Your website is often the first thing a new customer sees, before they ring you, visit you or read a single review. So it pays to know how to choose a web designer before you sign anything, because it’s a bigger decision than it looks.
Whether you’re a tradie in Maitland, a café in Merewether or a clinic in Charlestown, the same ten questions will tell you most of what you need to know. In fact, a good web designer will be happy to answer all of them.
1. Will I own the website and the domain?
You should. Your domain name, website files and hosting account should be in your business’s name, with you holding the logins. Otherwise, if a designer registers the domain in their own name, moving away later can be slow and expensive.
2. Is the quote fixed, and what does it include?
Ask for a fixed price in writing that lists the pages, features and number of design changes included. Watch for costs that appear later: hosting, plugins, stock photos, copywriting and ongoing maintenance.
3. Can I update the site myself?
For most small businesses, the answer should be yes, so ask to see the editor before you sign. After all, if changing your opening hours means emailing your designer, you’ll be paying for small jobs forever.
4. Will the web designer you meet actually build it?
Some agencies have an office in one place and a team in another. That’s fine, and often how good work stays affordable, as long as they’re upfront about it and you know who to contact. Also ask who you’ll speak to and how quickly they reply.
5. How will it work on a phone?
Many local searches happen on phones, and Google also looks at the mobile version of your site first. So ask how the site will look and load on a phone, then test a few of the designer’s live sites on yours. If they’re slow or hard to tap through, yours will be too.
6. What will the web designer do for Google from day one?
A new site should launch with the basics in place: page titles and descriptions, a clear page for each service and area you cover, fast loading, and your Google Business Profile linked properly. In other words, SEO shouldn’t be an optional extra bolted on later.
7. How will customers contact or book with me?
A good website makes the next step obvious, for example with a click-to-call button, a short enquiry form or online booking. Then ask where enquiries will go and how quickly you’ll see them.
8. Can the web designer show work for businesses like mine?
Look at real, live websites, not just mock-ups. Then check that they load quickly, read well on a phone and make it easy to get in touch.
9. What happens after launch?
Websites need updates, backups and security checks. So ask what’s included after launch, what it costs per month, and what happens if something breaks.
10. How long will it take, and what do you need from me?
Most small business sites take a few weeks. However, the biggest delay is usually content: text, photos and logins. A good designer will therefore tell you exactly what they need and when.
A checklist to help you choose a web designer
Copy these into an email before you choose a web designer:
- Will the domain, website and hosting be in my business’s name?
- Can you give me a fixed quote listing everything included?
- Can I update text, photos and prices myself?
- Who will build the site, and who will I talk to?
- How will the site look and load on a phone?
- What SEO is included at launch?
- How will customers contact or book with me?
- Can I see live sites you’ve built for similar businesses?
- What’s included after launch, and what does it cost?
- How long will it take, and what do you need from me?
How we answer these at 4SPixel
If you’re still working out how to choose a web designer, here’s how we answer the same questions. We’re a web, SEO and AI automation studio with an office in Jesmond and a design and development team in Dhaka. Every project starts with a free audit and a fixed quote in AUD. You own everything, you can update your site yourself, and we reply within one business day.
Web design in Newcastle Fast, mobile-first websites built to bring in calls and bookings. See the service →