How to Choose a Web Designer: 15 Questions to Ask Before You Hire (UK 2026)
How to choose a web designer comes down to three things: proof they have built sites like the one you need, a written agreement that makes you the owner of your domain and website, and a clear plan for what happens after launch. Ask every designer you shortlist the same 15 questions, get the answers in writing, and the right choice usually becomes obvious.
We are a web design studio in East London, so yes, we would like to be on your shortlist. But the questions below are the ones we would want a friend to ask any designer, including us. Most of the website horror stories we hear, from sites held hostage to domains registered in a designer’s name, could have been avoided with ten minutes of questions before the deposit was paid.
The short answer
- Check the proof: live websites for businesses like yours, recent reviews, and who will actually build your site.
- Secure the ownership: the domain registered in your name, full admin logins, and written confirmation that you own the design and content once you have paid.
- Pin down the scope: a written list of what is included and what is not, the platform, revisions, payment terms and dates.
- Test the thinking: how they make sites fast on a phone, what SEO they include, and how the site will turn visitors into enquiries.
- Plan the aftercare: hosting, updates, backups and support after launch, and what they cost.
Walk away from anyone who guarantees a #1 ranking on Google, will not put the domain in your name, or will not give you a written agreement.
How to choose a web designer: start with three decisions
Designers can only quote accurately for what you describe. Ten minutes spent on these three points will get you better, comparable quotes:
- What the website must do. Bring in calls and quote requests? Take bookings? Sell products? Show off your work? One main goal shapes every other decision.
- Your budget range. Not a single figure, a range, including what you can spend each month on hosting and upkeep. If you are unsure what is realistic, our guide to how much a website costs in the UK gives typical prices for every route and a free calculator.
- Your must-haves. The pages you know you need, any features (booking calendar, quote form, gallery, online payments), and two or three websites you like, with a note on what you like about each.
That same guide includes a copy-and-paste brief. Send the identical brief to every designer and the quotes become directly comparable.
Where to find a good web designer in the UK
Knowing how to choose a web designer starts with a shortlist of three or four names. These are the most reliable places to find them:
- Ask businesses you trust. A recommendation from another local business owner is still the most reliable starting point.
- Look at websites you admire. Many sites credit their designer in the footer. If a local competitor’s site impresses you, find out who built it.
- Search for your trade. Searches such as “roofer website design” or “dog groomer website” surface designers who already understand your customers.
- Check Google reviews and Maps. A designer’s own Google Business Profile tells you a lot: how many reviews, how recent, and how they reply.
- Be wary of unsolicited offers. Google’s own guidance warns against SEO and web firms that approach you with cold emails promising results.
The 15 questions to ask a web designer
This is the heart of how to choose a web designer. Ask these by email so the answers are in writing. You do not need to understand the technology to judge the answers: a good designer explains things plainly, and a vague or defensive answer tells you most of what you need to know.
Area 1 of 5: Proof
1. Can I see live websites you have built for businesses like mine?
Mock-ups and screenshots show what a designer can draw. Live sites show what they actually deliver: how fast pages load on a phone, whether the contact form works, and whether the business still uses the site a year later.
Good answer: Three or four live links to real businesses, ideally in your trade or area, with a note on what each project involved.
Red flag: Only templates, concept designs or “we can’t share client work”.
2. Can I read reviews or speak to two recent clients?
Reviews on Google are harder to fake than testimonials on a designer’s own website. If you can, call one of their clients and ask two things: did the project finish on time and on budget, and do they still get help when something goes wrong?
Good answer: Recent Google reviews and happy clients who are willing to talk to you.
Red flag: No reviews anywhere independent, or reviews that are all several years old.
3. Who will actually build my website?
Some agencies sell the project and pass the build to a subcontractor. That is not automatically bad, but you should know who you are dealing with, who writes the code and who to call when you need a change.
Good answer: A named person or small team, and a single point of contact from start to finish.
Red flag: Vagueness about who does the work, or a different contact every time you get in touch.
Area 2 of 5: Ownership
4. Will the domain name be registered in my name?
Your domain (yourbusiness.co.uk) is the address your customers, your Google listing, your vans and your business cards all point to. Whoever is listed as the registrant legally holds it. If that is your designer, you may struggle to move away later. You can check any domain’s registrant with a WHOIS lookup.
Good answer: “Yes, it will be registered to your business, with a login you control.” If they already manage it, they transfer it to you.
Red flag: “We register it in our name to make things easier.”
5. Who owns the design and content once I have paid?
This is the question most people never think to ask. Under UK copyright law, the person who creates a piece of work is usually its first owner, not the person who paid for it, unless you agree otherwise in writing. GOV.UK’s guidance on commissioned work is clear that ownership should be settled in a contract.
