Hiring guide
A checklist I’d give a friend, from someone who builds small-business websites for a living.
Designer or developer?
For most small businesses, you want one person who does both.
A web designer decides how the site looks and how customers move through it. A web developer builds it so it loads fast, works on every phone and does things like bookings, quote forms or a shop. A small business site needs both skills, and hiring one person who has them is usually quicker and cheaper than coordinating two.
Bigger projects with custom software, integrations or a large shop are where a separate developer or an agency team earns its cost.
Seven questions to ask before you hire anyone
1. Can I see what my site would look like first? A mock-up or design before you commit tells you more than any portfolio.
2. Is the price fixed, and what exactly is included? Pages, copywriting, photos, contact forms, rounds of changes. Get it in writing.
3. Who owns the domain, the site and the content? The answer should be you. Make sure the domain is registered in your name.
4. What will it cost each month after launch? Hosting, platform fees and any care plan, so there are no surprises.
5. How will it work on a phone? Ask to see a previous site on your own phone. Can you call, book or get a price within a few seconds?
6. Can I update it myself? If you’ll want to change prices or photos, check how easy that is, or what it costs to have it done.
7. Who will I actually deal with? With a freelancer it’s the person you met. With an agency, ask who your day-to-day contact is.
Red flags
No fixed price, or a very low price with vague extras.
The domain registered in the designer’s name rather than yours.
No examples you can open and use on a phone.
Pressure to sign today, or a long contract for hosting you could arrange yourself.
Promises of “page one of Google” or guaranteed rankings. Nobody can honestly guarantee that.
What a fair price looks like in 2026
For a UK small business, a professionally built site with up to five pages typically costs a few hundred pounds; larger sites with a CMS or blog, or an online shop, cost from several hundred to a few thousand.
My own prices, as one example: Starter sites £400–£650 (up to 5 pages, about a week), Pro sites £700–£1,400, Shopify stores from £600 and WooCommerce from £800. Every price is fixed and agreed before any work starts. There’s more detail in my guide to website costs.
Local or remote?
Most website work happens by phone, email and video, so a good designer anywhere in the UK can build your site. A local one is still useful if you’d like to meet, or want someone who knows your area and customers.
I’m based in the Midlands and work with businesses in Derby, Nottingham, Leicester, Birmingham, Coventry and the towns around them, and remotely with the rest of the UK.
How it works
Starter sites £400–£650 (up to 5 pages, 5–7 days). Shopify from £600. Full price list on the services page.
Send me your current site or a few lines about the business. Within 2 working days you get a mock-up of your new homepage.
We go through what you need, and you get a fixed quote within 24 hours.
50% deposit to start, then design sign-off, build and launch. Most Starter sites go live in about a week.
Questions
They’re a good choice if you enjoy doing it yourself and are happy with a monthly fee. A designer is worth it when your time is worth more, or the site needs to win enquiries from day one.
A simple site of up to five pages usually takes one to two weeks once you’ve supplied your text and photos. Shops and larger sites take longer.
Most freelancers and agencies take a deposit. Mine is 50% to start, with the rest due when the site is finished and you’re happy with it.
With me, yes. I build a free mock-up of your homepage within 2 working days, then send a fixed quote if you want one.
Fixed prices from £400
Tell me a little about the business and I’ll send a free mock-up of your new homepage within 2 working days, with a fixed quote if you want one.