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Hiring a web designer is a big decision, and it’s about much more than just how your site looks. Your website is your digital storefront, a key sales tool, and often the first impression people have of your brand.
If it’s your first time hiring a designer, you’ll likely have lots of questions around budget, timelines, communication, and control. You might be wondering how much you should be paying, what the process looks like, or how to know if you’ve found the right designer.
Having worked with over 750 clients at by Crawford, I can tell you the key components that make a great project from start to finish.
That’s exactly what this guide breaks down. I’ll walk you through how to choose a web designer and how to work with them effectively once your project is underway. With the right approach, the whole process becomes much clearer, and more efficient for everyone involved.
Before you hire: Get clear on goals and scope
When you start searching for a web designer, a little upfront clarity can make a big difference. The more defined your direction, the better your designer can bring your vision to life.
Start by defining the purpose of your website. What does success look like for your brand? For example, are you aiming to:
Generate leads or enquiries
Encourage appointment bookings
Sell products
Before you dive into portfolios and proposals, take some time to get your brief and assets in order. There’s nothing more frustrating than finding the perfect designer, only to delay things because you’re still unsure what you actually need.
Writing a brief
When you’re writing your brief you need to think about what your website needs to do. This will help you identify what to look for in a web designer, ensuring you pick someone with experience building the kind of site you’re after. Common features of your final site might include:
Online scheduling or booking
A blog or content hub
Be realistic about your budget and timeline too. Having a clear idea of what you’re willing to invest, and when you’d like the project completed, sets expectations from the start and avoids surprises later on.
Gathering your assets
It’s also worth gathering your brand assets early. Things like your logo, brand colors, fonts, photography, and copy will help keep things moving smoothly once the project kicks off.
Taking the time to do this groundwork doesn’t just make choosing a web designer easier, it sets the whole project up for success.
How to choose a web designer
When thinking about how to choose a web designer it’s easy to get drawn in by visuals. But just because someone can design a pretty website doesn’t mean they’re the right person for the job. Examine its function as much as its style. It should reflect solid strategy, clear structure, and a smooth user experience.
Start by exploring portfolios, but do it with a critical eye. You’re not just looking for something attractive, you’re looking for something that works. Pay attention to things like:
Clear, easy-to-follow navigation
Mobile-friendly layouts
Consistent branding
As you browse, ask yourself: Is it obvious what a visitor is supposed to do here?
Beyond site examples, think about experience. A designer doesn’t need to specialize in your exact industry, but they should understand your type of business. For example, a service-based business will need a site that builds trust and encourages people to make a booking, while an ecommerce brand needs a smooth path from product discovery to checkout.
Communication is just as important as design skills. You can often get a feel for this early on. Look for someone who:
Responds clearly and in good time
Asks thoughtful, relevant questions
Can explain their ideas in a way that makes sense to you
It also helps to understand how they work. Most professional designers follow a structured process, usually including:
Discovery and strategy
Wireframing
Design and revisions
Development and launch
If you’re using a specific platform like Squarespace, it’s worth finding someone who knows it well. They’ll understand what’s possible, how to get the most out of it, and how to set things up so you can easily manage your site later on.
Finally, take a look at testimonials and case studies. Don’t just focus on the end result. Pay attention to what past clients say about the experience of working with them through the whole process. That often tells you just as much as the work itself.
Questions to ask your web designer
Asking the right questions during your initial consult can save you a lot of confusion, and stress, later.
Here are some key questions to ask before you commit:
Can you walk me through your process from start to launch?
What’s included in the project scope, and what would be considered extra?
How many rounds of revisions are included?
What does your typical timeline look like, and what are the key milestones?
What will you need from me during the project (content, feedback, assets)?
Do you offer support after the website goes live?
These questions help you get a clear picture of how the project will run and what’s expected on both sides.
Questions to ask yourself
When thinking about how to choose a web designer it helps to have a clear checklist in mind. These are the qualities that tend to separate a good experience from a frustrating one when you’re choosing a web designer:
Is the scope clearly defined? Do you have a detailed breakdown of pages, features, and deliverables?
Is their pricing transparent?Are costs clearly explained, with no vague estimates or hidden extras?
Do they think strategically? Are they asking about your goals and business, not just your design preferences?
Do they have a structured revision process? Is there a clear, organised way to give feedback and request changes?
Do they consider SEO and mobile from the start?
Are they building a site that performs well as well as looking great?Do they offer post-launch support? Will they provide training or ongoing help once your site goes live?