Good answer: A written clause saying you own the finished design and page content once paid in full. It is normal for designers to keep their underlying tools and code libraries and license them to you.
Red flag: No mention of ownership, or a site that only stays online while you keep paying the designer.
6. Will I get full admin access and my own logins?
You should be able to log in to your own website, your hosting, your domain, your Google Analytics and Search Console, and your Google Business Profile, without asking permission. If the designer disappears, these logins are the difference between an inconvenience and starting again.
Good answer: Administrator access to the website at launch, plus your own logins for hosting, domain and Google tools.
Red flag: “You won’t need access, just email us any changes.”
Want these answered by us, in writing?
Send us your brief and we will reply to all 15 questions before you commit to anything. No pressure, no obligation.
Area 3 of 5: Scope and price
7. Exactly what is included, and what is not?
Two quotes for “a five-page website” can describe completely different things. Ask for a written list covering pages, copywriting, photos, contact forms, basic SEO set-up, legal pages such as privacy and cookies, training and launch support.
Good answer: An itemised list, including a clear “not included” section.
Red flag: “Everything is included” with no detail.
8. Which platform will you build on, and why?
WordPress, Wix, Squarespace or a custom system all have trade-offs in cost, flexibility and how easily you can move later. A good designer recommends one for your situation and explains the reasoning. If you want the background first, our comparison of WordPress vs Wix vs Squarespace sets out the pros and cons in plain English.
Good answer: A recommendation tied to your goals, with the downsides mentioned too.
Red flag: A proprietary system only they can edit, with no way to take the site elsewhere.
9. How many rounds of revisions are included, and what do extras cost?
Most projects need at least one round of changes after the first draft. Agreeing the number of rounds up front protects both sides from a project that drags on for months.
Good answer: A set number of revision rounds (two is common) and a published rate for additional work.
Red flag: Unlimited revisions promised at a very low price. Something has to give, and it is usually quality or the deadline.
10. What are the payment terms and the timeline?
Common arrangements are full payment up front for fixed packages, or a deposit with the balance due on completion for bespoke projects. Either is fine if it is written down, along with the key dates and what the designer needs from you to meet them.
Good answer: Clear payment stages, a realistic timeline and a list of what you need to supply.
Red flag: A large upfront payment with no dates, or pressure to pay today to “lock in” a price.
Area 4 of 5: Results
11. How will you make sure the site is fast on a phone?
Most local customers will see your website on a phone first, often on mobile data. A good designer tests mobile speed with a tool such as Google PageSpeed Insights before launch and can explain what they did to keep pages light.
Good answer: “We test every page on mobile and share the PageSpeed results with you before launch.”
Red flag: “It will be fast” with no testing, or a portfolio of sites that are slow on your own phone.
12. What SEO is included, and what results can I realistically expect?
Every new website should launch with basic SEO in place: page titles and descriptions, a sensible heading structure, image alt text, an XML sitemap, Google Search Console, and a Google Business Profile that links to the site. Ranking well for competitive searches is a separate, ongoing job. As Google puts it in its own guidance on hiring SEO help, no one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google.
Good answer: A clear list of the SEO set-up included, and an honest explanation of what ongoing SEO would involve.
Red flag: Guaranteed page one or #1 rankings, or claims of a “special relationship” with Google.
13. How will the site turn visitors into enquiries?
A beautiful website that does not make the phone ring is an expensive brochure. Ask how the designer plans the pages around your customers’ questions, where the calls to action go, and how you will know which enquiries came from the website.
Good answer: Clear calls to action on every page, click-to-call on mobile, short forms, reviews and proof near the enquiry buttons, and simple tracking.
Red flag: All the talk is about colours and animations, and none of it is about enquiries.
Area 5 of 5: Aftercare
14. What happens after launch, and what does it cost?
Websites need looking after. WordPress sites in particular need regular updates, backups and security checks. Ask what is included after launch (a bug-fix period is common), what a care plan covers, what it costs and whether you are free to host and maintain the site elsewhere.
Good answer: A defined support period, an optional care plan with a clear price, and freedom to leave with your site.
Red flag: A surprise monthly fee after launch, or a site that stops working if you stop paying.
15. Will the site meet UK legal basics, and who is responsible for data?
A business website needs certain information by law, such as your business details, a privacy notice and proper cookie controls. If your designer will host the site or handle the data your forms collect, UK GDPR requires a written contract between you covering how they process it. Our UK website legal requirements checklist lists what your site must show.
Good answer: They know the basics, build them in, and put data processing terms in writing if they will host or manage your data.
