Your website is often the first impression your business makes, and who you hire to build it matters more than most people realize. A lot of small business owners end up with a site that looks fine but doesn’t actually bring in customers, and that usually comes down to hiring the wrong person for the job. This post walks you through exactly what to look for when hiring a web designer so you can make a confident, informed decision.
Designer vs. Developer: What’s the Difference and Why It Matters
These two terms get used interchangeably all the time, but they’re actually two different roles. A web designer focuses on how a website looks and feels, including the layout, colors, typography, and overall user experience. A web developer handles the technical side, writing the code that brings a design to life.
Not every designer has development skills, and many rely on drag-and-drop website builders to get sites live without writing a single line of code. That can work fine for a simple brochure site, but it comes with real limitations. These platforms tend to restrict what’s possible, and as your business grows and your needs change, you may find yourself hitting walls. Want a custom booking flow, a dynamic service area, or a feature that requires more than a standard template can offer? A drag-and-drop site often can’t get you there without a full rebuild.
That rebuild is where things get expensive. You may have paid for a site that looked great on day one but couldn’t grow with you, meaning you’re essentially starting from scratch when you need something more. Before hiring a designer, ask how they build their websites and what platform they use. If they can’t speak to the technical side at all, it’s worth asking whether the site they build today will still serve your business two or three years from now.
Why Cheap Often Costs More
It’s tempting to go with the lowest quote, especially when you’re investing in something you can’t fully evaluate yet. But a bargain website can end up being one of the most expensive decisions you make for your business.
Designers who charge very little are often cutting corners somewhere. That might mean using generic templates, skipping SEO best practices, or rushing through the build to move on to the next client. The site might look presentable at first glance, but under the hood it’s slow, hard to update, and not set up to bring in any traffic.
When that happens, you’re not just out the money you paid. You’re also losing time and potential customers while your site sits there doing nothing. And when you eventually hire someone to fix it or rebuild it entirely, you pay twice. A quality website is an investment, and working with someone who charges a professional rate usually means you’re getting someone who takes the work seriously, stands behind it, and builds something that actually performs.
Their Portfolio
A designer’s portfolio is the clearest indicator of what you can expect from them. Before you have a single conversation, take a look at the websites they’ve already built and ask yourself a few honest questions. Do the sites look modern and polished? Do they load well on your phone? Does the overall quality match what you’re hoping for?
Beyond aesthetics, look at whether the sites feel intentional. Good web design isn’t just about making something pretty. It’s about guiding a visitor toward taking action. If the portfolio sites feel confusing to navigate, lack clear calls to action, or look like they could belong to any business in any industry, that’s worth noting.
If a designer doesn’t have a portfolio available to view, that’s a red flag. You should always be able to see real examples of their work before making any decisions.
SEO Knowledge
A beautiful website that no one can find isn’t doing your business any favors. SEO (search engine optimization) is what helps your site show up when potential customers are searching for the services you offer, and not every web designer builds with that in mind.
When you’re evaluating a designer, ask them how they approach SEO. Do they optimize each page for search engines? Do they think about site speed, page structure, and how content is organized? A designer who understands local SEO will build these things into the site from the start, rather than leaving them as an afterthought you have to pay someone else to fix later.
This is one area where a little extra digging upfront can save you a lot of frustration down the road. A site that’s built with SEO in mind from day one gives your business a much better shot at getting found online and turning visitors into customers.
Mobile Responsiveness
More than half of all web traffic comes from mobile devices, so a website that doesn’t look and work great on a phone is a problem. Mobile responsiveness means your site automatically adjusts to fit any screen size, whether someone is browsing on a desktop, tablet, or smartphone.
When reviewing a designer’s portfolio, pull up their work on your phone. Does everything look clean and easy to navigate? Are buttons easy to tap? Does the text scale properly without you having to zoom in? These are small things that make a big difference in how a visitor experiences your site.
A good web designer will treat mobile responsiveness as a standard part of every build, not an add-on. If it’s not something they mention upfront, it’s worth asking about directly before you commit.
Communication Style
The designer you hire will be someone you work closely with for weeks, so how they communicate matters just as much as their technical skills. From your very first interaction, pay attention to how responsive they are. Do they reply in a reasonable amount of time? Are they clear and easy to understand, or do they lean on a lot of technical jargon that leaves you more confused than when you started?
A good designer will ask you thoughtful questions about your business, your goals, and your customers. They should be genuinely interested in understanding what you need before they start pitching solutions. If someone jumps straight to talking about what they’ll build without taking the time to learn about your business first, that’s something to pay attention to.
Clear communication from the start usually means a smoother project overall. It sets the tone for how questions get answered, how feedback gets handled, and how problems get resolved if they come up along the way.
Understanding Their Process
Before you hire anyone, ask them to walk you through how they work. A professional web designer should have a clear process they follow from start to finish, and they should be able to explain it to you in plain terms. Want to see what a well-defined web design process actually looks like? Here’s a step-by-step breakdown.
At a minimum, you want to know what the project timeline looks like, what’s expected of you along the way, and how revisions are handled. A well-defined process protects both of you. Curious about what a realistic timeline looks like? Here’s a breakdown of how long it takes to build a small business website. It keeps the project on track, sets clear expectations, and makes sure there are no surprises when it comes to deliverables or deadlines.
If a designer can’t clearly explain how they work or seems to figure things out as they go, that’s a sign the project may not run as smoothly as you’d hope. The right designer will make you feel informed and confident before the work even begins.
What Happens After Launch
A lot of business owners don’t think about post-launch support until they need it, and by then it’s too late to ask the right questions. Before you hire a designer, find out what kind of support they offer once your site goes live.
Will they be available if something breaks? Can you reach out for small updates and changes, or are you on your own the moment the project is marked complete? Some designers offer website hosting and management plans that cover updates, security, backups, and small edits on a monthly basis. Others hand the site off and move on.
Knowing this upfront helps you plan. If your designer doesn’t offer ongoing support, you’ll need to either learn how to manage the site yourself or budget for someone else to help you down the road. A website isn’t a one-time purchase. It needs regular attention to stay secure, up to date, and working the way it should.
Ready to Hire the Right Web Designer?
Hiring a web designer is one of the most important investments you’ll make in your business, and it pays to go in knowing what to look for. From their portfolio and SEO knowledge to how they communicate and what support they offer after launch, the right designer will make the process feel straightforward and deliver a site that actually works for your business.
If you’re ready to work with a designer who checks all of these boxes, LolaBella Digital builds websites for small businesses that are beautiful, built to convert, and optimized for search from day one. Get an estimate and let’s talk about what your business needs.
