Hiring a web designer for your small business should be straightforward. For a lot of owners it isn't, because the web design industry is full of people who are good at making things look nice and less focused on making things work.
A website that looks good and doesn't get you customers is an expensive decoration. Here's how to find someone who builds the other kind.
What you need from a web designer
Before you talk to anyone, get clear on what you need the website to do. For most local service businesses, that comes down to:
- Show up in local search results (Google, Maps)
- Pass the credibility test in the first three seconds on a phone
- Make it easy to call, book, or request a quote
- Load fast enough that people don't leave before they see anything
That's the whole job. A good web designer for a small business solves a business problem first and makes art second. The design should serve those four goals.
Red flags to watch for
They don't ask about your customers. If a web designer's first questions are about your favorite colors or what style you like, that's backwards. The first questions should be about who your customers are, how they find you, and what you want them to do when they reach your site.
They can't show you mobile speed scores. Page speed is a Google ranking factor. Any professional web designer should be able to pull up PageSpeed Insights for sites they've built and show you mobile scores. If they can't, or if the scores are poor, that's a problem.
The price is suspiciously low. A professionally designed and built website can't be done well for $300. Something is being cut: quality, customization, or your ability to leave. Lock-in contracts ride along with rock-bottom pricing.
They don't talk about what happens after launch. Websites require ongoing attention: updates, security, content changes, monitoring. A designer who wants to build the site and move on leaves you with an orphaned asset.
They own the website, not you. This happens more often than it should. Make sure you understand who owns the domain, the hosting, and the code. You should own all of it.
Green flags
They show you work similar to yours. A portfolio full of e-commerce sites tells you little about whether they can build an effective website for a plumber or a landscaping company. Look for examples in your category.
They measure outcomes, not aesthetics alone. Good designers talk about conversion rates, call volume, form submissions, and rankings alongside how the site looks. If they mention Core Web Vitals or mobile-first design unprompted, they're thinking about the right things.
They have a clear process. The best web designers have done this enough times that the process is predictable: discovery call, design review, build, launch, and a clear handoff. You shouldn't wonder what's happening or chase someone for updates.
They talk about what comes after. A good designer thinks about how the site gets found, not only how it looks. If they ask about your Google Business Profile, your local SEO situation, or how you currently get new customers, they understand that the website is one piece of a larger system.
Questions to ask before you hire anyone
- Can I see 3–5 websites you've built for businesses like mine?
- What are the mobile PageSpeed scores on those sites?
- Who owns the website, domain, and hosting when the project is done?
- What do updates and changes cost after launch?
- What does the project require from me, and when?
- How will I know if the site is working?
The last question is the one most people forget to ask, and it separates designers who think about your business from designers who think about their portfolio.
If you're in Sacramento, Yuba-Sutter, Lincoln, Rocklin, or Roseville and trying to figure out what a website investment should look like for your business, reach out for a free consultation. We'll tell you what we'd recommend, and whether that recommendation is us or someone else.
Frequently Asked Questions
- A professionally designed, custom-built website for a small business ranges from $2,500 to $8,000 for design and development, plus $150–$300/month for hosting and ongoing care. Template-based builds (Squarespace, Wix) cost less upfront but often cost more long-term in lost conversions, slower performance, and limited flexibility. Be suspicious of anyone quoting under $500 for a 'professional' website. The business model usually involves cutting corners on quality or locking you into a contract you can't escape.
- Five questions worth asking: Can I see websites you've built for businesses similar to mine? What does your process look like from start to launch, and what does it require from me? Who owns the website when it's done, me or you, and what happens if I want to leave? How do you handle updates and changes after launch? And: what do you measure to know the site is working? If they can't answer the last one, that tells you plenty.
- For most local service businesses competing in any real market, a custom-built website outperforms a template builder in three ways: it loads faster (better SEO and better user experience), it's built around how your customers think and behave (better conversions), and it skips the overhead of features you don't need (cleaner code, faster updates). Template builders are a reasonable starting point if you're brand new and testing whether your business will survive. Once you're established and competing for customers, the site needs to compete too.
- Look at their portfolio and visit the sites on your phone. Do they load fast? Is it obvious what the business does and how to contact them in the first 3 seconds? Ask for Google PageSpeed scores on mobile. A good designer should be able to show you mobile scores of 80+ on sites they've built. Also look for designers who talk about your business goals rather than design trends. Someone who asks about your customers before they ask about your color preferences is thinking about the right things.
How much should a small business website cost?
What questions should I ask a web designer before hiring them?
Should I use Wix, Squarespace, or a custom-built website?
How do I know if a web designer is good?
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