Red flag: “Legal stuff is up to you” when they are the ones building the forms and cookies.
10 red flags that should make you walk away
Knowing how to choose a web designer also means knowing when to walk away. Any one of these should stop you before you pay a deposit:
- The domain would be registered in their name. Your business address online should belong to your business.
- There is no written agreement. A friendly handshake is not enough when money, ownership and deadlines are involved.
- They guarantee a #1 ranking on Google. Google itself says no one can guarantee that.
- A cheap monthly deal where the site is never yours. Pay-monthly can be fine, but not if leaving means losing everything you paid for.
- No live portfolio. Only mock-ups, only templates, or no work you can visit.
- High-pressure selling. Prices that expire today, or reluctance to put anything in writing.
- “Everything is included” with no detail. The details are where the extra invoices come from.
- No admin access for you. Every small change goes through them, often at an hourly rate.
- They approached you out of the blue with promises. Cold emails promising page one are one of Google’s listed warning signs.
- No plan after launch. No mention of updates, backups, support or what happens when something breaks.
One red flag is enough. A lower price never makes up for losing control of your domain or your website. The cost of rebuilding later is almost always higher than paying a little more now.
What your web design contract should include
You do not need a lawyer for a small-business website, but you do need the key points in writing, whether that is a formal contract, a signed proposal or a detailed email the designer confirms. Copy this checklist into your email to each designer and ask them to confirm every line:
If a designer is reluctant to confirm these points in writing, treat that as your answer. For reference, our own website build agreement is published on our site, so you can see exactly what we commit to before you order.
Freelancer, agency or ready-made website?
There is no single right answer. What matters is that the option you choose can answer the 15 questions well.
| Option | Best for | Strengths | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freelance web designer | Most small business sites | Direct contact with the person doing the work, usually good value | Availability, holidays, and what happens if they stop trading |
| Small studio or agency | Businesses that want design, SEO and aftercare in one place | A team, a process and continuity | Paying for layers of account management you do not need |
| Large agency | Bigger budgets, complex sites and integrations | Specialists for everything | Minimum budgets and a process built for larger clients |
| Ready-made website | Trades and niches that need to be online in days | Fast, fixed price, often on a strong keyword domain | Check exactly what is included and that the domain transfers to you. See our ready-made website buyer's guide. |
How to choose a web designer from several quotes
The number at the bottom of a quote is only part of the story. Put every quote on the same footing by working out what you will pay over three years and what you will own at the end of it.
- Add up three years of costs, including monthly fees, hosting, domain renewals and any care plan.
- Check what you own at the end. A site you own has value; a rented one disappears when you stop paying.
- Compare what is included, not just the price. Copywriting, photos and ongoing updates can explain a big difference in price.
- Look at the cost of your own time. If one quote expects you to write every word and source every photo, that is work you are doing for free.
Free web designer scorecard
Use this to compare up to three designers after you have their written answers. Type their names in, mark each check Yes, Partly or No, and the scorecard weights the results, flags any deal-breakers and suggests a front-runner. You can copy the result to share with a business partner. It turns how to choose a web designer from a gut feeling into a side-by-side comparison.
Web designer scorecard: compare up to three quotes
12 checks · weighted for what matters most · tap Yes, Partly or No · nothing is sent anywhere
| Check | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Showed live sites for businesses like mine | |||
| 2. Recent reviews or references checked | |||
| 3. Clear who builds it and who I deal with | |||
| 4. Domain will be registered in my nameDeal-breaker if no | |||
| 5. I own the design and content once paid, in writingDeal-breaker if no | |||
| 6. Full admin access and my own logins | |||
| 7. Written quote lists what is and is not included | |||
| 8. Platform explained, and I can move the site later | |||
| 9. Revisions, payment terms and dates in writing | |||
| 10. Mobile speed tested and shown to me | |||
| 11. Realistic about SEO, no guaranteed rankingsDeal-breaker if no | |||
| 12. Clear aftercare: hosting, updates, backups, costs |
Weighting: domain and ownership count 3, most checks count 2, housekeeping checks count 1. "Partly" scores half. Any deal-breaker marked "No" is flagged, whatever the score. Tap an answer again to clear it.
What a good web design project looks like
Every designer works slightly differently, but a well-run small-business project follows a clear sequence. If a designer cannot describe their process in similar steps, ask why.
The step most likely to slow things down is not the design or the build. It is the content: the text for each page, your photos, your logo and your list of services. Which brings us to preparation.
What to prepare before the project starts
Have these ready and your project will run faster and cost less:
- Your logo and brand colours, in the best quality you have.
- A list of your services, with a sentence or two on each, and your prices or starting prices if you publish them.
