How to choose a web designer in Sydney.
Ask to see live sites, ask who owns what, and compare quotes on the same list of work. Here are the questions that sort the good quotes from the rest.
Most people hire a web designer once every few years, so it is hard to know what a good quote looks like. This guide gives you a short list of things to check before you pay a deposit.
Decide what you need first
Write down what the site should do in one or two sentences. For example: show people what we do, where we work and how to get a quote. A designer can only price and plan what is clear. If you are not sure, a good one will help you work it out in the first conversation, without charging for it.
Look at finished work
Open two or three sites they have built, on your phone. Check that they load quickly, read clearly and make the contact details easy to find. Ask who did the work on each. If the portfolio is all screenshots and no live links, ask why. You can see ours on the work page, with links to the live sites.
Questions to ask
- Who will design and build my site, and will I speak to them directly?
- Is the design custom, or is it a template with my logo on it?
- What exactly is included: how many pages, who writes the text, who sources the photos?
- Do I own the domain, the hosting account and the code at the end?
- What does it cost each year after launch, for hosting, domain and updates?
- How long will it take, and what do you need from me to keep to that?
- How many rounds of changes are included?
- What happens if something breaks after launch, and who fixes it?
- Will it be set up so search engines can find it?
- Can you give me the price and scope in writing?
Red flags
- No price range, and a push to sign before you have seen a scope
- The provider owns the domain or hosting and will not hand it over
- A long contract with a monthly fee and no clear exit
- Nobody can say who will do the work
- Every example looks the same as the last one
- Promises of guaranteed rankings
Compare quotes on the same list
Quotes are hard to compare because they bundle different things. Write one list of pages and features, send it to each provider, and ask them to price that list. Then compare the differences in what they add. A quote that is $500 cheaper but leaves out the writing, the photos and the mobile testing is not cheaper. Our guides to website cost in Australia and website design cost in Sydney show what usually changes a price.
Local or offshore
Offshore builders are often cheaper, commonly between $500 and $1,000 for a small site. Australian providers usually start from around $1,000. The gap shows up in time zones, in writing that suits Australian customers, and in how easy it is to talk to the person doing the work. Neither is automatically right. Ask the same questions of both and see who answers clearly.
Talk before you pay
A call or meeting tells you more than a proposal. A good designer asks about your customers, your jobs and what a good enquiry looks like before they talk about layouts. If you want to see how we work, read about web design in Sydney, or request a conversation. There is no obligation.