How Do I Choose a Website Designer for My Small Business?

Should I choose the cheapest website designer?

Not necessarily.

Price matters, but value matters more.

A lower-cost website may still become expensive if it:

• does not generate enquiries;
• needs rebuilding within a year or two;
• is not visible in Google;
• does not explain your services properly;
• creates extra work for you.

Equally, the most expensive designer is not automatically the best choice.

Will this website help my business grow?

The guide to how much it costs to update a small-business website explains why scope and value matter more than comparing headline prices alone.

What should I look for in a website designer?

Look beyond the portfolio.

Building pages is only one part of the process. The strongest websites begin with understanding the business.

Should a website designer ask lots of questions?

Yes. I would be worried if they did not.

Before recommending anything, they should want to understand:

• what your business does;
• who your ideal customers are;
• which services you most want to grow;
• how customers currently find you;
• what makes you different;
• what success would look like.

Without those conversations, it is difficult to build a website around your business rather than around assumptions.

Does a website designer need to understand marketing?

Absolutely.

A website is not simply a design project. It is part of your marketing.

• positioning;
• messaging;
• customer psychology;
• trust;
• search visibility;
• customer journeys;
• conversion.

I have always approached websites from a marketing perspective first. The design should support the business strategy, not replace it.

Should my website designer understand SEO?

Yes.

Your designer does not need to promise first-page rankings, but they should understand:

• page structure;
• headings;
• internal linking;
• page titles;
• search intent;
• service pages;
• technical foundations.

SEO should be considered from the beginning, not added afterwards.

Should they understand AI search as well?

Increasingly, yes.

Customers are beginning to ask ChatGPT, Google AI and other answer engines for recommendations rather than only searching Google.

Your website needs to explain:

• what you do;
• who you help;
• why you are credible;
• what makes your business different.

Good structure, useful answers and genuine expertise benefit traditional search and AI visibility.

Should the website designer write the content?

Ideally, they should help.

You are the expert in your business. Your website designer should be able to turn that knowledge into content that is clearer, more persuasive and easier for customers to understand.

Because business owners know their subject so well, they often leave out the information first-time visitors actually need. This is where an experienced marketing approach becomes valuable.

Should they help improve my existing website first?

In many cases, yes.

Not every project needs a completely new website. Sometimes improving:

• messaging;
• structure;
• customer journeys;
• trust;
• service pages;
• SEO.

can produce excellent results without rebuilding everything.

The guide to updating an existing business website explains what can often be strengthened before replacement is considered.

What questions should I ask before hiring someone?

The answers often tell you far more than the portfolio.

Should I choose a freelancer or an agency?

Either can work.

Some businesses prefer a larger agency. Others value working directly with one experienced person who understands the project from beginning to end.

Neither is automatically better. The important thing is finding an approach that suits the business.

Does location still matter?

Sometimes.

Working with someone local can make meetings easier and provide local knowledge. However, websites can be planned, reviewed and managed effectively online.

I work with businesses across the UK because most collaboration now happens through video calls, email and shared documents. The quality of the relationship usually matters far more than the distance.

Should I expect ongoing support?

Yes.

Websites should not stand still:

• services change;
• search behaviour changes;
• AI search develops;
• customer expectations evolve.

The strongest websites continue improving rather than remaining exactly as they were on launch day.

Why do I start every project with research?

Because every business is different.

Before recommending a solution, I want to understand:

• your business;
• your customers;
• your competitors;
• your goals;
• your current website;
• your existing visibility;
• where enquiries are being lost.

That research shapes every recommendation that follows. Without it, designing a website becomes largely guesswork.

Why do I use a 10-Point Website Foundation?

Successful websites rarely depend on one single thing. That is why I created my 10-Point Website Foundation.

• business positioning;
• messaging;
• page structure;
• customer journeys;
• calls to action;
• trust and credibility;
• SEO;
• AI visibility;
• technical performance;
• analytics.

It helps me understand how these areas connect before making recommendations. Rather than simply designing pages, the focus stays on improving the website as a complete business tool.

The article on what every small-business website should include explains these foundations in more detail.

What level of website support does my business need?

How do I choose the right website designer?

Choose someone who wants to understand your business before they start designing.

Look for someone who asks good questions, explains their thinking and focuses on helping the business achieve its goals—not simply producing attractive pages.

Before deciding on a full rebuild, also consider whether the current website could be improved instead.

Everything should build from an understanding of the business, the customer and what success actually looks like.