Choosing the right website designer is kinda like speed dating. Everyone promises you the world, but it’s tough to tell who’s actually worth your time (and money).
Some designers talk a big game but don’t actually put in the effort once you commit. Others vanish midway through the project, while some stick around—but just long enough to hand you a website that’s slow, clunky, or just plain bad.
Sound familiar? Maybe you’ve been ghosted by a web design company who went MIA after cashing your deposit. Or you ended up with a site that looks decent but breaks every other week. Or worse, you paid for “SEO optimization” and got a bunch of meaningless traffic that didn’t bring in a single customer.
Look, I totally get it. As a small business owner, you can’t afford to hire the wrong designer. Let’s talk about how to find a reliable web designer who’s actually worth your time and investment.
Let’s start with 3 main skills you’ve gotta look for
Think of hiring a web designer like hiring a contractor to build your dream home. You wouldn’t trust someone with a hammer and a YouTube tutorial, right? Your website deserves the same level of expertise.
#1 Coding expertise
Some freelance web designers rely on drag-and-drop tools, which are fine for hobby blogs, but not for a business. A professional designer should know how to code and build something from the ground up. Bonus points if they use tools like Bricks Builder, which keep your site fast, secure, and clean as a whistle.
#2 Performance know-how
Have you ever clicked on a website, waited and waited for something to load…and then gave up? That’s what happens when web design companies ignore things like Google Core Web Vitals. A good website designer will optimize for speed, mobile usability, and performance so your website runs like a dream on any device.
#3 Search engine optimization (SEO) skills
Your website should do a whole lot more than look good—it should help people find you. A web design agency or freelancer with proper SEO knowledge can structure your site to perform well in search results. That means more clicks, more leads, and fewer crickets chirping on your contact page.
See any of these red flags? Run for the hills, my friend
Here’s where the warning sirens should go off when you’re shopping around for web design services.
Disappearing acts
Ghosting isn’t just a dating problem. If your potential web designer is hard to reach during the sales process, imagine how unresponsive they’ll be once the contract is signed? Big red flag.
Overpromising metrics
“10,000 visitors in a week!” sounds nice until you realize it’s 9,995 bots. Ask how they’ll define success in your web design project, and watch out for fancy-sounding metrics that don’t help your business. It’s all just smoke and mirrors.
A lack of questions
If your designer doesn’t ask anything about your business, your goals, or your audience, it’s a bad sign. How can they build a site that works for you if they don’t know anything about you?
No process to speak of
Ask about their process. If they can’t explain how they’ll get from point A to point Z—or worse, if they look confused by the question—you’re in for a bumpy ride.
Mystery pricing
If they dodge budget questions or hit you with surprise fees halfway through the project, that’s a major red flag. Transparency upfront is non-negotiable.
How to find proof they know their stuff
A designer’s portfolio is like their resume. It’s where they show off their best work and highlight success stories from past clients. But don’t just skim the surface.
Test the sites
Actually click around on the websites in their portfolio. Are they fast? Easy to use? Do they look good on your phone? Can you find what you’re looking for without having to think too hard? If a site takes longer to load than it does to read this paragraph, you’ve got a problem.
Look for long-term partnerships
If their reviews mention clients coming back for multiple projects or sticking around for ongoing support, that’s a huge green flag. It shows they’re reliable, consistent, and easy to work with. If it’s local web designers you’re looking for, ask around your local business network to see if anyone’s worked with them before.
See how they handle different challenges
A well-rounded portfolio will include a mix of small business sites, eCommerce projects, and maybe even something with complex features like booking systems or custom forms. This shows they’re ready to handle your specific needs.
8 questions to ask before you pay a dime
Here’s where you get to play Sherlock Holmes and give those web design agencies a good grilling.
#1 How do you approach the discovery phase? Your web designer should start with a solid understanding of your business, audience, and goals. If they skip straight to picking colors and fonts, that’s a bad sign. A good designer doesn’t just ask, “What do you want it to look like?” They ask, “What do you want it to do?”
#2 How do you handle brand personality? Your website needs to reflect who you are, not just what you do. Whether your brand is playful, professional, or somewhere in between, your designer should capture that vibe and weave it into the design. Before anything is set in stone, you should see wireframes or mockups to ensure the designer is heading in the right direction.
#3 Who will I be working with? Find out if you’ll have a dedicated point of contact, or if you’ll be passed around like a hot potato. For example, when you work with Squeak, I’m your guy from start to finish. That means no middlemen, no miscommunications, and no blame games.
#4 What happens after launch? A good designer doesn’t vanish once the site goes live. Ask about maintenance, updates, and support. If they can’t help you keep your site in great shape, you’ll end up scrambling for help later.
#5 How do you handle revisions? It’s inevitable—you’re going to have feedback. Make sure they’re open to collaboration and have a clear process for implementing changes.
#6 How do you handle deadlines? This is a big one. Ask how they plan to keep the project on track and what happens if there are delays.
#7 What’s the budget breakdown? Ask for a detailed breakdown of costs upfront, including any potential extra fees. If they’re vague or avoid the topic, you might be in for a budget surprise later.
#8 How will you measure success? Whether it’s better search rankings, more leads, or faster load times, they should have clear ways to track the results of their work.
Your perfect web designer is out there (Or right here, who knows)
Choosing a web designer isn’t rocket science. But it does take a little digging to find someone you can count on to provide great customer service and deliver exactly what you need. So don’t settle—your website is too important for that.
If you’re tired of web design horror stories and want to work with someone who actually cares, give me a shout. Whether you’re in Marion County or across the globe, I’d love to help you build something really awesome.Ready to get started? Let’s do this thing.
