· 4 min read
What to prepare before hiring a web designer
The best thing you can do before hiring a web designer is spend an hour writing down what you know: what the site should do, who it’s for, what you already have and what you can spend. You don’t need to know the technical terms. A clear picture of your business gets you a more accurate quote, a faster project and a site that brings in work.
1. What the website should do
Start with the one action that matters most. A website that tries to do everything usually does nothing well.
- What should a visitor do: call, book, buy, send an enquiry or visit you?
- How will you know it’s working: more calls, more bookings, fewer “what are your prices?” emails?
- Is it replacing an old site? What’s wrong with the current one?
2. Who your customers are
Designers build for your customers, not for you, so this is the most useful thing you can share.
- Who are your best customers, and where do they find you?
- What do they ask before they buy? Those questions are your website’s content.
- What makes them choose you over a competitor?
- Are they mostly on phones? For most small businesses, they are.
3. Pages and features
A rough list is enough; a good designer will help you shape it. Typical small business pages are home, services, about, prices or gallery, and contact. Then note any features:
- online booking or appointments;
- taking payments or deposits;
- an online shop, with roughly how many products;
- a blog or news section;
- whether you want to edit the site yourself;
- more than one language.
Not sure whether you need one page or several? Read landing page or full website.
4. Content: text, photos and branding
Content is the most common reason projects run late, so it pays to know where it’s coming from.
| You’ll need | Have it? | If not |
|---|---|---|
| Logo and colours | files in good quality | a brand refresh or new identity first |
| Text for each page | even rough notes help | a copywriter, or the designer writes it |
| Photos of you, your work, your place | recent, good light | a photoshoot, or AI-assisted product photos |
| Reviews or results | with permission to use | start collecting now |
| Prices, opening hours, service areas | up to date | decide before launch |
5. Accounts and logins
Finding these early saves days at the end of the project:
- where your domain is registered, and the login;
- current hosting and website logins, if you have a site;
- business email provider;
- Google Business Profile, Google Search Console and analytics, if set up;
- booking, payment or newsletter tools you already use;
- social media accounts to link to.
Make sure the domain is in your name or your business’s name. If an old designer or relative registered it, sort that out first.
6. Websites you like, and why
Collect two or three sites you like and one you don’t. They don’t have to be in your industry. Say what you like: the calm layout, the big photos, how easy it is to book. That tells a designer far more than “modern and clean”.
7. Budget and dates
- A budget range. It’s not a trap; it lets a designer suggest what fits instead of guessing. Typical market prices are in how much a small business website costs.
- Running costs. Hosting, domain, email and care after launch. See website maintenance costs.
- Any date that matters, such as an opening, a launch or a busy season. Allow enough time; how long a website takes explains typical timelines.
8. Questions to ask a web designer
- Can I see examples of similar work?
- Is it design only, or design and build? Who puts it live?
- What exactly is included: pages, features, rounds of changes?
- Who writes the text and supplies photos?
- Will I be able to edit it myself?
- Who owns the domain, the design and the files once it’s paid for?
- What does it cost to run each month, and what happens after launch?
- What do you need from me, and by when?
- How do payments work?
- Is VAT included in the price?
A one-page brief you can copy
Business: what you do, where, for whom.
Goal: the one thing the site should make people do.
Customers: who they are and what they ask before buying.
Pages and features: your rough list.
Content: what you have and what you need help with.
Sites you like: two or three links, and why.
Budget and dates: a range, and any deadline.
Send that to two or three designers and you’ll get quotes you can actually compare. When I work with a new client, I send a short brief made for their project after the first message, which covers the same ground.
Common questions
Do I need to know what platform I want?
No. Tell the designer how you want to work after launch, for example whether you want to edit it yourself, and let them suggest the platform.
Should I write the text before or after the design?
Before, at least in rough form. Design built around real words works far better than design filled with placeholder text.
How many designers should I talk to?
Two or three is plenty. Compare how well they understood your business, not just the price.
Weighing up a DIY builder first? See Wix vs Squarespace vs a custom website.
Tatiana · UX/UI, web & product designer in the UK with 10+ years across B2B and B2C. I design and build websites for small businesses, and design products and apps for startups and established teams.