The short answer: the best web designer for you is the one who gives clear answers you can check. Ask about the price, who owns the site, monthly fees, rounds of changes, payment, who writes the words, how it works on a phone, SEO, real examples and who you'll deal with. Below are ten questions to ask any designer, what a good answer looks like, and how we answer them at Tarquin & Gunn. Use them to judge us too.
1. Is the price agreed up front, and what's included?
A good answer: one clear price, in writing, with a list of what you get. Pages, words, images, forms and any extras should all be named.
Watch out for: "it depends" with no number, or a low price that grows once work starts.
Our answer: our prices are agreed in writing before we start, and they're shown on our site. Brochure is £550, Business is £1,150, Bespoke is £1,950, and an online shop starts from £2,950. For more on what changes a price, see our guide on how much a website costs in the UK.
2. Who owns the website, the domain and the hosting account?
A good answer: "You do." The domain and hosting should be in your name, and you should be able to move the site if you ever want to.
Watch out for: accounts set up in the designer's name, or vague answers about what happens if you leave.
Our answer: you own the site, and the hosting accounts stay in your name.
3. Is there a monthly fee, and what happens if I stop paying it?
A good answer: a clear yes or no. If there is a fee, you should know exactly what it covers and what happens to your site if you stop.
Watch out for: a site you lose the day you stop paying. That's renting, not owning.
Our answer: there's no monthly lease. You pay once for the build. If you'd like help after launch, there's an optional Care Plan. Our line is: "Websites built to last, not to lease."
4. How many rounds of changes are included?
A good answer: a set number, agreed up front, so you know where you stand.
Watch out for: "unlimited changes" with no detail, or changes that are charged extra from the very first tweak.
Our answer: every package includes two rounds of changes on the built site, before it goes live.
5. How does payment work, and what if I don't go ahead?
A good answer: a simple plan in writing. You should know how much you pay, when, and what happens if you change your mind.
Watch out for: paying everything up front, or no clear answer about what happens if it isn't right.
Our answer: you pay a 50% deposit to start, and the balance at go-live. If you decide not to go ahead after the two rounds of changes, you don't pay the balance. We keep the 50% deposit.
6. Who writes the words on the site?
A good answer: a clear name. Either the designer writes them, or you do and they say so up front.
Watch out for: a lovely design full of blank boxes, waiting for you to fill them.
Our answer: we write the words. Copywriting is included in all of our packages.
7. Will it work well on a phone? How can I check that myself?
A good answer: "Yes, and here's how to check." Lots of people will look at your site on a phone, so it has to load well and be easy to use there.
How to check: open one of the designer's live sites on your own phone. Then put the address into Google's PageSpeed Insights tool (it costs nothing). It gives a score for mobile and suggests fixes. You don't need to understand every line. Just compare a few sites.
8. What SEO setup is done before launch?
A good answer: a short, specific list. Vague promises about "SEO" aren't enough.
Watch out for: anyone who promises a page-one ranking. No one can honestly promise that.
Our answer: on every build, we do four launch steps. We verify the site in Google Search Console, submit the XML sitemap, give each page one target keyword, and write a meta title and description for each page.
9. Can I see real sites you've built?
A good answer: links to live sites you can click on and test on your own phone, not just screenshots.
Watch out for: a portfolio you can't check, or work that's hard to trace back to the designer.
Our answer: ask us in a virtual meeting, and we'll walk you through what we can show you.
10. Who will I deal with day to day?
A good answer: a clear answer about who you'll talk to and how to reach them.
Watch out for: being handed from person to person, and repeating yourself each time.
Our answer: we're a small team with a UK office in Cambridge, and we work with businesses in London and across the UK. You deal with one small team from the first meeting to launch.
Frequently asked questions
Should I hire a freelancer or a studio?
Either can work. What matters is how they answer the ten questions above. Ask both the same questions and compare the answers.
Does my web designer need to be based in London?
No. Many designers work remotely. What matters is that they reply promptly, understand your customers and are clear about price and ownership.
What's a big red flag?
Being told you can't own your site, or not getting a clear price in writing. Promises of a guaranteed top spot on Google are another one.
Can I use these questions with Tarquin & Gunn?
Yes, please do. Our answers are above, our prices are on our packages page, and you can book a virtual meeting anytime.
Ready to talk about your website?
A chat on Google Meet with our team. Pick a time that suits you.