancers or agencies before hiring
7. Choose someone who understands your business, not just your industry
There's a difference between a designer who says "I've built sites for law firms before" and one who actually asks about your specific clients, your specific goals, and what makes your business different from the law firm down the street.
This matters because industry-templated sites tend to look the same as every competitor's site, which defeats the point of having your own website in the first place.
Notice what they ask in the early conversations. If the questions are about your customers, your goals, and what's not working currently, that's a good sign. If they're only about your industry in general, that's worth a second thought.
You know what to look for now. Vetting takes time you might not have.
At this point you have a solid checklist for evaluating anyone you're considering hiring. Actually running through that process, comparing quotes, and waiting on responses takes real time though, especially while you're running the business the website is meant to support.
There's a faster way to see what's possible, without going through a full vetting process first.
FAQ
How much should I expect to pay a web designer?
Prices vary widely depending on scope, but a simple business website typically costs somewhere between a few hundred and a few thousand dollars, with agencies generally costing more than individual freelancers. Always ask what's included before comparing numbers directly.
Should I hire a freelancer or an agency?
Freelancers are often more affordable and flexible for smaller projects, while agencies tend to offer more structure and backup if someone's unavailable. Neither is automatically better, it depends on your budget and how much hand-holding you want through the process.
What questions should I ask a web designer before hiring them?
Ask to see live examples of similar work, request a written quote tied to a specific scope, and ask what a typical project timeline looks like and what it assumes about your availability for feedback.
How long does it typically take to find the right web designer?
Give yourself at least a week or two to compare a few options properly, rather than hiring the first person who responds. A rushed hiring decision is one of the most common reasons projects go sideways later.
What red flags should I watch for when hiring a web designer?
Vague pricing with no scope attached, no willingness to have a real conversation before quoting, and an inability to show live examples of past work are the three biggest ones.
Do I need to sign a contract with a web designer?
Yes, even a simple one. A written agreement covering scope, price, timeline, and deliverables protects both sides and prevents the kind of disputes that come from relying on memory alone.
What's the difference between a discovery call and a sales pitch?
A discovery call is mostly the designer asking you questions about your business and goals. A sales pitch is mostly them talking about themselves. You want more of the former before you commit to anything.
Get a free homepage redesign.
Each month we take on a small number of free homepage redesigns for real businesses. If you're wondering how long it would take to build a website that actually looks like it belongs to your business, this is the easiest way to find out.
Here's exactly what you get: we'll take your current homepage and build a real visual mockup of what a redesign could look like, along with a short Loom video walking you through what we'd change and why. It's yours to keep either way, whether or not we ever work together.
There's no cost, no pressure, and no generic template. We review every submission personally, and we only take a handful each month so each one gets proper attention.
If you'd rather talk it through first
You can also book a call and we'll look at your site together.
Written by
Mikkel Calmann
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