How to Choose a Web Designer: 12 Questions to Ask First

Most people hire a web designer once every five years, which means most people have no idea what to ask. The result is a lot of businesses paying for sites they cannot edit, cannot move, and in some cases do not own.

Here are the questions worth asking. The answers matter more than the portfolio.

Ownership and Control

1. "Who owns the domain name?"

It should be registered in your name, with you as the registrant, and you should have the login. If your designer registers it in their own name, they control your business address on the internet. This is the single most common trap and the most damaging.

2. "Whose hosting account is it?"

Ideally yours, with your card on it. Resold hosting is not automatically bad, but you should be able to leave without a fight. Ask directly: "if I want to move to another provider next year, what happens?"

3. "Do I get the source code and design files?"

The answer should be an unqualified yes. If a designer will not hand over what you paid them to make, you are renting rather than buying.

4. "Can I edit the content myself?"

And crucially — how much of it? Some builds let you change text but not add pages. Some let you change nothing. If every price update means an invoice, that adds up quickly. Ask for a demonstration, not a yes.

The Build Itself

5. "What platform are you using, and why?"

They should be able to justify it in terms of your needs rather than their preference. WordPress, Shopify, a static build and a page builder are all reasonable in different circumstances. "It's what I always use" is not a reason — see Squarespace vs WordPress for the trade-offs.

6. "Is it a template or a custom design?"

Templates are not a scandal, and at the lower end of the market they are how the price works. But you should know which you are buying, and a template site should be priced like one.

7. "What are you doing about SEO?"

Watch for hand-waving. A solid answer covers page titles and meta descriptions, heading structure, schema markup, page speed, mobile, and a separate page per service and location. If the answer is "it will be SEO optimised" with no detail, they mean nothing.

8. "What will the Core Web Vitals be?"

A slightly technical question that tells you a lot. Anyone who builds properly will have a view. Anyone who looks blank is not measuring performance at all.

Money and Time

9. "Is this a fixed price, and what would change it?"

Get the fixed figure and the list of things that would add to it in writing. Most disputes come from a vague scope rather than a dishonest designer.

10. "What are the ongoing costs?"

Hosting, domain, SSL, plugin licences, maintenance, platform fees. Add them up for a full year. A £299 site with £45/month of mandatory extras costs more over three years than a £999 site with £120 a year of hosting.

11. "What is the timeline, and what do you need from me?"

The honest answer to the second half is usually "content, and that is what delays most projects". A designer who tells you that up front is one who has done this before.

Afterwards

12. "What happens after launch?"

Who handles security updates, backups and breakages? What does support cost? How fast do they respond? A website is not a one-off purchase — it needs occasional attention, and you want to know what that looks like before you need it.

Warning Signs

• Guaranteed number one on Google. Nobody can promise this. It is the clearest signal you are being sold to by someone who does not mind misleading you.
• Pressure to sign today. Websites are not a limited-time offer.
• No written quote or scope. Every dispute I have heard about starts here.
• A portfolio of sites that are all offline. Click through and check. Sites should still be live and still be fast.
• Evasiveness about ownership. The most important question, and the one worth walking away over.

Freelancer or Agency?

Honestly, it depends on size. Under about £5,000, a freelancer usually gives better value — no account management layer, direct contact with whoever builds it. Larger projects with multiple stakeholders and tight deadlines often justify an agency's capacity and cover.

The trade-offs in more detail: freelancer vs agency.

Whoever you choose, get the answers to questions 1 to 4 in writing. Everything else is recoverable; ownership is not.

Common Questions

Should I hire a freelancer or an agency?

A freelancer usually costs less and you deal directly with whoever builds it. An agency offers more capacity and cover if someone is unavailable. For most small businesses under £5,000 a freelancer gives better value; larger projects with several stakeholders often suit an agency better.

What is a reasonable price for a small business website?

In the UK, roughly £500-1,500 for a straightforward brochure site, £1,500-4,000 for something with a CMS and custom design, and £2,000+ for e-commerce. Well below that range usually means a template with your logo on it; well above should come with a clear explanation of what the extra buys.

Do I really own my website?

You should own the domain, the hosting account, the content and the source code. Some providers keep all four, meaning you cannot leave without rebuilding. Ask before you sign, not after.

How long should a small business website take?

Two to four weeks for a straightforward site, four to eight for e-commerce. Longer than that usually means the project has stalled on content rather than build work.