- Photos of your real work, team and premises. Real photos build more trust than stock images.
- Reviews and testimonials you can use, with the customer's permission.
- The areas you cover, which matters for local SEO.
- Access details for your existing domain, hosting, email and Google Business Profile, if you have them.
- Your business details for the legal footer: full business name, address, company number and VAT number where they apply.
If your current site is looking tired, our list of nine signs your website is costing you customers is a useful way to decide what the new one must fix.
Summary: how to choose a web designer in five steps
- Decide what the website must do, your budget range and your must-haves, and send every designer the same brief.
- Shortlist three or four designers from recommendations, sites you admire and searches for your trade.
- Ask all 15 questions in writing and watch for the red flags, especially around domain and website ownership.
- Compare quotes over three years, including what you will own at the end, and score them with the scorecard above.
- Get the key points in a written agreement before you pay a deposit, then prepare your content so the project runs on time.
How we answer these 15 questions
It would be odd to publish this list without answering it ourselves. Here is how Interactive Website works, based on our published website build agreement and terms and conditions:
| Question | Our answer |
|---|---|
| Proof | Live projects for trades, equestrian businesses, jewellers, glaziers and more, linked from our projects page. |
| Domain | Where your order includes a domain, it is transferred into your name at handover. |
| Ownership | Once paid in full, you own the finished design and page content. We keep our underlying tools and code libraries and license them to you as part of your site. |
| Admin access | You receive administrator login details and a short handover guide when the site goes live. |
| What is included | A mobile-responsive build of the pages on your package, plus initial SEO set-up: page titles and meta descriptions, heading structure, image alt text, XML sitemap, schema markup, Search Console and analytics set-up, and Google Business Profile set-up or claim. |
| Platform | WordPress, so you can move your site to any host or developer in the future. |
| Revisions | Two rounds, unless your package says otherwise. |
| Price and payment | Fixed package prices: Starter £499, Premium £899, PRO Business Launch £1,499, all 15% off during our launch offer. Bespoke projects are 50% on acceptance and 50% on completion. |
| Timeline | Typically a first draft 5–10 working days after we receive your completed brief, revisions in 3–5 working days, then live within 1–2 working days of your approval. |
| SEO promises | We set the site up to give it the best possible start. We do not promise ranking positions, because nobody honestly can. |
| Aftercare | Hosting and a care plan are optional and priced separately. We recommend ongoing care, because an un-updated WordPress site becomes a security risk. |
Put us to the test
Send us your brief or your current website address. We will answer all 15 questions in writing and tell you honestly whether a DIY builder, a ready-made site or a custom build suits you best.
How to choose a web designer: frequently asked questions
How much does a web designer cost in the UK?
For a small business website, freelancers typically charge £500–£3,500, small agencies £2,000–£8,000 and London full-service agencies £8,000 or more, with running costs on top. Our website cost guide breaks these figures down.
How long does it take a web designer to build a small business website?
Usually two to six weeks for a 5–15 page site, depending mainly on how quickly you can supply text, photos and feedback. Ready-made websites can be live in days.
Should I hire a freelancer or an agency?
A good freelancer is ideal for most small business sites and usually better value. An agency makes sense if you want design, SEO, content and aftercare from one team, or your project is complex. Either way, ask the same 15 questions.
Who owns my website, me or the web designer?
By default in the UK, copyright in commissioned work usually belongs to the person who created it, unless you agree otherwise in writing. Make sure your agreement says you own the finished design and content once paid, and that the domain is registered in your name.
What should a web design contract include?
Scope, price and payment terms, timeline, revisions, domain and website ownership, admin access, licences for themes, plugins, fonts and photos, data processing terms if the designer handles your data, aftercare, and what happens if either side ends the agreement.
Can a web designer guarantee I will be on the first page of Google?
No. Google states that no one can guarantee a #1 ranking. A good designer can build a site that gives you the best chance, and explain what ongoing SEO work would involve.
Do I need a web designer, or can I use Wix or Squarespace?
If your site is simple and you have the time, a DIY builder can work well. If the website needs to bring in work from Google, or you would rather spend your time running your business, a designer usually pays for themselves. Our WordPress vs Wix vs Squarespace guide helps you decide.
What questions will a good web designer ask me?
Who your customers are, what you want the website to achieve, your services and areas, your competitors, the sites you like, your budget and deadline, and who will update the site after launch. If a designer asks nothing and quotes immediately, be cautious.
Sources
- GOV.UK: ownership of copyright works (commissioned works).
- Google Search Central: do you need an SEO?
- ICO: when is a contract needed between a controller and a processor?
- Google PageSpeed Insights.
- Interactive Website: website build agreement, version 1.0, September 2026.