What to Look for When Hiring a Web Designer in Derby
Hiring a web designer is one of those decisions that’s easy to get wrong. The wrong choice can cost you time, money, and a website you’re embarrassed to share. The right choice gets you something you’re proud of, and someone you trust to look after it.
If you’re a small business and are looking for a web designer in Derby, here’s what to look for before you sign anything.
1. Look at Their Portfolio, Not Just the Screenshots
Most web designers will show you their best work. That’s expected. But dig a little deeper:
- Do the sites actually load quickly?
- Do they look good on your phone, not just a desktop?
- Do they feel like real businesses, or polished templates with placeholder energy?
Click through to the live sites if you can. A screenshot can hide a slow, clunky experience. The live version won’t.
2. Find Out Who Actually Does the Work
This sounds obvious, but it’s worth asking directly: who builds the site?
Some local agencies take your brief, charge local prices, and then subcontract the work overseas. You end up with a site built by someone who has never heard of Derby, doesn’t understand your market, and isn’t available when something goes wrong.
A freelance web designer, where you’re working directly with the person doing the building, removes that risk entirely. You know exactly who’s responsible.
3. Ask What Happens After Launch
A lot of web designers hand over a login and disappear. That’s fine if you’re confident managing WordPress yourself. But for most small business owners, it’s a headache waiting to happen.
Ask:
- Who handles hosting? And what happens if the site goes down?
- Who does updates? WordPress and plugins need regular updating or they become a security risk.
- What’s included in the monthly cost? Backups, SSL, minor content changes, are these bundled or charged separately?
The best web designers for small businesses offer an ongoing care package so you never have to think about the technical side.
4. Make Sure You Own Everything
This shouldn’t be an issue with reputable designers, but it’s worth confirming:
- You own the domain. It should be registered in your name, not theirs.
- You own the website and its content. If you ever want to move to a different designer, you should be able to take your site with you.
- You’re not locked into a proprietary platform. If your site is built on a platform only they can access or edit, you’re at their mercy indefinitely.
WordPress is open-source and widely supported, which is one reason it’s the most sensible choice for most small business websites.
5. Check They Understand SEO Basics
You don’t need your web designer to be an SEO specialist. But they should understand the fundamentals: proper page structure, fast loading times, mobile responsiveness, and clean code that search engines can read.
Ask: “Is the site built with SEO in mind?” and see what they say. If they look blank or start talking about paying for ongoing SEO campaigns before the site is even live, that’s a yellow flag.
6. Get a Clear Quote, Not a Ballpark
Vague quotes lead to scope creep and unexpected invoices. A good web designer will give you a clear price for a defined scope of work before anything starts.
Make sure the quote covers:
- Design and build
- Number of pages
- Hosting and domain (if included)
- Any ongoing monthly costs
- What counts as a chargeable change vs. what’s included
If they won’t commit to a price until they’ve started, walk away.
7. Trust Your Gut on Communication
You’re going to be sharing your business with this person and relying on them to respond when things need changing. How quickly did they reply to your first enquiry? Were they easy to understand? Did they ask good questions about your business?
The technical skill matters. But so does working with someone who’s easy to deal with and actually listens.
Finding a Web Designer in Derby
Derby has a reasonable number of freelancers and agencies offering web design. Prices range from under £300 for template-based builds up to £5,000+ for agency work. For most small businesses, a local freelancer in the £499–£1,500 range hits the sweet spot, professional quality without the agency overhead.
At SME Web Designs, every site is built by me personally. No subcontracting, no juniors, no disappearing after launch. Hosting and ongoing care is included from day one.
If you’d like a no-obligation chat about what your business needs, fill in the contact form and I’ll get back to you within one working day.
Brent is a web designer based in Derby, specialising in affordable websites for small businesses across Derbyshire and the East Midlands.
