How to Choose the Right Website Designer (Without Getting Burned)
Hiring someone to build your website feels like a big decision because it is one. Your website is how most people will find you, learn about you, and decide whether to do business with you. So picking the right person or team to build it matters a lot.
The problem is that it's hard to tell who's actually good. Everyone's portfolio looks great (they only show their best work), everyone promises fast delivery, and pricing is all over the map. So how do you sort through it all?
Start With Their Work, Not Their Words
The single most important thing you can do is look at websites they've actually built. Not screenshots or mockups. Real, live websites you can visit and click around on.
When you're looking at their past projects, pay attention to:
Does it load fast? If their own client sites are slow, yours will be too. You can check this yourself by visiting the site on your phone. If it feels sluggish, that tells you something.
Does it look good on your phone? More than half of all web traffic is mobile. If their past work looks cramped, misaligned, or hard to use on a phone, move on.
Is it easy to navigate? Can you find what you're looking for within a few seconds? Good designers make this feel effortless. Bad ones make you hunt for basic information.
Is it still online? If most of their portfolio links are dead, that's a sign their clients moved on to someone else or the sites weren't maintained.
Ask the Right Questions
Once you've found someone whose work looks solid, here are the questions that actually matter:
"What's your process?" A good designer will walk you through their steps clearly. If they can't explain how they work, they probably don't have a reliable process.
"Who does the actual work?" At some agencies, the person you talk to during sales is not the person who builds your site. Find out who's doing the hands-on work and what their experience level is.
"What happens after launch?" Your site will need updates, fixes, and changes down the road. Some designers disappear after delivery. Make sure you know what kind of support you'll get.
"Will I own everything?" You should own your domain, your code, your design files, and your content. Some designers hold your site hostage on proprietary platforms so you can't leave without starting over. Avoid this at all costs.
"Can I talk to a past client?" Anyone who does great work is happy to connect you with someone they've worked with before. If they dodge this question, that's a warning sign.
Red Flags to Watch For
No contract. A real professional puts the scope, timeline, and pricing in writing. If someone wants to start work on a handshake, walk away.
Everything is "easy" or "no problem." Good designers will be honest about what's complicated and what trade-offs exist. If everything sounds too easy, they're either overselling or they don't understand the work.
They don't ask you many questions. If someone jumps straight to quoting a price without understanding your business, your audience, or your goals, they're going to build something generic that doesn't serve you well.
Rock-bottom pricing. We covered this in our cost guide, but it's worth repeating: a $500 website almost always leads to a $5,000 rebuild later. Quality work has a real cost, and people who charge well below market rate are cutting corners somewhere.
They pressure you to decide quickly. "This price is only good until Friday" is a sales tactic, not a sign of a busy professional. Good designers have steady work and don't need to pressure you.
Freelancer vs. Agency vs. Studio
Freelancers are usually the most affordable option. The best freelancers are excellent, but availability can be hit or miss, and you're relying on one person for everything.
Large agencies have big teams and structured processes, but they come with big overhead. You'll often pay premium prices and interact mostly with project managers rather than the people doing the work.
Small studios (like ours) sit in the middle. You get a focused team with real experience, but without the bloated pricing of a big agency. Communication is usually more direct because there are fewer people between you and the work.
There's no universally "best" option here. It depends on your budget, your project size, and how much hand-holding you need.
Trust Your Gut
After you've done your research, talked to a few options, and compared proposals, trust your instinct. The person or team you hire is someone you'll be communicating with regularly for weeks or months. If the early conversations feel difficult, confusing, or uncomfortable, that won't get better once money changes hands.
The right fit should feel easy. They should ask thoughtful questions, explain things clearly, and make you feel confident that your project is in good hands.