TL;DR: To choose a website designer for a small business, test them before you sign. Click through their live sites on your phone and run them through a free speed test. Then confirm you will own your domain and read what the price covers after launch. A designer worth hiring will pass all of these without pushback.
Here’s how to choose a website designer for a small business: test them before you sign. Click through their live sites on your phone, run those sites through a free speed test, confirm you will own your domain, and read exactly what the price covers after launch. A good designer passes all four checks without pushback.
This is the hands-on version. Our earlier guide to choosing a web design company for your contracting business covers what to look for. This one gives you seven tests you can run yourself in an afternoon, whether you run a roofing crew in Houston or an HVAC shop in Katy.
What should you have ready before you call a website designer?
Bring a short list of your services, the cities you serve, and a batch of good photos of finished jobs. With that, a designer can give you a real answer instead of a sales pitch.
- Your services, ranked by which ones make you the most money.
- The cities and suburbs you actually want work from.
- Job photos: before-and-after shots, crews on site, finished work.
- Your domain login, if you already own one, and access to your Google Business Profile.
- One main goal for the site: more calls, more estimate requests, or better leads.
It’s fine if you’ve never had a website. A good designer can start with a conversation and the photos on your phone.
How to choose a website designer for a small business in 7 steps
Go through these steps in order. Each one weeds out designers who pitch well but fall short on the things that actually bring in jobs.
- Ask for live links, not screenshots. Get 3 to 5 sites they built for trades or home service businesses. A screenshot can’t show you a slow page or a broken form. A live site can.
- Run those sites through a speed test. Paste each link into Google’s free PageSpeed Insights tool and check the mobile results. Google’s web.dev guidance on Largest Contentful Paint says the main content should load in 2.5 seconds or less. Anything over 4 seconds is rated poor.
- Use the sites the way a customer would. On your phone, try to find the phone number within a few seconds. Tap it to call, then fill out the estimate form. If you have to hunt for a way to reach the business, your customers will too.
- Ask who will own the domain. Your domain name is your address online. ICANN, the group that oversees domain names, warns that a developer you hire may register the domain under their own contact details, even if you paid for it. Ask for the domain registered in your business’s name, and get the login.
- Ask how they handle SEO. Google publishes a list of questions to ask anyone doing SEO work. Two of them: can they show you examples of past work, and do they follow Google Search Essentials? Be careful with anyone who promises rankings. Google says it never takes money to rank sites in its organic results.
- Find out what happens after launch. Ask who handles hosting, backups, security, and changes to text and photos. Ask how fast changes get made. A site nobody looks after goes stale fast.
- Read the contract terms and the exit. Know how long you’re signing up for, what you pay upfront and each month, and what you keep if you leave. Get the answers in writing.
Which type of website designer is right for a contractor?
It depends on how much time you have and who you want running the site after it goes live. Here’s how the four common options compare.
| Option | Who builds it | Who maintains it after launch | What drives the cost | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIY website builder | You | You | Plan level plus your own hours | Owners with spare time and a tight budget |
| Freelance designer | One person | Depends on the deal, often billed by the hour | Hours, page count, custom features | Simple sites with a clear, one-time scope |
| Agency, one-time build | A team | Often a separate care plan or hourly work | Page count, design work, content writing | Larger companies with in-house marketing help |
| Managed website subscription | A team | Included in the monthly plan | Plan level and features like chat or text lead capture | Busy owners who want one bill and no upkeep |
Should you hire a designer who only builds contractor websites?
If you run a trade business, the answer is usually yes. A designer who focuses on trades already knows that homeowners want to see your work, call you fast, and know you serve their area. There are tradeoffs, though.
Pros
- They already know the pages contractors need: services, service areas, project gallery, reviews, and contact.
- You spend less time explaining your trade, whether it’s a roof tear-off or a fire sprinkler inspection.
- Calls to action and forms are built around estimate requests, not online checkout.
- Their portfolio is easy to judge, because their sites look like what yours should be.
Cons
- Their sites may follow similar layouts, so ask how they make yours stand apart.
- They may work with other companies in your trade, so ask how they handle that in your market.
- A trade-only designer may not fit if you also run a retail store or sell products online.
What mistakes do small business owners make when hiring a website designer?
The biggest mistake is choosing on looks alone. A good-looking site won’t book jobs if it loads slowly or hides your phone number.
- Picking the lowest quote without asking what happens after launch.
- Letting the designer hold the domain or hosting account without giving you access.
- Skipping the phone test. Plenty of homeowners will find you from their driveway, not a desk.
- Believing promises of first-page rankings within weeks.
- Not asking how long updates take. Adding a new service or a new city should be a quick change, not a whole new project.
For problems that show up after launch, see our list of common website mistakes home service businesses make. If you want to understand search before you interview anyone, start with our SEO basics guide for home service owners. It’ll help you spot a bad pitch.
Why is Scalable Websites a fit for contractors?
Here’s how Scalable Websites stacks up against the seven tests above.
- We’ve been in business since 2015 and have built hundreds of websites.
- We specialize in websites for contractors and trades.
- Every site is built for speed so it loads fast even on a weak mobile signal, and it’s built with SEO in mind.
- Every page has several well-placed calls to action that turn visitors into leads.
- Our sites show off your work in an elegant way without giving up speed or SEO.
- We’ve built sites for businesses that never had a website and for established businesses that needed an upgrade.
- We’re based in Houston, TX, and work with trades and contractors across the US.
- Hosting, backups, updates, and security are included in one monthly payment.
- Plans have a 6-month minimum, then go month-to-month, and a free design refresh every 36 months keeps your site from looking dated.
Want help running these tests on your current site or a designer’s portfolio? Schedule a consultation with Scalable Websites and we’ll walk through it with you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good mobile load time for a contractor website?
Google’s web.dev guidance says the main content of a page should load in 2.5 seconds or less. Anything over 4 seconds is rated poor. You can check any site for free with Google’s PageSpeed Insights.
Should a website designer guarantee Google rankings?
No. Google says it never takes money to rank sites in its organic results, so nobody can promise a spot. A good designer will explain how they build for search, not promise a ranking.
Can I switch website designers if I already have a site?
Usually, yes, as long as you control your domain. Ask your domain registrar who the registrant of record is. If it’s your old designer instead of your business, get it moved into your name before you switch.
Do I need professional photos before hiring a website designer?
No. Clear phone photos of real jobs, like before-and-after shots and finished work, are a good place to start. Real photos of your own work show homeowners what you actually do, which stock images can’t.
Recommended Reads
- How to Choose the Right Web Design Company for Your Contracting Business
- 10 Website Mistakes Home Service Businesses Keep Making (And How to Fix Them)
- Missed Call Text-Back for Contractors: How It Works and Why It Matters