If you're a small business in Canterbury looking for a web designer, you've got plenty of options — freelancers, agencies, and DIY builders. Here's how to pick the right one for your business.
Look at their actual work
Every designer has a portfolio. Look at it critically. Do the sites load quickly on your own phone? Are they easy to use? Do they feel built for real businesses, or are they all variations on the same template? Ask to see live sites rather than just screenshots.
Ask about results, not just design
A pretty site that doesn't produce enquiries is a missed opportunity. Ask them: how do you make sure a site actually wins customers? What do they put on a page as the main call to action? How do they approach local search? The answers tell you whether they think about your business or just pixels.
Check they're reachable
This matters more than people expect. Can you reach them by phone? Do they reply within a day? If something breaks on a Saturday morning, will they pick up? A local designer who answers their phone is worth considerably more than a distant agency with a ticket queue.
Get a clear quote
- A fixed price beats an hourly estimate for most small projects
- Check hosting, SSL and backups are included or clearly priced
- Ask what's not included — copywriting, photography, ongoing updates
- Get a timeline, not just a price
Ask who does the updates afterwards
This is the question most people skip and most regret skipping. A website that can't be updated without a developer becomes stale within a year, and stale websites lose enquiries. Make sure whoever you hire is doing that work themselves, and find out how quickly they turn changes around.
Think long term
A website isn't a one-off purchase. It needs hosting, updates, security patches and occasional changes. The best relationship is with someone who's still there two years later, making small improvements as your business grows. That's the arrangement we work towards here in Canterbury.