What to Look for When Hiring a Web Designer

Hiring a web designer is one of the most important decisions a small business owner makes. Your website is often the first impression potential customers have of your business, and the wrong hire can cost you thousands of dollars and months of wasted time.

Here is what to look for — and what red flags to watch out for.

1. Look at Their Own Website First

This sounds obvious, but it is the fastest filter. If a web designer's own site is slow, outdated, or poorly designed, that tells you everything. Their website is their best work on display. If it does not impress you, their work for you will not either.

Check for:

Clean, modern design
Fast loading speed (test with Google PageSpeed Insights)
Mobile responsiveness
Clear messaging and easy navigation
SSL certificate (https://)

2. Review Their Portfolio

A portfolio tells you more than any sales pitch. Look for:

Variety — can they adapt to different industries and styles?
Quality — do the sites look professional and current?
Live links — can you actually visit the sites they built? If every portfolio piece is just a screenshot, ask why
Results — do they mention any outcomes (traffic, conversions, rankings)?

If they do not have a portfolio, that is a major red flag.

3. Ask About Their Process

A professional web designer has a defined process. Ask them to walk you through it. You should hear something like:

Discovery call to understand your goals
Proposal with scope, timeline, and pricing
Design mockups or wireframes for approval
Development with check-in points
Review and revisions
Launch and handoff

If the answer is vague or they want to "just start building," proceed with caution.

4. Understand What You Are Paying For

Get clarity on exactly what is included:

How many pages?
Is content writing included or do you need to provide all copy?
Is SEO included? At minimum, on-page SEO should be standard
What about hosting? Do they set it up? Do they manage it? What does it cost?
How many revision rounds?
Do you own the code and domain? This is critical — some designers hold your site hostage
What happens after launch? Is there a maintenance plan or support period?

5. Check for SEO Knowledge

A website that looks great but cannot be found on Google is a failure. Your web designer should understand:

Meta titles and descriptions
Header tag hierarchy (H1, H2, H3)
Image optimization and alt text
Page speed optimization
Mobile responsiveness
Schema markup
XML sitemaps

If they say "SEO is not really our thing," find someone else. At minimum, they should understand technical SEO fundamentals.

6. Ask About Security

Your website handles customer data, even if it is just contact form submissions. Ask what security measures they implement:

SSL certificates
Form validation and spam protection
Regular backups
Software updates
Security headers

If security is not part of the conversation, it will not be part of your website. Read more about why cybersecurity matters for small businesses.

7. Communication Style Matters

You will be working with this person or team for weeks or months. Pay attention to:

Response time — do they reply within a business day?
Clarity — do they explain things in plain language or hide behind jargon?
Listening — do they understand your goals or push their own agenda?
Honesty — are they upfront about limitations, timelines, and costs?

Red Flags

No contract. Always get a written agreement
Unusually cheap quotes. If it sounds too good to be true, it is — see our breakdown of what a website actually costs in 2026
They will not share past client references
They want full payment upfront. Standard is 50% deposit, 50% on completion
They do not ask about your business goals. A designer who just asks "what color do you like?" is not strategic
You do not own your domain or code. Make sure this is in writing

Our Approach

At Wakonda Digital, we believe in transparency at every step. Explore our web design services. You always own your code and domain. We include SEO and security in every build. And we start every project with a free consultation to understand your business goals before writing a single line of code.