Mistakes to avoid when hiring a web designer

Key takeaways

The costliest mistakes when hiring a web designer are choosing on portfolio looks alone, starting without a brief, not agreeing who owns the site and domain, and leaving mobile, accessibility and content out of the scope. Ask how they test, who writes the words and what happens after launch before you sign.

• Ask for results and live sites, not just portfolio screenshots.
• Write a brief with goals, pages and examples before asking for quotes.
• Agree in writing that you own the domain, content and site files.
• Put mobile testing and WCAG 2.2 AA in the scope.

Why does hiring cause design mistakes?

Many design mistakes are baked in at the hiring stage. A designer chosen for visual flair may produce a striking site that is hard to use. A scope that leaves out content or testing produces pages with placeholder text and untested forms. Choosing well prevents problems that are expensive to fix later.

• The most common business website design mistakes

Mistake 1: judging on portfolio looks alone

Portfolio screenshots show how a site looked on a large screen on launch day. Open the live sites on your phone. Check whether the text is readable, the contact details easy to find and the forms working. Ask what happened to enquiries or sales after launch and whether you can speak to a client.

• Questions to ask a web design agency before signing

Mistake 2: no brief

Without a brief, quotes are not comparable and the designer fills gaps with assumptions. A one or two-page brief covering goals, audience, pages, must-have features, examples you like and why, and budget range makes quotes fairer and the design more focused.

• A website brief template agencies can quote from

Mistake 3: unclear ownership

Some businesses discover after a dispute that the designer registered the domain in their own name or the site runs on a proprietary platform they cannot leave. Agree in writing that you own the domain, the content, the design files and admin access, and that you can move the site.

• Who owns your website, domain and content?

Mistake 4: leaving content out of the scope

If nobody is responsible for the words, the design is built around placeholder text and the real content arrives late, too long or too short for the layout. Agree who writes and edits copy, who supplies photos and when, and design around real content wherever possible.

• Content-first web design: write the words before the layout

Mistake 5: no testing or accessibility standard

Ask which devices and browsers they test on and whether they work to WCAG 2.2 AA. WebAIM's 2026 survey found detectable accessibility failures on 95.9% of top home pages, so do not assume it is included. Write the standard, the device list and form testing into the contract.

• Cross-browser testing for small business websites
• Website accessibility for UK businesses

Mistake 6: choosing on price alone

The cheapest quote often leaves out content, testing, training or support. In the UK market a new small business website typically ranges from about £1,500–£5,000 for a simple site to £5,000–£20,000 or more for a custom build with integrations. Compare what each quote includes before comparing the totals.

• how much a business website costs in the UK

Mistake 7: no plan for after launch

Sites need updates, security patches and small changes. Agree who handles them, how quickly and at what cost. Care plans in the UK market commonly run from about £50 to £500 a month depending on what is included.

• Website maintenance costs in the UK

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see: a business hires on a beautiful portfolio, the new site launches on time, and only then does someone notice the contact form was never tested on iPhone. Agreeing testing and acceptance criteria up front would have caught it before launch.

• See client work
• Website Design & Development for UK businesses
• How to give website design feedback that gets results

Hiring checklist

• Write a short brief before asking for quotes.
• Check live portfolio sites on your phone.
• Ask for a client you can speak to.
• Agree you own domain, content and files.
• Agree who writes content and supplies photos.
• Put WCAG 2.2 AA and a device list in the contract.
• Agree post-launch support and costs.

Next step

Write a one-page brief with your goals and must-have pages before speaking to any designer.