# How to Choose a Web Designer in the UK Source: https://dijitulwebdesign.co.uk/guides/how-to-choose-a-web-designer/ Updated: 2026-10-18 > Choose a web designer who gives a written fixed price, lets you own your website and domain, explains who writes the content, and shows how the site will win enquiries on phones. dijitul designs and builds custom small business websites from £250 + VAT, with you owning everything and no lock-in. ## Key facts - Get a written quote naming pages, content, extras and timeline - Confirm you will own the domain, the site files and the copyright once paid - Ask who writes the words; copy is often the biggest hidden cost - Check the designer's own site on a phone, and run it through PageSpeed Insights - Avoid contracts that tie the website to a monthly fee you cannot leave - dijitul has built websites since 2006 and publishes its prices: from £250 + VAT, from £500 + VAT and from £750 + VAT ## Start with what you need the website to do Before comparing designers, write down what the site has to achieve. A plumber needs calls from phones. A restaurant needs bookings. A manufacturer needs trade enquiries from buyers who research for weeks. A shop needs sales. The right designer will ask about this first, not about colours. Our web design brief guide helps you put it on one page so every designer quotes for the same job. ## Ten questions to ask every web designer - **Is the price fixed, and what exactly does it include?** Number of pages, rounds of changes, copywriting, SEO setup, training. - **What is not included?** Domain, hosting, stock photos, premium plugins or apps should be listed. - **Who will own the website and domain?** The answer should be you, in writing. See do I own my website? - **Who writes the words?** If it is you, ask when they need them. - **Is the design custom or a theme?** Both can work, but you should know which you are paying for. - **Which platform, and can I edit it myself?** See what is a CMS. - **How will it perform on phones?** Ask about mobile-first design and Core Web Vitals. - **What SEO is set up at launch?** Page titles, schema markup, Search Console, Google Business Profile, redirects from your old site. - **What happens after launch?** Hourly rate for changes, care plan options, response times. - **Can I leave?** If you move on, will they hand over everything without a fee? ## Red flags - The designer registers your domain in their own name. - The website only works while you pay their monthly fee, with no option to take the files. - A promise of page one of Google. Nobody controls Google's rankings, and no honest designer guarantees them. - No written quote, or a quote with just a total and no breakdown. - Their own website is slow, broken on mobile or has not been updated in years. - Pressure to sign today for a discount. ## Freelancer, small studio or large agency? **Freelancers** are often the cheapest and you deal with one person, but holidays and illness can stall a project, and some are designers who outsource the build. **Small studios** sit in the middle: a direct relationship with more cover and process. **Large agencies** suit complex projects with several stakeholders and big budgets, but small businesses can find themselves a low priority. Whichever you choose, the questions above still apply. Local is less important than it used to be. Most web projects run by video call, email and shared documents. What matters is clear communication and someone who answers the phone. dijitul is based in Mansfield and works with businesses across the UK. Whoever you choose, ask who will actually do the work and who you will speak to week to week. A project goes more smoothly when the person you brief is the person designing or building, or sits right next to them. ## How to compare quotes fairly Put the quotes side by side and line up the same things: pages, copywriting, design approach, platform, SEO setup, training, timeline, ownership, extras and aftercare. A quote that looks cheap often leaves out copywriting or bills every small change after launch. Bark's UK web design cost guide (checked October 2026) puts freelance small business sites at £1,000 to £3,000 and agency ones at £2,000 to £7,000, which gives a sense of the market. Our own prices are on the pricing page, and our guide to what a website costs goes further. Also compare what happens after launch. One designer may include a training session and a month of small fixes; another may charge for every change from day one. Over two or three years, aftercare costs can matter as much as the build price. ## When to call us Ask us the ten questions above. We are happy to answer them in writing before you commit. dijitul has built websites since 2006, our prices are published, and you own your site and domain with no lock-in. Get in touch or call 01623 650333. ## FAQs ### Should I choose a local web designer? Being local helps if you want face-to-face meetings, but most projects now run well over video calls and email. Choose on quality, clear pricing, communication and ownership terms first. A designer elsewhere in the UK who answers the phone is better than a local one who does not. ### What should a web design quote include? The number of pages, who writes the content, design approach, platform, SEO setup at launch, training, timeline, ownership terms, a list of extras such as domain and hosting, and the rate for changes after launch. If any of these are missing, ask before you sign. ### Is it a red flag if a designer guarantees page one of Google? Yes. Google decides rankings and no designer controls them. A good designer will explain the SEO foundations they set up, such as page titles, schema markup, speed and Search Console, without promising positions. ### How do I check a web designer's work? Open sites they have built on your own phone. Check they load quickly, the text is readable without zooming, buttons are easy to tap and phone numbers are clickable. Run a page through Google's PageSpeed Insights to see its Core Web Vitals. ### Can I switch web designers later? You can if you own your domain and have access to the hosting and site files. Make sure your contract says so. Our guide on moving your website to a new designer lists the logins and files to collect. ## Prices and contact Prices (from, + VAT): Starter £250 (Up to 5 pages, Custom design, not a template, Mobile-first build, Contact form and click-to-call, Google Business Profile set up, Basic SEO foundations, Analytics and Search Console); Business £500 (Up to 15 pages, A page per service, written to rank, Copywriting included, Full schema markup, Local SEO groundwork, Speed optimised to pass Core Web Vitals, Conversion tracking configured, Training session and recorded walkthrough); Ecommerce £750 (Shopify or WooCommerce, Product and category structure built to rank, Payments and delivery rules configured, Click-and-collect and local delivery, Accounts or EPOS integration, Google Merchant Centre feed, Abandoned cart recovery, Staff training on order management); changes £45 an hour. All prices are "from" and exclude VAT. Every project gets a fixed quote before work starts. Domain registration, stock photography, premium plugins or apps and hosting are listed in the quote, never added later. You own the website and the domain. Aftercare: Hosting from £1 a day + VAT (https://dijihost.co.uk/); Website care plans from £25 a month + VAT (https://dijitulsupport.co.uk/). Contact: https://dijitulwebdesign.co.uk/contact/ · 01623 650333 · info@dijitul.uk