At the end of the day, choosing a web designer comes down to more than creativity. Clarity, communication, and a solid understanding of your business are what really set the right designer apart.
Setting your project up for success
Once you’ve chosen your designer, things shift from decision-making to collaboration, and this is where a project really starts to take shape.
The first step is getting aligned on the basics. You both want a clear understanding of what’s being delivered and how the project will run. That includes; the number of pages, key features, timelines, and how revisions will work. It might not be the most exciting part, but getting this info upfront avoids a lot of back-and-forth later.
From there, most projects run best when they’re broken into stages. It keeps everything moving and makes the process feel a lot more manageable. Typically, it’ll break down into the following phases:
Content being gathered and submitted
Initial design concepts
Feedback and revisions
Final build and launch
One thing that often slows projects down is your content and assets. It’s easy to underestimate how long it takes, so get specific on where that responsibility lies. Who’s writing the copy? Who’s sourcing images? And when are the assets due?
Feedback is another big one. The more specific your feedback, the smoother the project. For example, instead of saying “I don’t like this,” it’s much more helpful to say something like “this section feels a bit busy, can we simplify the layout?” Small shifts like that make it much easier for your designer to act on what you’re saying. You can also expand on this with examples of what you do want.
And finally, a quick word on scope creep, because it happens all the time. New ideas will pop up (which is great), but adding them in halfway through without adjusting the timeline or budget can quickly derail things. A good approach is to save those ideas for a future phase, so you keep this project on track without losing the momentum.
Best practices for working with a web designer
When it comes to working with a web designer, two of the most important factors are how well you can collaborate together and how clear your feedback is.
Partnership as a best practice
Working with a web designer is very much a partnership. The best results don’t come from micromanaging every detail, or from being completely hands-off, they come from finding that middle ground where you’re both contributing.
Staying involved is important, but there’s no need to control every detail. You hired a designer for a reason, so it’s equally important to give them the creative freedom to bring your ideas to life.
It also helps to trust the process a little. Good design is iterative, which means it evolves over time. The first version won’t be perfect, and it’s not meant to be. Each round of feedback is there to refine and improve things. When there’s clear communication and mutual trust, that process works exactly as it should.
Feedback with context
Try to give feedback on time and try to do it in one place and all in one go. If you can, avoid sending multiple emails with different ideas or pieces of feedback, make it as easy as possible for your chosen designer to keep track.
One of the easiest ways to improve collaboration is to focus on communicating goals, not just preferences. For example, instead of saying, “make this blue,” try explaining what you’re aiming for: “I want this to feel more trustworthy and professional.” That extra context gives your designer something to work with, so they can make decisions that actually support your brand, instead of just following instructions.
Common challenges and how to avoid them
Most hiccups aren’t random, they tend to come from the same few issues.
Budget overruns; This usually happens when new features are added or the work is expanded without being properly planned for.
Timeline delays: These are often caused by late feedback or missing content. But another factor is vague feedback, which can slow everything down because designers don’t have enough direction to act on.
Scope creep: Another common culprit, those “quick additions” build up over time causing a domino effect on timelines or budget.
The good news is all of these are avoidable. It really keeps coming back to three things:
Being clear on scope from the beginning
Gathering all the assets and content needed at the project’s start
Keeping communication consistent throughout
After launch: What comes next
Launching your website is a huge milestone, but it’s not the finish line. Realistically, the launch is just the beginning.
A good handover should leave you feeling confident managing your site day-to-day. That means being able to update content, tweak pages, and make small changes without needing help every time.
From there, it’s completely normal for your site to evolve. You might want to add new services, update your messaging, or improve performance as your business grows. That’s all part of the process.
If you’re using a platform like Squarespace, a lot of this becomes much easier. Built-in tools for things like scheduling, eCommerce, and marketing mean you can expand your site without having to spend a fortune in web development fees.
And when you’re ready for something bigger, whether that’s new functionality or a more significant update, you can always bring your designer back in to help take things to the next level.
Conclusion
Choosing a web designer isn’t just about finding someone whose work looks good, it’s about finding someone who gets your business and knows how to bring your goals to life. Focus on clear communication, a solid process, and feeling confident that you’re in good hands.
A bit of preparation on your side goes a long way, too. When you can explain what you need, have a defined scope, and communicate directly, everything runs more smoothly.
If you’re following the steps above, choosing a web designer becomes a whole lot easier, and you’ll be able to move into the project feeling confident from day one.