Choosing a web designer is harder than it should be because every quote is laid out differently. One includes copywriting and hosting; another only covers the build; a third is a monthly fee with a contract. Put side by side as they arrive, they are impossible to compare, which is partly why so many people end up picking on price or gut feel.
This is a method for choosing a web designer in the UK that makes the quotes comparable. It works for a sole trader looking for a five-page site and for a larger business briefing three agencies.
Step 1: Write a one-page brief first
You do not need a formal document. You need half a page that you send to every designer, so they are all quoting for the same thing. Without it, each designer fills the gaps with their own assumptions and the quotes drift apart.
- What the business does, where, and for whom.
- The main thing you want the website to do: phone calls, quote requests, bookings, sales, credibility for bigger contracts.
- The pages you think you need, and any features: booking, payments, gallery, blog.
- Whether you will write the words or want them written.
- Any deadline, and a rough budget range if you have one.
- Two or three websites you like, and one you do not, with a sentence on why.
Step 2: Shortlist by relevant work, not by awards
Look at each designer's portfolio for sites that do a similar job to yours. A studio that builds beautiful sites for architects may not be the right fit for a dog groomer who needs bookings, and vice versa. Open the live sites, not just the screenshots, and look at them on your phone, because that is where most of your customers will see yours.
On each live site, check a few practical things: does it load quickly on mobile data, is the phone number tappable, is it obvious what the business does within a few seconds, and does the enquiry form work? A designer's past sites are the most honest evidence you will get of what yours will be like.
Ask each shortlisted designer for two or three sites they built more than a year ago, too. Seeing how an older site has held up, whether it is still fast, still updated and still looked after by the same designer, tells you about their aftercare as well as their design.
Step 3: Ask every designer the same questions
The point is consistency. Send the same list to each and compare the answers directly.
- Who will actually design and build the site, and who will I deal with afterwards?
- Is the design custom, or based on a template or theme?
- Who writes the words, and is that included in the price?
- Who will own the domain, the design and the content?
- What do hosting and maintenance cost each month, and what is included?
- How are changes handled after launch, and how quickly?
- What is the minimum term, and what does it cost to leave?
- What SEO work is included at launch, specifically?
- How long until launch, and what do you need from me?
Step 4: Turn every quote into a three-year total
This is the step that changes decisions. Take each quote and write it as upfront cost plus monthly cost, then multiply the monthly by 36 and add them. Add anything the quote left out that you will have to pay for elsewhere: hosting, domain, email, copywriting, photos.
| Designer A | Designer B | Designer C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build price | £1,200 | £3,500 | £0 build, monthly plan |
| Monthly after launch | £20 hosting only | £75 care plan | £120 all-in |
| Copywriting | You write it | Included | Included |
| Extra costs you would add | £400 copywriter | None | None |
| Three-year total | £2,320 | £6,200 | £4,320 |
| Minimum term | None | None | 24 months |
Step 5: Score them on what matters to you
Give each designer a score out of five on a handful of criteria, weighted to what matters for your business. A simple version:
- Relevant past work, checked live on a phone.
- Clarity of the quote: did they answer every question, in writing?
- Three-year cost.
- Ownership and exit terms.
- Support after launch: who, how fast, and how changes work.
- How they communicated during the quoting process. It rarely gets better after you have paid.
- Add up the scores, but treat a very low score on ownership or exit terms as a veto rather than something a good design can outweigh.
Step 6: Read the contract before you sign
Once you have a favourite, ask for the contract or terms and read them before paying anything. You are checking that what you were told matches what is written: the scope, the price, the payment schedule, the minimum term, the renewal wording, ownership of the domain and content, and the exit terms. Designers who are confident in their terms are happy to send them early.
If anything differs from the conversation, ask for it to be corrected in writing. It is much easier to fix a contract before it is signed than to argue about it six months later, and the way a designer responds to a reasonable request is useful information in itself.
Reviews, references and red flags
Google reviews are useful, but read the text rather than the star rating, and look for reviews that mention what happened months after launch. Asking for a reference from a past client in a similar business is reasonable; a designer who has none they are willing to share is telling you something.
Walk away from anyone who guarantees Google rankings, will not say who owns the domain, or presses you to sign before you have read the contract. Our separate guide to web design quote red flags covers the full list.
Freelancer, studio or agency?
The type of designer matters less than the answers to the questions above, but it does shape the experience. A freelancer is usually cheapest and most personal, with the risk that everything depends on one person. An agency brings a team and a process at a higher price. A small studio sits between the two. Our comparison of freelancers, agencies, DIY builders and done-for-you monthly plans goes into the trade-offs in detail.
If you want a fourth column for your comparison table, our plans are published in full: £299 setup then £99 a month on Monthly, or £1,795 upfront and £49 a month on Own It, with copywriting, hosting and changes included. Ask us the same nine questions.