Hiring a web designer in Vancouver or Surrey: 7 things to check first

Before you hire a web designer, check that you will own the site, that the price is fixed, that it will be fast on a phone, that it is built for local search, and that enquiries will actually reach you. The seven checks below take about ten minutes and will save you from the most common mistakes.

1. Will you own it?

Ask who owns the domain, the website and the content when the job is done. The answer should be you. Some companies rent you a site, and you lose it if you stop paying.

2. Is the price fixed?

A good designer can give you a written scope and a fixed price before starting. Hourly billing with no ceiling is how small projects become expensive ones.

3. Look at their work on your phone

Open two or three sites they have built, on your phone, on mobile data. If they are slow or awkward there, yours will be too. Most local customers will find you on a phone.

4. Do they build for local search?

Showing up when someone searches "plumber in Surrey" or "dentist in Kitsilano" takes specific work: a page for each service, clear information about the areas you cover, and a Google Business Profile that matches the site. Ask how they handle this. A vague answer is a warning sign.

5. Who writes the words?

The writing does most of the selling. If the plan is for you to "send over the content", the site will sit unfinished for months. Look for someone who writes it with you.

6. Where do enquiries go?

A form that sends an email nobody reads is the most common leak on small business websites. Ask what happens after a customer presses send. The best answer is that they get a helpful reply within a minute and you get a booked job.

7. What happens after launch?

Sites need small changes all the time: new prices, new photos, holiday hours. Find out whether you can make changes yourself and what help costs.

A quick way to compare quotes

Put each quote next to these seven checks. The cheapest quote that fails three of them is not the cheapest. The right one is the site you own, that loads fast, gets found locally and turns visitors into booked work.

We build websites for businesses across the Lower Mainland, including Vancouver and Surrey. If you would like a fixed quote, get in touch or read how we approach websites.