How to choose a web designer for your small business

Short answer: Start with what the website has to do for the business, then shortlist two or three designers whose past work solved a similar problem. Judge portfolios by live sites and the reasoning behind them, not screenshots. Ask the same set of questions to everyone, check references, and choose the person whose proposal is clearest about scope, ownership and what happens after launch.

Step 1: Write down the job before you look

One paragraph is enough: who visits the site, what you want them to do (call, book, buy, request a quote), and what isn't working today. This keeps you from hiring on taste alone, and it gives every candidate the same starting point, which makes their answers comparable.

Step 2: Build a short list

Referrals from businesses you respect, designers whose client sites you've used, and freelance or agency directories are all reasonable places to look. Where you find someone matters less than whether their work matches your job. Local versus remote mostly comes down to whether you need in-person meetings. Plenty of projects run well entirely on video calls.

It also helps to know the vocabulary. "Designer" usually means layout, visuals and user flow; "developer" usually means building and connecting it. Many small-business projects need both, from one person or a team, so ask who does each part.

Step 3: Read portfolios like a buyer

For each portfolio piece you care about, check:

Is it live? Open it on your phone. Does it load quickly, and is it easy to read and tap?
Does it have a clear next step? Can you tell within a few seconds what the business wants you to do?
Is it varied? Do different clients look like themselves, or does every site look the same?
What was the problem? A good designer can explain why the work looks the way it does.
What was their role? Did they design it, build it, or both?

Step 4: Ask everyone the same questions

What would you need from us to start, and what does your process look like?
What exactly is included, and what would count as extra?
Who will own the domain, hosting account, design files and site content when we're done?
How do revisions work, and how many rounds are included?
How will you handle mobile layouts, page speed and basic accessibility?
What are forms and lead notifications connected to?
What happens after launch — who updates the site, and what does support cost?
Can we speak to one or two past clients?

Step 5: Watch for red flags

They can't tell you who will own the domain, hosting or files.
They quote a price before they understand the job.
They give no written scope, or the scope is so vague nothing could be called extra.
They guarantee rankings or traffic. Google's own guidance warns that no one can guarantee a number-one ranking on Google.
They have no live examples, or they won't let you contact past clients.
They pressure you with deadlines that have nothing to do with your project.

Step 6: Check references properly

Ask a past client three things. Did the project match what was promised? How were problems handled? Would you hire them again for the same kind of work? Reviews help, but a five-minute call usually tells you more.

If you run an insurance agency or real estate brokerage

Most of the steps above apply to any small business. Agencies and brokerages have a few extra jobs the site has to do, so add these to your brief and your questions.

1. Quote and lead forms that land in your CRM, not just an inbox. Ask where a quote request or "contact an agent" form goes the moment someone submits it. Does it create a contact in the CRM you already use (GoHighLevel, or your agency or brokerage system), with the line of insurance or the property they asked about? Or does it send an email someone has to retype later? Ask the designer to show you a test submission arriving.

2. Fast, consistent follow-up. A form is only the start. Ask what happens next. Does the person get an instant text or email confirming you received their request? Does the right producer or agent get notified, and is there a reminder if nobody responds? A designer doesn't have to build all of this, but they should know how the site connects to it. (We wrote a separate guide on following up with every lead faster .)

3. Licensing and compliance disclosures you confirm yourself. Insurance agencies and brokerages usually have to show certain information on their sites and ads, such as license details or the brokerage name. The rules depend on your state, your carrier or franchise agreements, and your regulator. A web designer is not your compliance advisor. Ask them to leave clearly marked places for these disclosures, then get the exact wording from your compliance contact, state regulator or broker of record before launch. Do the same for any consent wording on forms that lead to texts or calls.

4. Listings and IDX questions (brokerages). If you want MLS listings on your site, ask:

Have you set up an IDX or listings feed before, and with which provider?
Will listings live on our domain, or in a frame or subdomain?
Who pays for the IDX service, and who holds the account?
How do listing inquiries get routed to the right agent?
Who keeps the display in line with our MLS's rules?

5. Connecting to the tools you already pay for. Make a short list of what you use today: CRM, phone system, calendar, quoting or rating tools, transaction management, email marketing. Ask which ones the new site will connect to and which it won't. A good answer is specific. "We'll connect the quote form to your CRM and book appointments into your existing calendar" beats "it integrates with everything." Often the best move is to get more out of tools you already have rather than add new ones.

Add to your questions list:

Where does each form submission go, and can you show me a test?
What happens in the first few minutes after someone requests a quote or a showing?
Where will our required disclosures appear, and how do we update them?
(Brokerages) How will listings and IDX work, and who owns that account?

A hypothetical comparison

Hypothetical example. A landscaping company gets two proposals. Designer A's portfolio is visually striking, but the sites are hard to use on a phone and the proposal doesn't mention who owns the hosting. Designer B's examples are simpler, but each one has an obvious "request a quote" path, and the proposal lists pages, forms, revision rounds and ownership in writing. B is the safer choice for this job, even though A's portfolio looks more impressive.

Your one-page checklist

☐ Website goal written in one paragraph
☐ Two or three candidates with relevant live work
☐ Same questions asked of each
☐ Written scope, revisions and ownership in each proposal
☐ At least one reference call per finalist
☐ No ranking or traffic guarantees accepted as a selling point
☐ (Agencies/brokerages) Form-to-CRM routing tested, follow-up path agreed, disclosures confirmed by your compliance contact, IDX questions answered

Talk it through with us

1stStep.ai builds websites and automations, mostly on GoHighLevel and on tools you already use, for businesses that already have demand, including insurance agencies and real estate brokerages. If you'd like a second opinion on your shortlist, your current site or how your leads get followed up, book a free 30-min Bottleneck Call.