Websites · 6 min read
How to choose a web designer in Huddersfield
Choose a web designer on three things: whether their existing sites actually bring their clients work, whether the quote spells out pages, features, content and ownership, and whether you'll own the site and domain at the end. Portfolio looks matter far less than what the site does once it's live.
By Raja Wahab, Co-founder, Fixby Studios · Updated
Ten questions worth asking
- Who owns the website and the domain when it's finished?
- What exactly is in the quote — how many pages, and what happens if we need another?
- Who writes the content, and is that in the price?
- Is SEO groundwork included, or sold separately afterwards?
- How will the site be measured — what counts as it working?
- Can I edit text myself without paying for every change?
- What are the ongoing costs, and what do they cover?
- Can I speak to a client you built for two years ago?
- How long will it take, and what do you need from me to hit that?
- What happens if I want to move to someone else later?
Answers that should worry you
- "We'll host it and keep the domain in our account." You should own both.
- A single number with no breakdown of pages or scope.
- A portfolio of pretty sites with no mention of enquiries, bookings or sales.
- Big traffic promises with no explanation of how, or a guaranteed number-one ranking. Nobody can guarantee that.
- No questions about your customers. If they haven't asked who buys from you, they can't design for them.
Comparing quotes fairly
Two quotes are only comparable when scope matches. Line them up on pages, content, imagery, features, SEO groundwork, timeline and what's included after launch. The cheaper quote is often cheaper because three of those are missing.
Local or remote?
Most of the work happens remotely either way. What a local designer brings is context — knowing that a Huddersfield joiner also wants Brighouse and Holmfirth, and being reachable for a proper conversation.
Clear scope, fixed price, you own everything.
Raja Wahab is co-founder of Fixby Studios, a Huddersfield studio building websites, SEO, social media and business software for small, owner-managed businesses across West Yorkshire.
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Fixby Studios builds websites, runs SEO and manages social media for small businesses across Huddersfield and West Yorkshire.